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Boom in Online Gambling during Lockdown 
 
 
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 people’s 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.

It’s not just about allowing people to gamble online, but also recouping dwindling and lost state revenues and to protect people’s 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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