This is a very broad and complex matter. Online casinos are doing very well while land-based casinos are struggling in most areas. There are many reasons why land-based casinos are struggling and why we at Slots Play Casinos feel that the future in casino gaming is online.
Here we will list many factors that have contributed to the decline in land-based casinos and the rise in online casinos. Then we will elaborate on many of the points mentioned.
- Land-based casinos cost players money just to get there and stay there.
- The Covid 19 pandemic hurt land-based casinos a lot.
- The Covid 19 pandemic helped online casinos a lot.
- As traffic to land-based casinos decreases, the casinos have to raise prices, which alienates players.
- Similarly, land-based casinos are forced by economic reality to lower the return to player rate in some games.
- Players do not have to wait to play at an online casino.
- Players can much more easily manage their time and money at an online casino.
- Online casinos offer deposit bonuses. Land-based casinos do not.
- People are simply a lot more sophisticated than they were a generation ago.
Now, let’s take a deeper look.
Travel is a Hassle and Costs Money
We have talked about this aspect of the casino divide many times in the last few years. Travel has only gotten more difficult in the last few years. A lot of people who do decide to buckle up and travel decide to go to a foreign country where they can have a great adventure rather than go to yet another casino.
There are also a lot of nearby land-based casinos. The days when Las Vegas was a grand destination are pretty much gone. Most people live a short drive to a more local land-based casino. That means that a few hours at a casino can be part of a road trip where they enjoy state parks and charming small towns.
Online casino gaming is free of hassles. You can access a casino easily on the internet. All good online casinos have a mobile app and, in fact, most online casino gaming is done on mobile platforms.
The Fallout from the Covid 19 Pandemic
As far as casinos are concerned, the fallout from the pandemic was that land-based casinos were closed and online casinos stayed open. This had two very important effects.
One, gamers who, before the pandemic, had primarily played at an online casino but who occasionally traveled to a land-based casino, for the duration of the shutdowns, played exclusively at online casinos. They discovered that they could easily live without land-based casinos entirely.
Second, a lot of land-based casino players who had never signed up to play at an online casino did so and discovered the vast world of online casino gaming that they had missed up to that point.
Slots Play Casinos is Mainly an Online Casino Supporter
We stand squarely in the camp of casino people who feel that the online version is far superior to the land-based version. People talk about comfort and convenience when they talk about online casino gaming. This just touches the surface.
Here we will mention only one aspect of online casinos that land-based casinos cannot match: flexibility. Online casino gamers can play all of a casino’s games over time without hoarding a terminal. Online casino gamers can use Instant Play to go from one casino to another, thus sampling the games of many different game providers.
Online casino gamers can use the mobile app that all good online casinos offer. The vast majority of online gaming these days is done on a casino’s mobile app. This is so important that a lot of land-based casinos now offer a mobile app for use in the hotel.
Land-based Casinos are Expensive to Maintain
This is where a lot of players are getting bushwacked by costs they never saw coming. Land-based casinos were built to welcome a lot more people than are now coming to them, but their maintenance costs are the same as before. So, they have to raise prices.
People are getting hit with resort fees from big casinos and hotels in places like the Las Vegas Strip. The buffet used to be free with a voucher or $9.99 without one. Now, we see a lot of $50 buffets. Hotel rooms used to be relatively cheap if not downright cheap. Now, casino hotel rooms, especially on The Strip, are downright expensive.
Reduce the Return to Player Rate in Games
Another way to increase revenue is simply to pay less for wins in some casino games. Thus, a lot of land-based casinos now pay only 6-5 for a blackjack instead of the classic payout of 3-2, which online casinos still pay.
A lot of land-based casinos pay only 8-5 or 7-5 for a full house or a flush in video poker instead of the 9-6 that online casinos pay.
Almost all American land-based casinos offer only American Roulette with a house edge of about 5.5%, while a good online casino also offers European Roulette with a house edge that is half the edge in American Roulette.
The return to player rate in slots at online casinos is about 97%, while land-based casinos have the game providers calibrate the random number generator to pay out 90% or less.
To Paraphrase a Famous Line: There’s No Waiting in Online Casino Gaming
Simple as can be!
You never have to wait to play at an online casino.
This also fits the next reason why land-based casinos are in trouble, namely, that it is a lot easier to control your time and bankroll at an online casino. An online casino is there whenever you want to play. That means that you have no incentive to play on and on for hours at a time.
You also don’t have to bring hundreds of dollars for gambling, as so many people used to bring to land-based casinos and still do.
Finally, this segues into the simple fact that online casinos can offer deposit bonuses for thousands of dollars and land-based casinos cannot.
People are a Lot More Sophisticated
These days can be considered the online era. Not only do people play online casino games, but they also have a large online presence. This is what social media is all about.
I addition to simple everyday communication through social media, people can enter chat sites and receive information on any number of subjects, including the relative value of travelling to land-based casinos.
People receive warnings about all of the ways land-based casinos throw extra charges at them. This leads to a spiraling downturn in gamblers looking to have a great weekend at a casino.
Slots Play Casinos Covers the Online Casino Market
We do still recognize the appeal of land-based casinos, but we mainly talk about the palpable advantages of online casino gaming. The future of land-based casinos is certainly up in the air. We have casino reviews, game reviews, and tutorials on all aspects of online casino gaming.
Our casino news section, which is basically a blog about casino gaming, has hundreds of helpful articles.
COME TO SLOTS PLAY CASINOS OFTEN!
