The Growth of Online Casinos in Wales

As its own country with over 3 million residents, Wales takes up over 4.5% of Britain’s overall population and is a hub for economic and financial services, remaining one of the country’s most valuable sectors. Whilst it’s common knowledge that the U.K.’s online casino industry as a whole is growing rapidly, how much of that is originating from Wales? Before we dive in, let’s backtrack to take a look at where Wales is positioned in the bigger context of the market.

History of the industry in Wales

The first-ever land-based casino in the United Kingdom opened in Port Talbot in the early 1960s. Its owner, George Alfred James, would later be known as the founder of some of the biggest casinos in London, notwithstanding the fact that he was a Welsh native. After the growing popularity of his first casino in the Port, James opened the second location in Cardiff, Wales’ capital, quickly attracting many to the gaming scene and expanding territory outside of London. Although the casino at Port Talbot eventually closed, during its day it was so well-known that many even began to give it the nickname “The Monte Carlos of Wales.”

A few decades later in 1994, the arrival of the National Lottery in the UK brought with it an even bigger audience as many began to play and purchase tickets, making it, years later, one of the most popular activities for the Welsh. Fast forward to today’s landscape of extremely efficient modern technologies and gaming materials, and being physically present in a land-based casino is starting to become a thing of the past. Now, online casino games and betting have taken over the industry and significantly contributed to the growth of the U.K.’s current economic standing, especially in Wales. Statistics show that Welsh residents can be thanked for providing nearly £260 million in gross online gaming profits each year.

What are the people playing?

So, with all this growth within the ever-expanding market of online casinos, which games are preferred amongst Wales’ citizens? According to the main experts in the industry, the majority of gaming users in the country, and in Britain as a whole, take to the internet for online slots games, as they remain one of the most popular types of game amongst people in the region. One of the main reasons for this is the wide variety of slots games and options available, including progressive jackpots, stakes, RTP, paylines, and number of reels, among other features. In addition to this is the option of playing from iOS and Android devices.

Betting is also enjoyed by enthusiasts of online casino games as football and horse betting remain extremely common across the entirety of the UK and, in Wales, rugby especially is one of the most popular sports to follow and bet on online. This makes sense given the sport’s rich history in the country, with many rugby-like games such as cnapan existing in Wales for centuries.

As the industry expands, developers are becoming increasingly aware of the customer’s need for high-level security

The future of the online Welsh casino community

Although there have been some major advancements since the appearance of the first casino in the 60s (not least the fact that most of us are now owners of tiny mobile computers or smartphones), there are still many improvements yet to be made. Specifically, in the Welsh casino world where many users are natives of the country, it is surprising that there are currently no online casino sites that offer their services in the Welsh language. Despite most of the population having a high or native level of English, there has been a rise in the number of Welsh speakers in the area over the last decade, emphasizing the fact that perhaps these features could be necessary in the near future.

Studies also show that a large proportion of online casino users are under 35-40 years old, showing us that the market is flourishing with generations who are accustomed to using smartphones and can easily work their way through a variety of digital applications and interfaces. We are also already seeing an improvement in customer relations and protections when it comes to online checks, ensuring that the internet gaming experience stays safe and secure online and yields the maximum amount of enjoyment from its users. These ever-expanding trends will only continue to increase as time goes on, with new advancements in tech being made throughout the entirety of the U.K. and Wales.