The Evolution of Internet Casino Or How the Pandemic Has Affected the Gambling Industry

The gambling industry has been growing steadily for many years. And the online segment is a major contributor to this trend. With the rise of digitalization and the spread of smartphones with cheap internet, online casinos started gaining more and more popularity.

During the Covid pandemic, large-scale changes have taken place in the global casino business too. In contrast to tourism, where demand has fallen almost completely, gambling become one of the fastest-growing industries. Here we will talk in detail about all aspects of the online casino world that have changed under the pressure of such a long-lasting global lockdown.

1.  The growing number of players

Because of the pandemic crisis, most economic segments showed a decline or slow growth. On the contrary, numerous profitable casino Ireland online platforms and other gambling websites have appeared all over the world. Widespread lockdowns and the move to remote working have forced people to stay at home. As a consequence, billions of users started spending more time online. This enormously helped online casinos to expand their client base.

The number of active players on gambling resources increased several times. Moreover, the time that gamblers spend on games also grew. All such factors had a great influence on the gaming platforms’ profits and encouraged their active development.

2.  New advertising strategies

Gambling companies are constantly improving their advertising strategies and expand their audience by using new methods and traffic channels. One of these has become the support and sponsorship of Esport events, teams, and individual players. Nowadays, it is possible to see casino logos on the uniforms of famous athletes at almost every major tournament.

Bookmakers and casinos began to actively purchase advertising space on popular resources, such as Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook. Targeted advertising, as well as promotion through bloggers, also went into action. Until now, casino and sports betting advertisements can be seen on popular websites, online streaming services, and various live broadcasts.

3.  New gaming preferences

During the pandemic, the preferences of gamblers have changed significantly. Under the influence of isolation and disturbing events, people are subconsciously looking for something action-packed that would add adrenaline. Therefore, game developers are now focusing on storytelling, uncommonness, and relevance.

Slots on the theme of the apocalypse, bacteria and viruses, blockades, and other dystopian topics attract more and more interest. Users come to online casinos for new experiences. So right now casino owners are facing the main challenge — to create truly fascinating content. It is worth noting that many have already succeeded in it.

4.  Switching to a mobile format

Another casino trend that has developed during the pandemic is the transition of casinos to a mobile format. A lot of major gaming platforms almost instantly offered their customers the opportunity to install applications or try mobile versions of their websites. Of course, many online casinos had mobile adaptations before the quarantine, but their quality and interface improved a lot after the mass migration from computers to small gadgets. This increased the customer base as more and more people own smartphones and can play casino games from any place.

5.  Dynamic bonus policy

In order to attract new players casinos began to conduct a more dynamic bonus policy. Now almost every casino online pl and gaming platforms in other countries offer free spins, no deposit bonuses, and many other promotions to newcomers. There are also regular tournaments among the most active gamblers, which draw additional prizes. But most casinos are interested in customer retention, and therefore offer bigger bonuses to regular players who take part in various loyalty programs. Of course, all this attracts even those who have never played in casinos before.

6.  Modern payment methods

With the move to mobile versions, casinos began to actively introduce instant payment options using modern banking systems and mobile features. It has become much easier for users to make deposits with the help of Apple Pay, and also instantly withdraw money using various apps.

Another important aspect was the introduction of numerous cryptocurrencies in online casinos. Nowadays almost every gambling website allows its players to pay with bitcoins and other e-money. This not only increased the speed of transactions but also allowed players to remain anonymous.

7.  New Formats

Many gamblers like to play at casinos only because of the opportunity to experience the classic atmosphere of a gambling club. But due to the lockdown, it has become much more difficult to do so. Thousands of land-based casinos remain closed all around the world. Understanding this important nuance, the online casino owners added to their catalogs games with live dealers. In real-time mode, users can play with professional croupiers, who broadcast from special studios, or even from a casino. This format has helped online platforms entice a lot of new gamblers.

8.  The convenience of platforms

With the growth of the number of players, the requirements for gaming platforms have increased too. Online casinos are aware that gamblers have a huge choice of websites. Therefore, all developers are trying to make their platforms convenient and user-friendly, as well as create beautiful designs and interactive games. Almost all modern casinos have started to implement around-the-clock support. Casino owners hire whole teams of assistants who answer players’ questions online.

9.  Security

Of course, the arrival of millions of new users greatly complicates the operation of websites. Nowadays developers do their best to protect private information and not to let any data leakage happen. To do this, they use secure servers and the latest data encryption technologies.

Also, online casinos started to analyze their customers in detail. Some casinos made the process of bank and identity verification more complicated. Platforms began to ask for additional documents, but only in a few cases. Artificial intelligence analyzes large amounts of information and identifies suspicious actions.

10.              Legislation

The rapid development and increasing popularity of online gambling have led to the legalization of this type of entertainment in most countries. Before the Covid-19, many states did not regulate online casinos, thus putting a ban on their activities. But the pandemic really pushed governments to act. Thus, many casinos were able to enter new markets and provide quality services completely legally.

Conclusion

The coronavirus had a huge impact on various areas of the world economy. Some businesses suffered huge losses. At the same time, digital segments experienced unprecedented growth. The gambling industry was also on a wave of popularity because millions of players were looking for a distraction from isolation and the daily routine.

Gambling companies tried to improve their service and implement as many innovations in their operation as possible. Someone did it through a new marketing strategy, someone developed relevant games, and someone moved to a mobile format. But one fact stands out — the online casino industry has really changed a lot.