Staff Reporter
Casinos have been around ever since man discovered he could entertain himself with games and get gifts for winning. The traditional idea of a casino is a building consisting of sections with various kinds of board, cards, and later digital games.
Over the past two decades, gambling and Casino entertainment have experienced ground-breaking innovations and a redefining turn in operations.
As there are sprawling casino hubs in Toronto and Ontario, so do we have several top-rated online casinos in Canada that can be accessed from the comfort of your homes.
So comes the question, are we experiencing a focal shift from land-based casinos to online casinos? Are land-based casinos still the most sought after despite the online gaming trends? Which of these are people adhered to in 2020?
To answer these questions we need to discuss the trends that are in demand in 2022. We will take a look at what online and Land-based Casinos both offer and what casino enthusiasts look for in them.
Land-based Casinos
The traditional brick-and-mortar casino has been a thing since forever and it still sells today so there must be something it does right that keeps people patronizing.
Pros
- Social interaction: In Land-based casinos, players are able to make person-to-person interactions, socialize, connect, bond with old-time and new acquaintances, and most importantly create a network of possible like-minded people.
- Fun Environment: One thing quite particular with brick-and-mortar casinos is the air of fanfare and excitement it provides. It gives players a feel of luxury and style with the lights, music, laughter, and special performances.
- Tell (especially in poker): That moment of observation where a player tries to guess their opponent’s next move by watching out for a change in demeanor or behavior is called a Tell.
A tell is an interesting part of board games as it usually adds turns to the game. This can be experienced physically and in Land-based Casinos.
- Special Amenities: Land-based Casinos provide special extra facilities for the amusement, entertainment, and comfort of their customers. These include restaurants, bars, private hotels, and chauffeur-driven limos for VIP clients.
Cons
- Limited choice of games: The number of games available in a Casino usually depends on how big the casino building is and the facilities it has in place for its customers.
Usually, a casino can have varieties of games but doesn’t have the particular one you wish to play making you either settle for other games or not go to the casino at all.
- Limited play hours: Land-based casinos do have opening and closing hours. Some casinos close activities at midnight, and some close in the morning thereby limiting its accessibility to players who would want to visit at those hours they are closed.
- Safety of Players: On December 19, 2019, two men who had just bagged a winning of $40,000 on blackjack at the MGM National Harbor were trailed by masked men to Virginia, United States. The two men were robbed of their winnings and one was shot in the arm.
Scenes like this have happened repeatedly over the years and many casino enthusiasts have desisted from pursuing their recreational interests for safety concerns.
Online Casinos
Casino games have experienced transformations over the years, especially in internet-based casinos.
Online casinos have existed for almost 2 decades now and it has witnessed a lot of evolutionary stages due to its flexibility.
Pros
- Wide Variety of Games: online gambling platforms provide what seems like an endless choice of games to players. There are thousands of casino games to choose from across hundreds of online casinos.
- Learn without losing money: players can easily learn new games in online casinos while losing little or no money at all. When a newbie goes to a Land-based casino, however, they end up losing tons of cash because the experts will capitalize on their ignorance of the game.
- Convenience: Online casinos are very convenient as players do not need to leave their comfort zones to participate in games. Online casinos can be accessed anywhere and at any time 24/7.
- Safety: this shortcoming of Land-based casinos is corrected by online casinos. Players who are bothered about their safety can easily sign up on online casinos without these worries.
Cons
- Addiction: Gambling in online casinos tend to be addictive because of the ease of access. For this reason, casinos maintain a strictly over 18 or 21 restriction policy depending on the country the player is in. Online casinos will reject registrations from underage emails and IDs.
What’s in Demand in 2022?
Gaming and Casino companies have had a good run over the past few years, particularly online casinos partly due to the coronavirus pandemic of 2020.
Online casinos had a meteoric spike in 2020 resulting in a revenue of $66.7 billion from a previous $58.9 billion in 2019 and it has been on a steady increase since. Due to its heavy demand, online casino revenue is projected to reach a record $92.9 billion in 2023.
The reason online casinos are in high demand is mostly because they support the new trends and technologies introduced to make gambling much easier.
2022 casino trends
- Cryptocurrency for payment
Crypto payments ensure security and anonymity, which had long been an issue in Land-based casinos. Online casinos integrate this into their system and it has helped protect the players and their assets.
- Introduction of Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality gives casino gaming enthusiasts the possibility of a much more immersive experience in the online gambling system even from the comfort of their homes. Modern-day technology has made sure you do not have to be in a physical casino to know what it feels like.
- Worldwide Access
Due to exposure to media and the change of narrative that gambling isn’t a negative activity if practiced responsibly, more people have gotten interested in casino games and online platforms have made them accessible to areas where there are no Land-based casinos.
Conclusion
Online casinos are changing the whole narrative behind what gambling is and can be. With the advent of online games, we have seen the influx of more casino lovers, both for fun and a living. Always remember to gamble responsibly.
