Gambling destinations such as Las Vegas and Macau are hugely popular with tourists from around the world. This has led to a rise in online play with live dealer bridging the gap between the two
Casinos have become so much more than just places where players can gamble. Today, most casinos come with a huge range of entertainment facilities including world-renowned restaurants, beautiful spa sanctuaries and luxury shopping malls.
They also have incredible theatre performances with some casinos attracting the biggest names in showbiz such as Britney Spears and Elton Jonh. Some have even taken this a step further by attaching luxury apartments and even theme parks to their casino properties.
That said, gambling still remains a hugely popular entertainment activity and hundreds of thousands of people each year enjoy wagering in casinos. Of course, a big part of the attraction is the added entertainment value that can be experienced by simply stepping off the casino floor. In some cases, visitors are attracted to the entertainment options first and foremost, and then gamble as a secondary activity.
This is why places such as Las Vegas and Macau have become some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Indeed, more than 41 million people visited Last Vegas in 2018, while Macau attracted more than 36 million visitors last year.
Such is the popularity of casinos and gambling destinations like Las Vegas and Macau that those who visit wish to remain connected to them even when back at home. This is one of the main reasons why online gambling has ridden a huge upwards growth trajectory in regulated markets all over the world in recent years.
While these online casinos can’t offer the additional entertainment options found at popular land-based properties, players can still play the same slots and table games. The rise of mobile casino has also meant that gambling fans can access casino games wherever they are, whenever they like.But one of the most interesting trends to emerge from the online casino sector is the growing popularity of live dealer games.
These titles combine land-based and online casino to deliver a truly authentic experience that brings together the atmosphere of casino play and the convenience of online play. Live dealer allows online players to sit down at a real table where they are greeted by a human dealer who runs the game and deals the cards. Players can communicate with the dealer via a live chat facility and the dealer can respond by speaking back to them.
In the background, players can see other games taking place on other tables just as they would in a real land-based casino. This, of course, is offered through the convenience of online play – players can access games from desktops and even smartphones and tablets at any time. Much of the growth in the live dealer sector is being drive by suppliers such as Evolution Gaming and Authentic Gaming developing highly innovative products.
The former, for example, offers a live money wheel game set against a glitzy gameshow backdrop with a host and not a dealer. The latter actually streams from real tables on the floors of real casinos, with online players wagering alongside those playing at the casino.These breakthroughs are bridging the gap between land-based and online play like never before with plenty more exciting products due for launch in the coming months.
Of course, while live dealer offers an immersive and exciting casino experience, nothing quite compares to the thrilling and electric atmosphere of the casino floor. With this in mind, it is perhaps no wonder that some players are now hosting casino-themed parties whereby they create a mini-casino in their own home or function space.
These parties including everything you would expect in a real casino – hosts, cocktails, gaming tables, dealers and so on. Players can either wager at the table with real money or fake money, or they could even choose to play online live dealer tables if they so wish.
Casinos may have become more than just places to wager, but players still love to gamble whether on property, online or through a fun combination of the two.
