It’s an interesting question. Online casino profits remained steady throughout this period, and the reopening of casino floors created an interesting option for casino users. In countries like New Zealand, for example, casino players can use offshore gambling sites, but companies within New Zealand that provide online access must operate from physical buildings.
There are six land-based casinos in New Zealand, all of which have seen a steady rise in users returning to their casino floors. However, even pre-2019, a steady stream of casino users had already begun to switch to digital gambling platforms.
This isn’t just specific to New Zealand, though. Many other countries have seen a positive upward trend in land-based casino users returning through their doors as pandemic restrictions are lifted amid the steady taming of Covid, especially in the bigger gambling cities like Las Vegas and in countries such as the UK.
Las Vegas doesn’t just rely on people using their casinos for tourism. They rely on them to be there to use the restaurants and the hotels, and attend shows. So, from this perspective, there was a lot more riding on the return of these customers than, say, the handful of land-based casinos in New Zealand. That’s not to say they didn’t welcome the return of casino users, though. However, the importance of selling a package that includes a casino stay among other benefits certainly holds more weight than just the casino on its own.
The current state of the casino industry is a cause of debate for large numbers of analysts and customers alike. The online gambling market is a market that offers high-profit margins for casino companies and a consistent turnover. It is crucial to remember that if you do gamble online, you have to do so with a level of responsibility. Do not gamble more than you can afford to lose; stop when the fun stops.
That being said, there are millions of people across the globe who enjoy gambling responsibly. For some people, the allure of going to a land-based casino, meeting friends, having a drink and having a social time is more appealing than online casinos.
However, some people are more introverted and don’t like the idea of having to spend time and money getting ready and travelling to their nearest physical casino. They can gamble from the comfort of their home, at their leisure, whenever they like, day or night. There’s a reason that land-based giants have accepted their need to expand into the online casino NZ market.
Sports betting shops offering casino games, usually on fixed odds betting terminals, highlighted that high street gambling in the UK has returned to the levels witnessed in 2019. It’s too early to tell whether or not this will be a trend that sticks.
While online gambling remains the number one outlet for casino users, land-based casinos have seen a resurgence, moving back towards levels witnessed in 2019. Despite key differences between online and land-based casinos, the trend seems to be moving increasingly online. Irrespective of this, there will always be a market for land-based casinos. They are social settings that attract groups of people after some fun and excitement on a night out. Casino owners across the globe will be hoping it’s not just a minor resurgence before the trend sways back toward online casinos.
When investigating the competition between land-based and online casinos, we’re looking at games such as lightning roulette. This is a game that enhances odds on specific roulette numbers. This can sometimes bump odds by x10 or x20. These games require serious technology and provide online casinos with much higher revenues than their land-based counterparts.
The reason is that with quicker rounds, they can have more games over several days or weeks, and ultimately make more money. The user who wins at a lightning roulette game benefits more than the land-based casino player, as these odds are not available in a physical casino.
In summary, it is key to remember that digital casinos didn’t exist a couple of decades ago. They have completely reshaped the industry, and there are very few people out there who can see this trend slowing down.
So despite land-based casino users rising back to 2019 levels, the overall trend will likely continue to favor online casinos. This isn’t just due to the downturn in 2020 and 2021 – all the evidence is pointing in the direction that this will be the case. Convenience is important for many of us, and this is highlighted in the staggering profits that online casinos are enjoying.
