Here’s Why Online Casinos Continue To Take Market Share From Brick And Mortar

Over the last decade, we have seen more and more businesses move online. The Covid-19 pandemic has only increased this trend. Casinos are one industry that has seen a continuous move towards the online model.

Online casinos are a growing business that shows no signs of slowing down. With so many available it can become hard to tell which are legitimate and which are badly run. Click for info on which UK licensed online casinos are currently leading the market.

As representatives of tourism businesses are meeting to create a strategy for rebounding from the financial hardships that the past two years have brought, now is a perfect time to examine why online casinos are continuing to take over a greater and greater share of the market.

Reality vs Expectation

The media has contributed to the falling popularity of the brick-and-mortar casino. In movies and television, casinos are shown as glamorous and exciting destinations that offer amazing amenities. Most of these films are set in gambling destinations like Monte Carlo or Las Vegas.

The Hangover (2009), for example, showed the luxurious hotel suites offered by the big Las Vegas resort casinos. Similarly, Casino Royale (2006) showed all the patrons dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns.

Even films that have a more negative view of casinos, like Hard Eight (1996), make them seem like exciting locations staffed by beautiful cocktail waitresses. Despite its grim elements, the plot also makes the life of a professional gambler seem liberating.

Most local casinos are small businesses that do not have the resources to hire A-list celebrities to perform or offer five-star dining experiences. Some do have nice hotels attached but the majority cannot offer the same luxuries as the casino big Vegas resort casinos.

This leads to many guests being disappointed and disillusioned with their first visit to a normal brick and mortar casino. The vision of an ideal casino that the media has created is so out of touch with the reality of a small local casino that their expectations are impossible to meet.

Online casinos don’t have this problem. Before they start playing at one, many people don’t really know much about online casinos except that they offer slot machine games. This means that most new gamblers are pleasantly surprised with their first online casino experience.

Convenience

One of the main reasons that online businesses have triumphed over brick-and-mortar ones is how convenient they are. This is just as true for online shopping as it is for online casinos.

Going to a traditional casino involves getting dressed up, driving there, and parking (or often valeting) the car. This is at least an hour’s investment before you’ve even gotten through the door.

Playing at online casinos only requires you to turn on your computer or phone and begin playing. Many online casinos don’t even require you to download any software or games. Once you’ve made an account you can play at any time with ease.

This also makes it easier to just play one or two games at a time. If you’ve travelled all the way to a traditional casino, it’s a waste of time to only play a few games and go home. The feeling that you have to play long enough to make the trip worth it can lead to problematic gambling.

There is no such justification with online casinos. You can play a few slots on the bus or a hand of poker while you wait for supper to finish cooking in the oven. Playing gambling games can become a fun little break from your day rather than a whole day event.

Comfort

While most of us like getting all dressed up from time, it’s safe to agree that spending a relaxing day in our comfy clothes is also very popular. The rising popularity of athleisure wear shows just how much we all love to be comfortable.

Online casinos provide a much more comfortable gambling experience than brick and mortar casinos do. You can sit back on the couch with a tea and dive into your favourite table games without having to change out of your pyjamas. Can’t get much more comfortable than that.

Additionally, in these days of heightened concern about our health and the possible risks of being in enclosed spaces with large groups of people going to a casino can be a stressful thing. Playing from the comfort of your home removes those fears and lets you play in peace.

Bonuses

Part of the draw of online casinos is the bonuses and promotions they offer. Traditional brick and mortar casinos may offer incentives to come in, like a free buffet or tickets to a show but most can’t offer the same type of promotions as online casinos do.

Most bonuses and promotions include free slot machine spins, deposit matching, or cashback. These incentives are very attractive and can convince even those who are reluctant to gamble to give it a try. They are essentially free money and that is hard to resist.

As the world slowly returns to normal, the trend towards moving business online is likely to slow down. However, in the gambling industry, the benefits of using online casinos outweigh those of going to brick-and-mortar casinos by so much that they will continue to grow.