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Blask: Slovenia Tops iGaming Markets with +113.5% Growth

The analytics platform Blask Index shared a weekly report with the iGN editorial team, showing iGaming market trends for January 5–11, 2026. The analysis is based on the Blask Index metric, with betting events being the key drivers of the week. iGN highlights the following key data and dynamics:

Top 5 Markets by Growth

  • Slovenia (+113.5%) — two consecutive home stages of the World Cup in alpine skiing (Kranjska Gora) and ski jumping (Ljubno). Slovenian athlete Nika Prevc achieved her 30th and 31st career victories in ski jumping, and together with her brother Domen, they led the overall World Cup standings for the first time in history ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
  • Turkey (+34%) — an investigation by the Football Federation into betting with illegal operators brought sports betting into the top news, involving players, referees, and club owners.
  • Saudi Arabia (+24.9%) — the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah (El Clásico), with Barcelona beating Real Madrid 3:2, featuring Mbappe, Vinicius, Jamal, Lewandowski, and Rafinha.
  • Egypt (+19.7%) — the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations playoffs, with users actively searching for live broadcasts, team lineups, and favorable odds.
  • Peru (+10.4%) — the draw for the national Liga 1 football league generated preseason excitement, with the season starting on January 30.

Top 5 Markets by Decline

  • Laos (−35.9%) — the extradition of cybercriminal Chen Zhi from Cambodia to China on January 7, linked to operations in the Golden Triangle, brought gambling into the news but reduced player interest.
  • Denmark (−32.3%) — the winter break of the national Superliga and new gambling advertising rules from 2026 (ban during sports broadcasts, age restrictions up to 25) decreased player interest in betting.
  • Singapore (−32.2%) — European storms Ellie and Goretti disrupted Bundesliga, Eredivisie, English league, and FA Cup matches, forcing the operator “Singapore Pools” to issue mass bet refunds.
  • Netherlands (−29.3%) — heavy snowfall disrupted football matches, leaving bettors without a clear schedule.
  • Bulgaria (−29.2%) — entry into the Eurozone on January 1, an increase in GGR tax from 20% to 25%, and the winter break of the national Parva Liga reduced player interest in betting.

According to Blask, major sporting events and regulatory news remain the main factors driving fluctuations in player interest in the iGaming segment.