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Boom in Online Gambling during
Lockdown |
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The thrill of the casino in
such gambling meccas as Las Vegas and elsewhere
has moved online during the coronavirus lockdown as lovers of
a flutter flock to the best live casinos on the internet. Online gambling sites
that use the latest in internet technologies to provide a real, live feel to
players are proving irresistible as a way to not only pass the long hours at
home but to indulge desires for playing peoples favourite casino games.
And now, the
best
live casinos are available not only on desktop but also on a growing number
of mobile apps. This gives punters greater flexibility to play the games of
their choice no matter where they are and what they're doing. With
bricks-and-mortar casinos likely to stay shuttered for some time due to the
coronavirus pandemic, there's talk that some places where online gambling is
effectively banned are considering legalising such operations.
You
might think the United States is also a mecca for online gambling, but you'd be
wrong. While there isn't a federal, nationwide law against online gambling,
a lack of
legislation providing for it in most states means it's not exactly
available although over a dozen states allow online sports betting. The
only states that have legalised online casino gambling are Nevada which
is hardly a surprise, as it's where Las Vegas is located Delaware and
New Jersey. But online gambling change may be on the way.
Big Online Gambling Business
New Jersey
is "a leader in internet gambling", having raked in $65 million in March alone
from slots and table-based games, a monthly rise of 66%,
according to a report from financial news service Barrons. The
state is forecast to enjoy online gambling revenues not including sports
betting in excess of $700 million in 2020, compared to $483 million last
year, it said, based on an analysis by investment bank Morgan Stanley.
We believe the impact of Covid-19 could spur more states to
legalise online casino and sports betting, Thomas Allen, a gaming analyst
with the bank, was quoted as saying, in an advisory note to clients.
Its not just about allowing people to gamble online, but also
recouping dwindling and lost state revenues and to protect peoples health
with social-distancing measures.
Covid-19 will likely have a
negative impact on state budgetary positions, forcing them to look for new
sources of taxes. In addition, legalisation and the rollout of online forms of
gambling can be much quicker than building bricks-and-mortar casinos
Massachusetts a good example, said Allen. Finally, online can be at
least a slight offset to lost revenues during phases of social distancing as we
are experiencing today.
British
Online Gambling Boom
There are no such restrictions in online
gambling in Britain, which is one of the world's biggest gambling markets,
online and offline. The total gambling sector in the UK is worth £14.5
billion a year, according to
the most recent figures, of which the online, or remote,
gambling sector has a hefty 39% market share, and is growing.
Despite the marginal decline across the wider gambling industry,
the online gambling sector continues to grow. Our role as regulator will
continue to see us working to raise standards right across the industry," UK
Gambling Commission Programme Director for Industry Insight Ben Haden said of
the figures.
The UK has been at the forefront of efforts in recent
years to make online gambling a fairer and safer place to play, having
introduced a raft of measures that operators must comply with and
handing
out enormous fines to those in breach of the regulations.
For now
mostly online gambling at the best live casinos looks like a safe
bet. |
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