What’s Brought The Buzz To Online Gambling And What’s Coming Next?
Ever noticed how much more we’re hearing about and seeing online gambling options these days? Roulette wheels, bright lights, spinning slots – these seem to be on billboards everywhere you look, and that’s because there’s actually a seriously big uptick in the number of people who are playing these games… but why? How did the online gambling market get up to 19.14 billion dollars in 2023 alone – and that’s just in the USA?
Well, there are tons of factors affecting this and we’re not going to be able to break them all down in just one article, but let’s take a look at what’s pushed us to the digital, rather than the physical, casino!
Convenience, Convenience, Convenience
We’re almost tempted to say it again: convenience. When you’ve got the choice of getting dressed up, getting in a car, and driving to a casino (assuming you even have one local to you) or settling down in your PJs with some good snacks and a hot drink… it’s kind of a no-brainer, at least for many of us. Yes, the physical casino still has plenty of magnetism and none of us are saying it’s going to disappear, but it’s got stiff competition if you just want some easy gaming.
That was true already when we had platforms on our browsers that we could use for gambling, but now that we’re going mobile? The sky feels like the limit – you can spin the slots or shuffle the cards from basically anywhere you happen to be. Online gambling has hit its very own jackpot when you look at accessibility and convenience because really, it’s as good as it could be. If you’ve got any kind of smart device and the internet, the games are at your fingertips!
And it isn’t exclusively about us wanting easier ways to relax (although that’s definitely a factor too). For a few years, this was our only option – thanks to COVID-19. You weren’t going to get your gambling fun by heading to a physical casino while the pandemic was on, so online became your only option. No wonder there was such a big spike, and many of them haven’t gone back! Sure, the physical casinos still do well, and they’ve definitely got their benefits over online, but the pandemic really pushed us to the digital world for our fun and games. Yes, it has caused some issues for game companies too, since advertising can be a tricky process, but overall, it gave a big push to the online world and our penchant for digital gaming of all kinds.
Platform Prowess
What else? Well, the platform design is generally very impressive for these casinos. If you’ve never visited an online casino, you’re probably thinking, “Nah, no way can they capture that atmosphere and excitement of a real casino,” but… well, we would beg to differ here. They can.
We see some truly slick and attractive designs in digital casinos, with gaming simplicity at the core of every approach. Most sites are easy to navigate, let you quickly browse for your favourite games and find out about new ones, and offer a simply superb selection for you to pick from. It’s easy to enjoy an online casino when the design is this good. The selection is another huge draw because it means you can easily find the games you love, whereas at a physical casino, you might be more limited.
You’ve generally also got things like ultra-responsive customer service teams, ready to jump in and help with any issues that you might encounter, or to answer any questions. Pair that up with fast and easy withdrawal systems and a variety of payment options (at least in most places you play), and it’s not really surprising we’re drawn to these places.
Night Owls And Early Birds Combine
A major drawback of the physical casino? Opening hours. Sure, you do get 24-hour places, but a lot of them are closed for at least a few hours every day, and if those happen to synchronize up with your free time… it’s disappointing, to say the least. An online casino, though? Available 24/7, 365.
That means that whatever time you like to play, you can. On your commute to work and fancy a quick round of slots while you await a bus? No problem. Woken up at 3 a.m. and failing to drop off again? Boot it up. Digital casinos – as they proved during the pandemic years – are here for us whenever and wherever. That’s a huge draw for many people, and it combines with the convenience factor we mentioned earlier – if you work unsociable hours or you’re just someone who wants to do your gambling where and when it suits you, a digital casino is unquestionably the option for you.
