Is online gaming causing trouble for the traditional brick and mortar casinos?

Online casinos have seen a huge boom in the last 10 years, with technology advancing exponentially and paving the way for new and innovative ways to play casino games online.

This huge shift to the digital world has seen a much wider and varied audience playing casino games online, such as slots, blackjack and roulette. It has even paved the way for a larger female audience, with almost half of online casino players now being female.

Casino Bonus Tips recently asked 500 online casino players what they thought about this shift and whether they thought this will have a huge impact on the casino industry as a whole. With nearly 85% of players claiming that they did indeed think that online casinos opened up gambling to an even wider audience, many of them expressed their concerns for the traditional bricks and mortar casinos we know and love.

There have been frequent articles on Vegas casinos reporting losses over the last few years, with some claiming to have been continuously in the red for the last 6 years. Of course, there are many factors that could be contributing to drop in offline gambling. The slowly declining economy and casino demographics not having quite as much disposable income as they once had, is sure to be one of the biggest issues for casinos.

One of the most frequent points highlighted by the survey respondents, was that the traditional bright lights, big city casinos had become somewhat of a novelty and a luxury. One person noted: “I don’t think it will affect the casino industry, going to a casino is still a night out and a fun thing to do, people who go to casinos wouldn’t stop because they can do it on a computer. “

It has been said that one of the biggest reasons for casino losses in Las Vegas, was down to tourists no longer heading to the city to gamble, but to see big shows like Cirque Du Soleil and Britney Spears. Those attending the casinos are not necessarily avid gamblers, and won’t spend as much as those who attend casinos regularly. A large portion of Las Vegas’ revenue now comes from the restaurants and tourist attractions that line the strip, with gaming taking a steady dive, which is why the casinos are appearing to lose money.

Another of the respondents likened the situation to that of watching movies, saying that “The experience is different. It’s like seeing a film at the cinema rather than at home – people do both.” Suggesting that those that enjoy going to casinos and enjoy the showmanship of the bigger casinos, will continue to go no matter what games they can access online.

It can definitely be argued that online casinos are becoming increasingly popular and the amount of gambling now done digitally could be set to surpass that of traditional casinos. However, online casinos can’t take the brunt of the blame, with things like economy, cultural shifts and tourist attractions all having their part to play in the steady decline of casinos. The bigger casinos in the more popular tourist gambling cities of the world need not worry though, as the novelty and experience of attending lavish establishments will always hold an appeal.