The Mutual Growth of Physical and Digital Casinos
The earliest records of gambling date back to somewhere around 2,300 BCE, in China. Since that point, history has been full of examples of people turning to games of chance, evolving them alongside time, technology, and culture.
In 1638, gambling was so popular and widespread that the first proto-casino opened in Venice. Since then, dedicated gambling establishments spread over the world, and became a major cultural touchstone.
Online casinos are much younger. Relying on the world wide web that first went online in 1991, the net has only been a place of business for three decades. Yet, despite being a over hundred times younger than physical casinos, the online space has expanded many times faster. Expected to be worth well over $100 billion by 2030, the digital casino sphere is showing explosive growth, yet it’s not fighting with established physical casinos. Instead, the relationship is more cooperative, and this pattern shows no signs of slowing down.
Modern Digital Casinos
For a look at what’s on offer from a modern digital casino, consider a popular website that offers real money slot games. On a service like this, it’s common for the big names to offer hundreds of titles such as The Vault, Reel Talent, and Bonanza. This is in addition to a wide range of table games, live titles, and more.
The most immediate obvious takeaway is that online casinos excel in choice. Thanks to relying on software over physical machines, digital establishments can house thousands of titles, which isn’t feasible when a casino has physical space. Add to this that online casino games require a basic digital device, they have no dress code, and they’re available from everywhere, and it makes sense why they succeed.
Room Enough for Everyone
As for what makes physical casinos able to stand up to the advantages of online casinos, that comes down to choice. Despite ostensibly dealing with the same thing, the feel around online casinos and physical casinos can be very different. Take the big casinos in Las Vegas as an example.
Taking off in the 1940s, physical casinos in Vegas reflected a place of celebration. This continued to evolve, eventually becoming the spectacle it appears as today. Vegas is about dressing up, going out, and being around others in a flashy environment. To some, this epitomizes what makes gambling special. To others, a place like Vegas is the exact opposite of what they consider a good time.
In this way, online and physical casinos act as two sides of the same coin. One is built around traditional and culturally-established moods. The other is built on the flexibility that digital and mobile technology grants, giving the ability to customize how and where you engage.
Comparatively young, online casinos are yet to achieve the level of market saturation that physical casinos do. Because of this, they’re experiencing more rapid growth, but physical casinos are still consistently expanding their horizons too. While it’s inevitable that online casino growth will slow, the synergistic relationship with physical establishments means that both should continue to develop at a more rapid pace than they would alone. It’s a rare combination within this industry, and it’s one we’d expect to grow even closer in the future.
Image (top of story): Playing poker online: cards and chips on” by verchmarco.
Image (middle of story): “Las Vegas” (CC BY 2.0) by besopha.
CREAM MAGAZINE 
Feel free to leave a comment!