Has COVID-19 Infected Online Gaming?

For pretty much everyone on the planet, 2020 will be remembered as the year of COVID-19. The epidemic and various lockdown measures have had a huge effect and practically every walk of life, with billions around the world being affected in some way or other. Every industry, from major international ones to smaller national ones, is having to deal with all sorts of consequences brought about by the virus and the efforts to contain it.

The gambling industry is an interesting one. There are two halves to it: there’s the real-world side with land-based casinos and venues, and physical games; and there’s the online side where everything’s digitised and played on screens. Just like all other industries, the gambling one has changed because of the coronavirus. However, not all of these are negative.

Real-World Effects

We’ll look at the land-based gambling sector first. This has been hugely affected by the pandemic, with casinos and other gambling venues all over the world being forced to close because they’ve been deemed unessential businesses. They’ve had no choice but to shut their doors, along with many other public venues such as bars, restaurants, cinemas – you name it.

While closures are only temporary, it may be months before casinos and other venues can open. Even when they’re able to admit guests once again, it may be with social distancing measures still in place, which will reduce capacity. Some places may not even be able to open and make a profit if everyone has to practise social distancing.

As of mid-May, UK restrictions put in place by the government are set to stay for a while; in the US, the President is keen to open up the economy as soon as possible, so gambling venues could be reopening there in the immediate future.

Sport Takes To The Stalls

The sports betting industry is all but non-existent right now. Sporting events and races of all sizes aren’t able to go ahead in the current climate. They’ve either been postponed (e.g. the Olympics being put back till next year) or cancelled outright. It’s uncertain just when matches and races can start taking place again and how long it will take for the industry to get back to what it was. With no events taking place right now, there’s no sports betting. While brick-and-mortar bookies are closed anyway, for online casinos and other sites that offer sports betting, there’s been a significant fall in revenue.

Digital Survival of Online Gaming

One area that hasn’t been so adversely affected by the virus is online casino games. What’s advantageous about these is that they can be played at home whenever you like. They’re accessible on desktop computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets and aren’t dependent on any sort of real-world event like how sports betting is. Therefore, whatever’s going on in the world, so long as you have a device with a steady internet connection you can play online casino games.

Bonuses and Advantages of Playing Casino Online

What makes online casinos particularly appealing is the fact that you can access countless ones all from a single device. Also, you have quick and easy access to thousands upon thousands of games, from themed video slots packed with special features and to the classic table and card games to thrilling live dealer games and many more.

Many players appreciate the casino bonuses, too. Because online casinos are much cheaper to run than land-based ones, they’re able to offer all sorts of bonuses and rewards – you get loads more perks at an online casino compared with a land-based one. Casino offers can reward you with bonus money, cashback, free spins and competition entries. Plus, with a casino bonus, you can even play for free and still have a chance of winning real money. There are all lots of comparison sites that list casinos and their current offers for you to compare them and see which one appeals to you the most.

Winning the Long Game

So, while COVID-19 is having a serious effect on the real-world aspect of the gambling industry, the online casino game part hasn’t been hit at all. It’s safe to say it’s thriving. With many people stuck at home, the number of online casino players has increased. Some people who already enjoyed playing casino games have more time to do so and others are discovering these games for the first time. While player numbers are higher now, this may not necessarily be the case over the coming months. Those who are visiting online casinos now might not have the money to do so in a few weeks or months, especially if there’s no prospect of a return to work.

The gambling industry will survive COVID-19, though parts of it are being hit hard and for them, recovery will probably take a significant amount of time. In the meantime, those in the industry can only hope that enough people keep playing online casino games and that restrictions around the world start to get lifted soon.