The gambling industry is worth billions of dollars globally and traditionally you would visit a land- based casino or a high street bookmaker. Over the last few years online casinos and online gambling in general has grown massively. It takes a bigger share of the market every year and 2020 looks to be no different. Although there are no financial reports at the time of writing it could be that 2020 outstrips all expectations.
Why is it that online gambling has become so popular? Is it simply a fad or because of how convenient it is, and if so, what makes it so convenient?
Anywhere, anytime
The most obvious advantage of using an online casino or gambling site is that you can do it from the comfort of your home, cafe or literally anywhere. You need a smartphone, some way to connect to the internet and an account with a gambling site. You can lay on the sofa with a movie streaming in the background while you login to play your favorite games.
The negative side of this is that you miss out on the human interaction of being in a real casino and online gambling is actually illegal still in many countries and states across America so check your local gambling legislation first before playing.
Online casinos are never closed
Unlike a traditional casino, websites never close except for maintenance. You may work in a job that demands unusual or anti-social hours that hinders your leisure time. This isn’t a problem when going online. You can walk in the door at 7am, have a shower and breakfast and then go online to play a few hands of blackjack, roulette or slots like eye of horus. Whatever your favorite games are, they are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Payment methods
Brick and mortar casinos generally only accept cash and while this isn’t necessarily a problem the online sites offer far more options. If you go onto a sports betting site or into an online casino you will be presented with options from Paypal, Neteller, debit cards, credit cards and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Depositing money into your account is fast and secure and payout is equally painless.
These options will differ depending on which country you live in but there could be twenty options for you to choose from. Some countries such as the UK have now banned credit cards being used for gambling which has resulted in making e-wallets such as Paypal and Skrill unusable for online gambling. Any professional registered website will only allow you to use recognized payment methods.
Transport & time
This may not be such a big deal if you live near a casino but for many people going to a casino may mean travelling some distance and with this comes not only the time you are using to get there and back but also the cost incurred. Whether it is your own petrol or you are paying for public transport or a taxi you will have an added expense which you will not get with playing online.
Free to play games
One very convenient thing about online gambling is that there are many free-to-play games which allow you to practice before you start putting down real cash. Unfortunately, the traditional casinos aren’t really as interested in you playing roulette or slots for fun as they are in the business of making money. Although online casinos also want you to deposit cash, they give you the opportunity to find a game you like and play for free which gives you the chance to learn the rules, hone your game and learn some basic strategy before delving in to the deep end.
New player bonuses and loyalty rewards
Traditional casinos don’t generally hand out cash if they can help it but in the very competitive online gambling world it is a different matter. Most casino, bingo and bookmaker websites will give you some form of bonus for signing up. This may come in the form of money deposited in your account or perhaps one or more free bets to use.
Sports betting sites will often reward regular players with a free bet each week if they have placed a certain amount of money on bets during the last seven days. These bonuses can be used instead of your own money and reduce any losses you may incur.
Variety of games
Land based casinos have a variety of games. Usually they will have poker tables, blackjack, baccarat, slot machines, roulette and video poker. However, casinos are limited to how much floor space they have. An online casino is unlimited as it is virtual. There will be all the usual games plus a wide variety of other options such as bingo and sports betting. There may be virtual horse racing and there is always room at the card table.
The Covid-19 effect
This year, 2020 saw the world suffer a global pandemic. This forced non-essential businesses to close their doors, some forever. Casinos were no different but people still need entertainment and stimuli. Online casinos grew far more popular during quarantine & lockdown and countries such as the UK reported record searches online for online gambling and casinos. By playing at home there is no need to put yourself or others at risk by travelling and you can practice social distancing while enjoying your favorite games.
Ease of access
Unlike some graphic intensive video games, online casinos or bingo sites do not require any expensive hardware. All you need in most cases is simply a smartphone and most people have access to one. Companies optimize their websites for phones so there is no need to invest in a laptop or even a tablet.
Summary
It would appear that online casinos and other gambling sites will continue to grow unless traditional casinos can match all the conveniences offered by the online industry. Although there is no comparison to dressing up and having a night out or visiting Las Vegas with your friends there is a lot to say for being able to login to try to take the house down without even leaving your home.