You likely canceled most of the public activities you used to do before the emergence of COVID-19. In many places, you would struggle to enter any public place without a face mask. Moreover, authorities now demand complete adherence to social distancing rules in public. Curfews and lockdowns were also frequent occurrences.
Consequently, it has become next to impossible to visit gambling casinos. In Australia, just as in other parts of the world, gamblers cannot visit their favorite casinos because of COVID-19.
Less Addiction
The ongoing situation with COVID-19 in Australia made life much different from before. Thus far, the nation has recorded just under 30,000 COVID-19 cases. Out of these, less than a thousand people have succumbed to the deadly disease.
The result was job closures and the collapse of many businesses. Individuals went into quarantines and isolation. Therefore, people around the country are now unable to leave their homes.
Interestingly, this reduced addiction to gambling. Gamblers who were initially unable to avoid going to casinos to gamble couldn’t do that anymore. If you were in that bracket, you might have found help with your gambling addiction.
Increased Interest
Whereas COVID-19 has made it impossible for gamblers to visit casinos, the interest in online gambling increased substantially. Recently, the Australian Gambling Research Center surveyed 2,000 Australians on gambling. Their findings reported that 30 percent of the participants registered new online betting accounts for the first time.
They also learned that one in 20 people took part in online gambling for the first time. The number of people who gamble at least four times each week grew from 23 percent to 32 percent.
New Gambling Forms Available
Generally, gambling has grown, especially on the internet. Gamblers in Australia, who the law defines as people aged 18 years and over, switched over to other forms of gambling. The two most common forms of gambling that Australians embraced include lotteries and online games.
COVID-19 forced people to embrace the online world, and this also includes gambling. A study by Swedish scientists in May 2020 showed more people are now interested in non-sports gambling. Gamblers switched from sports to other events, thus sparking fears of increased mental health issues.
Online Gambling Surge
Whether or not there was a surge in online gambling is no longer in question. This trend has a direct correlation to the emergence of COVID-19. With the pandemic forcing the closure of pubs and casinos, many people turned to digital platforms to satisfy their craving for gambling.
People who would ordinarily place sports bets dove headlong into the online world. Now, you are likely to have joined them in pledging loyalty to digital casinos, which are highly sophisticated. Attributes like live dealers, classic parlor games, and opportunities to win casino bonuses made these casinos popular.
Machine Use
Initially, you would have been right in thinking the popularity of poker machines would collapse massively. This was the overriding feeling among tons of gamblers in Australia and other parts of the world. However, a close look at the actual happenings shows that poker machines attracted more gamblers. Poker machines did not witness any drop in popularity despite the prevalent conditions that COVID-19 brought about in the last year.
These days, poker machines are more profitable. However, Australian gamblers spent more and saw their losses to poker machines increase by 7 percent from June to November 2020 compared to a similar period the year before.
Coronavirus Pandemic Affected Casino Gamblers Massively
Undoubtedly, the pandemic affected casino gamblers in Australia massively. They had to embrace other forms of gambling. Since last year, when Australia confirmed its first COVID-19 case, gamblers in the country showed more interest in betting. The love for the poker machines remained intact in that period too.
COVID-19 affected gambling just like any other industry. It has probably forced you to embrace new normal too. Therefore, you should take time to understand the latest gambling trends to play the odds much better.
