Ever since the launch of the internet, we’ve seen physical businesses finding a way to take their brands virtual. Since 1996 there has been a huge growth in the number of online marketplaces, stores with their own websites, and people launching their own businesses that wouldn’t have existed without the internet. Arguably one of the sectors to benefit most from the advent of the internet is the gambling industry.
In the past, you would head to a bookmaker’s shop before your team’s big game, or before the start of the big horse races like the Grand National, to place your bets, and then you’d cross your fingers and be glued to the TV, praying for your team to score or your horse to clear that last hurdle just a little bit faster. Equally, casinos were Saturday night entertainment or reserved for holidays on lavish cruise ships, or maybe you’d go to your local bingo hall in the week for some time with friends.
While that sounds exciting, the advent of online gambling has meant that we just don’t do that very often anymore. But when the option is there to go and have a good time with your friends, why are online casinos so much more popular than physical casinos?
Welcome Bonuses Make Online Casinos Tempting
One of the biggest reasons for the rise in online casinos is that there’s less pressure. If you’re a new player wanting to try out some casino games, it can be daunting to go to a physical casino. In some casinos (such as those on-board cruise ships), it’s accepted and even quite normal to stop and watch other people playing, which, if you’re not entirely sure what you’re doing it can be very off-putting. It’s also very normal for newer players to feel like they’re going to annoy the dealer or other customers that are part of the same game if they don’t know the ins and outs of the game as well as every rule. If you’re a new player, playing online against a computer takes away all of that pressure. You can spend time researching the rules of the game you want to play, developing new strategies, and taking time to really understand what you’re doing without annoying anyone else and without the added pressure of being watched.
Many online casinos offer welcome bonuses to new players, which means that those topping up an account for the first time get better value for money. These welcome bonuses come in many different forms – for example, some promise to double your initial deposit, and others will give you a set amount back. This encourages people to play a casino, and hopefully stay around as a longer-term players.
You Can Play When You Want
Online casinos also offer the player a sense of comfort and convenience. Playing at home allows you to sit on the sofa or your bed; you can wear whatever you feel most comfortable in and use it as the time to relax instead of feeling pressured. Being comfortable and in an environment that makes you feel safe means you’re likely to spend more time playing in online casinos and not actually noticing the time passing, rather than potentially watching the clock in real life.
Online casinos also have the benefit of being operational 24/7, meaning you can play whenever you feel like it rather than waiting for the local casino to be open or visiting major cities that do offer 24-hour casinos. The increased comfort and convenience, as well as the lack of pressure and a huge variety of games to choose from all, make for a more enjoyable experience.
Online Casinos Are Stepping Up Their Game
As seen on this updated list of brand new casino sites, many sites are developing and optimizing apps for smart devices and mobile phones as they understand this is how people want to play now. Mobile phones have allowed audiences to access information, resources, and entertainment on the move, which has definitely helped the online casino industry grow.
Online casinos know that they need to keep their audiences happy – so they’re offering big Jackpots and better games, in a bid to keep things interesting for their players. There are now so many online casinos for players to choose from that they are all trying to be the best.
Many of them are adapting in a way that land-based casinos aren’t in the currency people can use on their accounts. Not only do many online casinos now give their players the option to deposit, withdraw and play in their chosen currency, but in many cases, they’re now offering digital currency as an option too. With the popularity of the likes of Bitcoin growing, online casino users are becoming more likely to want to use digital currency, and as such, to keep up with this trend, online casinos are adapting to offer this across many of their sites.
With so many benefits to gambling online, it’s easy to wonder if one day physical casinos will disappear altogether. It’s quite likely that physical casinos may diminish in numbers as the popularity of online gambling continues to rise, but casinos will probably continue to have physical locations in the most prominent areas. Places like Las Vegas are entirely built around casinos – that’s a huge part of the city’s culture and millions of tourists every year go because of this.
Equally, almost every cruise ship has a casino on-board, and they’re usually very profitable. People tend to worry less about money when they’re on holiday, and those who would normally avoid gambling suddenly see it as a fun way to pass a few hours. As technology continues to move on, we’ll likely see reduced numbers of physical casinos, but gambling has a big role to play in tourism, and it’s very unlikely that places like the Las Vegas Strip will be shutting down any time soon!
