The global COVID-19 pandemic effectively brought the world to a halt. People lost lives and livelihoods, businesses shut down, and everyone was stuck at home. However, some businesses managed to thrive despite the odds stacked against them. One of the most well-performing sectors during the pandemic was online gambling.
A variety of reasons led to the rise of online gambling during the lockdown. Some were as mundane as boredom and others as sophisticated as the technology that made the phenomenon possible. Websites like Bestonlinecasino.ca are used by both regular and novice gamblers to find the right kind of online casino.
Let’s have a look at some of the most significant factors that made online gambling come out the winner.
BRICK AND MORTAR CASINOS SHUT DOWN
As a result of COVID-19 precautions, several land-based casinos were forced to shut shop. Additionally, the lowered traffic at these casinos led to increased participation online. This has been the single most influential factor that is responsible for the online migration.
Online gambling platforms made a pretty buck ousting their more successful ancestors. As the overheads are considerably reduced for online casinos, they are able to provide better returns to their visitors. The appeal of the online casino has risen tenfold since the restrictions on physical casinos were imposed.
EMPTY STADIUMS
The initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had even forced athletes to take a break from tournament season. This created a fairly obvious void in the world of sports betting. Enthusiasts were hard-pressed for avenues that could cater to their gambling requirements.
Sports betting took a hit because live sports events were on the decline. However, when the stadiums started hosting matches à la COVID-19 restrictions, online betting platforms became the go-to place for betting on live sports. Eventually, the ease of access to betting platforms online resulted in its popularity surpassing physical locations that did the same.
FRIENDLY MOBILE APPS
Successful advancements in the tech sphere enabled a revolution in mobile gaming. This effectively catapulted the success of online casinos. With increasingly user-friendly mobile apps online casinos have witnessed new participants at an explosive rate. Gambling at the click of a button sounds a lot easier than getting dressed, getting in your car, entering the casino, and moving from slot machine to table.
Players can choose between instant play or downloaded versions of the games. Mobile gaming options provide increased flexibility to accommodate all kinds of gamblers. This has led to the meteoric rise of the online gambling industry and is only expected to rise in the years to come.
A LIVE DEALER IS BETTER THAN A ROBOT
Many people have found online casinos to be ineffective as they essentially use computer programs to deal. For many players, this is a deal-breaker. The industry, however, found an alternative for this as well. Enter live dealers.
Live dealer games employ real human beings to deal. Yes, the ones who can successfully feed in the right Captcha codes. Live dealer games feel a lot more realistic and players don’t have to worry about robots taking over the world. Killing two birds with one stone? We definitely think so.
If this doesn’t seal the deal then remember that live dealers can diminish the house edge down to a whopping 0%. Now that’s very attractive.
MORE PLAYERS MORE MONEY
A professional online poker player from the UK mentioned in an interview that the lockdown had been incredibly beneficial to his career. With more people looking to online gambling platforms to take their chances at the gold pot, pre-lockdown players have observed a steady rise in their earnings.
With more players driving traffic to various gambling websites and participating in games, winners have reported higher stakes and higher rewards. This is definitely part of the allure for serious gamblers who’re looking for a serious challenge.
BOREDOM, BOREDOM, BOREDOM
The most commonly cited reason for the rise of online gambling anywhere in the world has been boredom. The UK reports increased participation in online gambling due to boredom suffered by young professionals. Australia reported that its citizens in Melbourne and Sydney spent most of their money on online gambling followed by takeout and then electronic gadgets.
It isn’t a surprise that a link was established between heavy drinking, another symptom of boredom, and regular gambling. Online gambling took off at a time when people had a lot of time and money on their hands. The industry saw its opportunity and took it.
CONCLUSION
The lockdown created favorable circumstances for the growth of the online gambling industry. With new variants of the Coronavirus still looming large, the industry is expected to grow at an accelerated rate. There is no escaping the fact that online casinos are here to stay and the lockdown has been a direct stimulant for the industry.
