Global audiences immensely enjoy immersing themselves in classic casino movie scenes – offering a rush of excitement related to the sentiments of risk and hope, but also brought forth by luxurious depictions of the gambling world. For this reason, it is not surprising that notable casino scenes are present in timeless pieces such as the Rain Man, in comedies like The Hangover series, and in cult classics of action – like the Ocean’s Eleven.
Moreover, the idea and sight of cities such as Las Vegas or Atlantic City is for most audiences just somewhat of a fantasy, accessible solely through the movie screen, rather than an actual experience they will have in real life. Whereas the world has many other casinos to offer, the romanticised image of these cities is unparalleled to most experiences one might have in most other casinos.
To anyone who has truly experienced a classic casino, like those depicted in aforementioned films, the allure of this culture is absolutely clear – the colours, the sounds and the multitude of choices of games, and every other segment of the experience seems to be tailored to you.
How online casinos challenge casinos on movie screens
As the world of online gambling steadily increases in success, effects, and quality, it opens doors for the possibility to get the same experiences people would get from watching fictional movie casinos. With the growth of VR technologies, AI technologies, and other forms of obtaining a highly personalised gambling experience, the ability to visit casino sites online offers users a much more realistic experience of casinos. In other words, the option of online gambling brings users closer to the experience of actually visiting a land-based casino than movies ever could.
The main difference between casinos on movie screens and those accessible through online platforms is the ability of interaction. The option to play a game within a virtual casino offers a greater release than plain simply looking at a depiction of a casino (no matter how amazing that depiction might be). Furthermore, the algorithms utilised by most online platforms are built in such a way that they appropriate content to the user – meaning that the more you play, the better the experience will be, as it will adapt to your wishes, needs, and interests. Compared to classic depictions of film screen casinos, this means that you do not only get to enjoy a depiction of a casino and interact with it – but that you get to shape what your ideal casino looks like.
Most importantly, as the online gambling world rises as a business, there are vast investments into making the experience continuously improve. Whereas movie casinos offer an interesting context for a given narrative, and can be an amusing sight to see, the online casinos have to be perfectly functional – and are made to compete with actual casinos, rather than their sheer depictions.
Are online casinos a threat to land-based casinos?
Besides competing with the film industry in providing entertainment to audiences, online casinos are entering into competition with traditional, land-based casinos. The previously mentioned characteristics of personalising your online gambling environment, along with the vast investments into the industry can be seemingly threatening to traditional casino setups.
Besides this, the ability to access online casinos at any time, any place is innately attractive to quite a broad audience. The option to quickly access a casino from the safety of your own home is a unique experience that you can only get through the virtual realm.
So, in a way, online casinos could potentially be threatening to the traditional gambling structures as well, as they make the access to gambling easier and simpler. However, it is also safe to assume that online casino users, and people visiting Las Vegas gambling facilities are chasing a different form of entertainment – so despite being in partial competition with one another, the audiences gathered by land-based casinos and online casinos are not necessarily the same group bound to choose solely one of the options.
