iGaming market weekly report | Mar 23–29, 2026

Top gainers

Laos +23.2% — No clear country-specific trigger surfaced for this week’s top gainer. Laos does not appear in prior weeks’ top movers, and no sports, regulatory, or calendar events within the reporting window explain the jump. The gain reads as organic fluctuation in a small-volume market, where modest absolute changes produce outsized percentage swings.

Sri Lanka +18.2% — The launch of IPL 2026 on March 28 drove a sharp rebound in Sri Lankan iGaming search interest, mean-reverting from the prior week’s –11.7% decline. Several Sri Lankan players featured prominently in pre-tournament headlines — Nuwan Thushara was blocked from joining RCB after failing a mandatory fitness test, while clearance for Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana remained uncertain through the week. The combination of national players in a marquee T20 league and the surrounding selection drama elevated both cricket and betting search volumes.

Bolivia +15.2% — Bolivia’s intercontinental World Cup playoff semifinal against Suriname on March 26 in Monterrey drove acquisition intent across sports betting verticals. Bolivia won 2–1, advancing to face Iraq for a World Cup berth — the country’s most significant footballing moment in decades. 

Switzerland +14.6% — Second consecutive week in the gainers column, following +23.3% in Week 12. The March international break provided a direct catalyst: Switzerland hosted Germany in a high-profile friendly at St. Jakob-Park in Basel on March 27, a seven-goal thriller (3–4) that drew 34,316 spectators. Simultaneously, the Swiss National League ice hockey playoffs are underway, adding a second domestic betting vertical to the week’s search demand.

US-California +13.5% — March Madness provided the calendar effect. The NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds fell within Week 13, and California — where sports betting remains illegal — consistently generates elevated iGaming search interest during major US sporting events as residents explore offshore and DFS alternatives. A new entrant to the top movers list.

Top decliners

North Macedonia –30.4% — North Macedonia played Denmark in a World Cup qualification playoff semifinal on March 26, which might be expected to elevate search interest, not suppress it. However, the country was a heavy underdog and lost 0–4 in Copenhagen. No enforcement or regulatory actions surfaced within the reporting window. The drop reads as baseline compression in a small market.

Qatar –28.1% — The ongoing military conflict in the Middle East continues to suppress iGaming search demand across the Gulf. After –23.2% in Week 12, Qatar shed another –28.1% in Week 13. With regional instability showing no signs of easing, the suppression layer is structural rather than event-driven.

Sierra Leone –27.5% — No clear country-specific trigger surfaced. The market’s total volume is low enough that minor fluctuations produce large percentage swings. No enforcement, regulatory, or sporting events within the reporting window explain the decline.

Azerbaijan –26.9% — The spillover effects of the Middle East military conflict have directly impacted Azerbaijan, with airspace restrictions and disrupted border crossings with Iran compressing normal online activity patterns. The country did not appear in Week 12’s top movers, making this a new entrant on the decliner side. 

AU-South Australia –25.5% — No clear trigger surfaced for the sub-national market’s decline. At a low total volume, the market sits near the threshold where minor absolute changes produce headline-level percentage swings.

Market spotlight: Sri Lanka | +18.2%

Sri Lanka’s iGaming search volume posted a clean +18.2% gain in Week 13, reversing the prior week’s –11.7% decline. The catalyst is straightforward: IPL 2026 kicked off on March 28, and Sri Lankan players dominated the pre-tournament news cycle all week.

Sri Lanka Cricket introduced mandatory fitness testing before clearing players for overseas leagues, and the policy immediately created friction. Nuwan Thushara failed the test and was blocked from joining RCB, while Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana remained in limbo as they recovered from injuries. Meanwhile, Kamindu Mendis, Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and Dasun Shanaka all received clearance and reported to their franchises. The daily drip of selection updates kept Sri Lankan audiences engaged with IPL-adjacent search queries across betting, fantasy, and match preview verticals throughout the week.

Sri Lanka is a cricket-mad nation where offshore iGaming operators actively target the market, given the absence of a comprehensive domestic online gambling framework. IPL seasons reliably produce search volume spikes as fans track their players across ten franchises, and the 2026 edition — with its compressed pre-season drama and high-profile player disputes — amplified the effect. With 74 matches scheduled through May 31, expect Sri Lanka to remain above trend for the duration of the tournament.

Regional snapshot

Europe 

Switzerland’s +14.6% extended its streak to a second consecutive week, fuelled by the March 27 friendly against Germany and building World Cup anticipation. On the decliner side, North Macedonia (–30.4%) and Azerbaijan (–26.9%) fell sharply — the latter directly impacted by spillover from the Middle East conflict. 

Asia-Pacific 

The region owned the week’s upside. India (+13.4%) and Sri Lanka (+18.2%) both surged on the IPL 2026 launch, Laos (+23.2%) led all gainers with no clear trigger, and Cambodia (+9.8%) extended its positive streak from Week 12 at a decelerating pace. Myanmar (–23.9%) was the notable decliner, continuing the volatility pattern characteristic of Southeast Asian grey markets.

Middle East & Africa 

The Middle East conflict remained the dominant suppression layer. Qatar (–28.1%) declined for a second consecutive week, the UAE (–25.5%) shed a quarter of its volume, and both markets saw major sporting events cancelled due to regional instability. In Africa, Sierra Leone (–27.5%) and Rwanda (–24.1%) declined without clear triggers — drift in low-volume markets lacking a sports or calendar hook during the reporting week.

Next week watchlist

India / Sri Lanka 

IPL 2026 enters its first full week of matches (March 30–April 5), with high-profile fixtures including Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans. Expect sustained elevation or further gains in Indian iGaming search volume as the tournament builds momentum and daily match coverage intensifies.

World Cup intercontinental playoffs 

The finals take place on March 31 in Mexico: Bolivia vs Iraq and Jamaica vs DR Congo, with two World Cup berths at stake. Bolivia is chasing its first World Cup appearance since 1994; Iraq’s preparation was disrupted by regional airspace closures. Jamaica and DR Congo are also one match from qualification. Expect elevated sports betting search interest across all four markets during the week.

Middle East 

The ongoing military conflict continues to disrupt the region. With airspace restrictions, cancelled sporting events, and general instability showing no signs of easing, expect further compression across Gulf markets in the coming week.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.