Last year, no one could expect what this year will bring. The Covid-19 pandemic really took the world by storm. This not only changed the way we do some of the most mundane things but it also brought forth behavioural changes. This was particularly true during the lockdown.
Needless to say, since people were no longer able to do things the way they’re used to, they mostly turned to the online world. The majority of everyday activities now shifted to the online realm. This resulted in various brick-and-mortar stores closing down – some of them permanently. It also significantly increased online traffic for all the businesses that operated in this sphere.
The iGaming industry, although already quite big, experienced a significant growth. Even though people were already spending quite a bit of time in online casinos, the number of visitors grew quite a bit.
Change in consumer trends
With all the changes Covid-19 brought, people started experiencing significant decreases is their disposable budgets. That is one of the reasons people initially seem to have placed online gaming on the backburner. However, as the situation began to stabilize, more and more players started returning to their favourite games. According to some speculations, the iGaming industry experienced such a boom precisely due to financial insecurity. People started to look for ways to increase their liquid assets. And some of them found playing online casino games a good way to do so. Of course, no one expects to win every time. But once they do, it can seriously improve their finances. This is particularly true for players who are very disciplined and careful with their gaming budget.
Players are more likely to explore
Aside from the increase of new players, the majority of old players seem to be more prone to explore. Usually, in the past, players would stick to their favourite games and wouldn’t look much further from them. However, since people nowadays have a bit more free time, they don’t seem to mind stepping out of their usual comfort zone. Moreover, this pandemic really had a negative effect on the overall mental well-being. So, it’s safe to assume that some people spend more time playing games to try and distract themselves a bit. Besides, with so many different titles available, there really is no reason why players shouldn’t explore.
People spend more time playing
As already mentioned, more people spend more hours in online casinos and games in general. Not only that, but we can also notice the increase in sessions played by the hour. This is, of course, great news for all online casinos. However, that’s only the case for countries, such as the UK, where gambling is legal. So, before you decide to check any online casinos, see is online gambling legal where you live. If it’s not, you can get into some serious trouble, so it would be best to avoid it. That said, gambling is legal in the UK, so you have nothing to worry about if you’re from Britain. What’s more, not only that gambling is legal, but players are actually not obliged to pay any taxes on any casino winnings, be it online or offline.
In-play betting even more popular
Additionally, with the majority of sporting events cancelled, local pubs closed and people increasingly feeling isolated. In-play betting became the new thing. Even though in-play betting has been around for a very long time, it seems to have increased in popularity since the pandemic started. Even though this type of betting carries certain risks, people still flocked to it. One of the reasons may be the fact that it – to some extent – brought back the joy of enjoying sports events in the company of others.
Peculiar times for iGaming companies
With all the changes we were able to notice, one would expect that gaming companies would be thriving. However, that’s not exactly the case. Yes, the traffic gaming publishers are experiencing did increase significantly. However, marketers and advertisers are cutting the budgets. This is probably due to the increased insecurity during times like these. Understandably, this diminishes the reach of gaming companies. But they are finding different ways to still boost their exposure and attract more people their way. One of those ways is by offering new bonuses and sign-up prizes, which plays find quite appealing. And, of course, happy players don’t mind sharing their experiences with others, which only further boosts word-of-mouth recommendations.
What does this all mean for the future of iGaming?
With everything mentioned previously, it’s safe to say that the iGaming industry is, after all, thriving. Not only that but it presents a good opportunity for everyone operating in the industry to thrive as well. This doesn’t include only casinos and their affiliates. It also includes people who enjoy online games. With the majority of the world being advised to stay indoors, people simply needed to find some other forms of entertainment. Luckily, in this day and age, finding ways to entertain yourself has never been easier.
So, if you too are struggling with the current situation caused by the Covid-19, do know that there are plenty of things you can try out. And if you decide to go with the iGaming industry’s offer, make sure you first check if gambling is legal in your country. That way you’ll make sure that everything you’re doing is legal, which will only make you enjoy it that much more.
