The coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on all areas of people’s lives. The gambling industry was no exception, as all offline casinos were severely restricted and have been operating at a loss rather than a profit for a year.
However, the gambling sphere did not die out during this period, because you can play your favourite games at online platforms and get a charge of bright and positive emotions. Googling the phrase bookies not on gamstop, you can find a list of decent online casinos, visiting which you can play any game of chance and cheer yourself up.
Overview of changes since the introduction of the self-imposed isolation regime
The pandemic has made significant adjustments to the usual course of life, absolutely overturning the situation in the market. For instance, many offline casinos found themselves in a critical situation, having to operate at a disadvantage, as customers could not visit the establishments, but utility bills had to be paid on a monthly basis. Those who tried to operate underground suffered even greater losses, because if such machinations were discovered, the owners were fined heavily.
The only thing that kept the business alive was online casinos that really took off and increased their profits during the last year. Thus, according to the UK Gambling Commission, the total profits of online casinos have increased by 30%. The number of bets increased to 6 billion a year and accounts increased to 3 billion a year.
At first, bookmakers feared that the hobby would fade into the background and customers would simply stop paying attention to gambling in hard times. In part, this turned out to be true, as the pandemic hit everyone’s wallets and many could barely make ends meet to provide food and other necessities for their families. Of course, gambling was out of the question and people gave up their hobby to solve everyday problems.
However, the more keen gamblers, who also had a solid financial base, became frequent visitors to online casinos. People had a lot more free time and also began to show anxiety due to the uncertainty of the world situation, so they were happy to distract themselves from their hobbies and release their negativity by gambling. Moreover, online gambling is much more diverse than offline gambling, so gambling fans have found a whole sea of applications of interest online.
There is also a third category of people – ordinary people who, before the pandemic, had no connection with the gambling industry. However, being locked at home and feeling frustrated, they decided to try and distract themselves by playing a few games. Some didn’t like it and after a few hours, they left the online casino for good, while others fell in love with the exciting games and became regular casino customers. It is noted that during the pandemic period, the online casino has almost doubled its audience.
The number of sessions also increased by 11% as people got more time to try out the desired games.
Changes in gaming habits of casino customers
Not only the basic attendance and revenue statistics have changed, but also the behavior and attitude of the players themselves towards the online platforms. Thus, interest in online casinos has increased considerably, especially in countries where gambling is illegal.
Such customers previously preferred to travel, visiting offline casinos and enjoying their favourite hobby. Now they have come to know the online segment of gambling and love it just as much.
Statistics of the gambling market in the UK show that sales have increased by 17%. It was also during the pandemic that a large percentage of people tried their first gambling game. Despite the financial problems, the number of bets and their size increased compared to offline casino figures.
The main reasons to play at online casinos turned out to be thirst for excitement and entertainment, the desire to earn extra money, as well as attempts to diversify the routine and get rid of excessive anxiety.
It is also worth noting that the most popular games are fast-paced ones, like slots and roulette.
Functioning of offline casinos after the pandemic is over
Even though the problem of coronavirus is still severe, the restrictions started to be eased in some countries, allowing offline casinos to open their doors to regular customers.
It is true that there have been some dramatic changes in their operation. First of all, it is only possible to visit the establishment wearing a mask, the same rule must be followed by the staff. There should be hygiene facilities in the room, so that customers can treat their hands before interacting with the slot machines.
Posters should be displayed around the room with safety rules during the virus, preferably in different languages so that customers of different nationalities can understand them.
All machines and gambling tables should be periodically disinfected and the room thoroughly ventilated.
