At a time when most UK businesses (big and small) are suffering due to Coronavirus pandemic, one industry has become an obvious beneficiary of the resident lockdowns that are plaguing residents in countries all over the world. Out of the shadows into prosperity comes the online casino industry.
To be clear, the online casino industry has been on an explosive growth trajectory for over 10 years now. During that time, the industry has seen its collective online casino gambling revenue increase by double digit percentages each and every year. Furthermore, industry experts expect this trend to continue into the foreseeable future.
In the UK, the numbers speak for themselves. Prior to the virus starting its rampage around the world, experts reported that more than 10.0 million UK residents were gambling online regularly. Since the beginning of March 2020 when the resident and business lockdowns started taking hold, the online casino industry has seen an increase in business to the tune of 25% to 30% based on participation and revenue. This is a significant increase for any industry to experience is such a short period of time.
For regular gamblers who were used to heading out to their local casinos and bet shops, having access to online casino websites has given them an opportunity to enjoy their normal activities despite being locked away in their homes. It will be interesting to see how many land based gamblers will now be willing to move their regular gambling activities to an online website when the virus has been brought under control.
While drawing new business from land based gamblers was to be expected, what wasn’t expected was the increasing number of new gamblers joining the online casino gambling community. Without having access to anything other than TV and social media, it makes sense that some people would be willing to try something new if it meant having something to keep them entertained and their minds off the virus issue. Enters online casino gambling.
While online casino gambling is not something that’s going to appeal to everyone, it is a form of adult entertainment that is proving its value while other forms of entertainment (concerts, sports events, movies) are sitting on hold. For an investment of the amount it would cost for dinner and a movie, people can go online, register with an online casino, and enjoy playing video slots or table games for hours if not days. If they win money in the process, it just makes the online gambling experience that much more enjoyable. For anyone who fears a potential gambling problem, many online casinos offer gambler access to the Gamstop self-exclusion registry, a great source of problem gambler protection. Information about the best casinos not on Gamstop UK is available.
When done responsibly, online gambling is a fun and exciting form of adult entertainment. At a time when so many are suffering from the repercussions of an unexpected virus pandemic, a little fun and excitement is exactly what the doctor would order.
For the online casino industry, having unexpected access to new online gamblers could prove to be a real boost to business. While some naysayers might look at this as one industry trying to benefit from a disaster that is adversely affecting so many other industries, there is a valuable service the online casino industry is providing at this time.
