Top Five Cities in The World for iGaming Startups

Working in the iGaming world is a dream for a lot of people. But this is a highly competitive field with strong demand for jobs, though the industry is also expanding at a rapid rate as well.

With that in mind, we have picked out the top five cities in the world for iGaming startups.

San Francisco, USA

The obvious place to start is San Francisco and the Bay Area. While rents for new companies such as iGaming startups can be high in this part of the world, it is an epicentre of the industry. Nearby San Jose and Oakland are both good options as well.

More than 100 gaming studios have their base in San Francisco so there is a huge amount of experience and expertise in the region, which is vital for brand new businesses in the sector.

Investors also like iGaming startups to be based in a tech-heavy hub, which is another big tick in the box for the Bay Area and the city of San Francisco itself.

Various industry events are held in San Francisco, so the city is vital for the iGaming world, while the impending legalisation of online sports betting in America makes it a good choice too.

London, UK

There is no doubt at all that London is among the top five cities in the world for iGaming startups.

Of course London makes the grade due to its regulated iGaming industry and its love of betting on anything. For this reason the UK has the biggest number of regulated casinos in the world.

Countless iGaming startups got their big break after choosing London as their base, with companies such as Namco Europe and Payload Studios setting up in the English capital.

London is particularly powerful when it comes to the publishing side of the iGaming scene. More than 90 per cent of games publishing roles in the UK are in London and the south east.

Just like San Francisco, London is home to a number of top iGaming events each year.

Tokyo, Japan

Over to Asia for our next selection with Tokyo in Japan certainly worthy of a spot in this list.

Dozens of iGaming companies call Tokyo home and the city also hosts the annual Tokyo Game Show, which is one of the top events in the world for the industry. The Tokyo Game Show is still scheduled to take place in September 2020 despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Among the interesting game development studios that are based in Japan is 3rdkind, which was set up by staff who have previously worked for companies such as Capcom and Gameloft. The Japan online casino market is expected to grow extremely quickly in the coming years.

Perhaps the dream scenario for an iGaming startup that begins life in Tokyo is to be snapped up by Sega – one of the world’s biggest companies – which has its headquarters in the city.

Austin, USA

One of the fastest growing cities in the world is Austin in Texas and many iGaming startups have opted for this location to set themselves up.

Austin is known across America for being a hub of creativity, which makes it a fantastic option for new companies that want to tap into that kind of vibe.

Texas lawmakers are still mulling over a potential change to the law that would give the green light for iGaming companies like online casinos to launch their operations in the state.

But this is expected to happen at some point in the next few years, which is likely to make Austin an even more important location for the iGaming industry in the near future.

Montreal, Canada

We stay in North America for our last option. Canada has opened its doors to the iGaming industry more than most countries, making Montreal a good choice for iGaming startups.

Montreal has dozens of iGaming companies, outstripping the number of businesses in the industry that have instead chosen to base themselves in either Vancouver or Toronto.

Lots of esports events are hosted in Montreal – a hub for that growing scene – which makes the city an obvious place to start a new business linked to the industry.

Bricks and mortar casinos are popular in Canada – Casino de Montreal is North America’s largest casino – and gambling through the internet is also very popular in the city.

If you were setting up an iGaming startup, would you choose one of the above five places?