According to research done by CasinoScout.ca online casinos’ popularity across the world didn’t even come close to the popularity of the land-based casinos which are beautifully designed and located in the most auspicious spots in the world. Although many gamblers understood the allure of online casinos and their bonuses, not many consider them to be above the land-based casinos in terms of benefits.
However, a change happened to the gambling industry and many people started veering towards the online gaming industry. What caused this change? Covid-19 pandemic happened to the world. It was revealed to have started in Asia before it quickly spread to other parts of the world. To prevent the further spread of the virus, which has caused a massive number of deaths across the world, a widespread pandemic was introduced.
This lockdown led to the shutdown of many companies across the world, even our favourite sports was temporarily placed on hold during this lockdown. The most famous and beautifully-designed land-based casinos also had to temporarily shut down to prevent the further spread of the virus. Revenues in many industries across the world witnessed a new low, and some businesses could even cope with the lockdown and had to run out of business as people were forced to isolate themselves with their families at home.
While this lockdown forced major industries to close, some other industries were thriving in the change brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. The e-gaming and e-commerce industry as well as the online casinos’ industry.
Online Casinos & Lockdown
With most people sitting in their homes bored with nothing to do, they turned to entertainment that could lift their boredom. Listening to music, watching movies, playing video games, shopping online, and playing online casinos.
For the online gaming industry, many changes happened to the industry due to the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was reported by the UK Gambling Commission that there was a huge increase in the percentage of people gambling on the internet. There was an increase of about 25% in the number of people participating in online slots and a 38% increase for poker games. This dramatic increase was due to the lockdown as people were sitting bored at their homes, with most of their favourite TV shows, sports and events temporarily shut down.
The Online Casino Industry Gains
Further studies in Australia show that there was yet another dramatic 67% increase in online gambling for March 2021, following the temporary lockdown of all non-essential businesses due to the spread of coronavirus at the time. The numbers were based reported to be based on a transaction sample of over 250,000 Australian players, which displayed the online casino industry as one of the best winners during the pandemic.
Online Casinos Strategies
While the world was on lockdown to control Covid-19, the online casino industry didn’t sit back and just let people discover the various platforms they have spread across the internet. But instead made them discoverable through their extensive marketing that was seen across all media in the world. In 2021, you can almost spot an advertisement regarding online casinos in every blog or platform you visit.
The online casino industry suddenly evolved to become a fiercely competitive industry as many platforms want to attract the highest number of players from their isolated homes. Digital marketing was put in place alongside impressive bonuses, promotions and loyalties. The fierce competition played a huge role in increasing the popularity of online casinos across the world. Not long after, online casinos were seen in a better light than land-based casinos as many people started realizing the convenience, comfort, high-quality games and bonuses it has to offer.
Conclusion
While the popularity of online casinos could be said to be owed to the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is also noteworthy to know that the online casino industry also put forward its maximum effort into achieving this fame across the world. The first online casino was developed in the 90s, the online casino industry has come a long way to get to this height through the help of technology, and their many marketing strategies, the momentum was pushed further to another peak by the Covid-19 pandemic. We all know that it was only a matter of time before online casinos take over from land-based casinos considering everything is being digitalized in this modern era.
