Numbers of Online Casino Players Increase Substantially

February 04, 2009 | News Category: Online Casinos

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The number of players signing up with online casinos has increased substantially compared to land-based and offshore casinos, which are noticing a sharp decline. When the economy is in a slump, usually land-based casinos have an increase in players. Players used to flock to casinos for comfort, and in the hope of winning big so that they can make up for their loss of earnings.

This past year, with a global recession hanging over everyone's heads, there has been no rush to offline casinos. The land-based casinos who had always considered themselves to be immune to economic slumps are learning that this is not so anymore. The land-based casino industry is doing just as badly, if not worse, than other business sectors.

In the last quarter of 2008, Internet gambling sites visitor numbers jumped up by nearly 30%. Apart from that being a big jump in and of itself, when compared to the last quarter of 2007, the jump is even greater as visitor numbers had dropped by nearly 30% in the last quarter of the year. Looking at these numbers, it seems fairly clear why land-based casinos are struggling at this time.

Players gambling in online casinos may spend the same amount of money for their bets that they would spend in their local land-based casino, however, peripheral expenses such as meals, drinks and entertainment costs are lower because the player has not moved from the comfort of their own home. For those who need to travel large distances to go to land-based casinos, the travel costs can be prohibitive in difficult economic times.

Even though the United States government has laws set in place to discourage Internet gambling, players do not need to think long before making the decision to cut costs and gamble from the comfort of their own homes where the same drink, or even take-out food, will cost them a fraction of the price it would cost in a casino.

The other sector that has been greatly effected by the current economic slump is the offshore gambling sector. The cruise ship gambling industry has taken similar knocks to the land-based casinos.

Cruise ship gambling has been popular in areas where land-based casinos are outlawed or where the restrictions on them are very strict. The cruise ships usually anchor just far enough offshore so that they are out of the territorial waters of the state or country that they are near.

Although going out on a ship to gamble has a somewhat exciting appeal, now that gamblers have the option to play online, cruise ship gambling establishments report that they are also being effected by the tough economic times.

In Florida, cruise ships are petitioning the state government to change the laws so that they will also be allowed to offer gambling at the port. Because of the serious threat to land-based and offshore gambling, the state government is considering lifting the restrictions in order to allow the cruise ships to operate their casinos at port.

Whether the US introduces regulation for Internet gambling or not, the advances in the Internet gambling industry may project a future increase in market size for the online industry and a decrease in land or sea-based gambling venues.

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