FEATURE: Are the UK’s in-person casinos becoming obsolete?
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We’ve spent the better part of the last two years stuck at home, working remotely, and doing everything we can online.
As per the latest updates from Gov.UK however, domestic restrictions are now fully removed, and the transition back to some version of normal is underway.
This is viewed by many as a necessary change despite lingering COVID-19 risks.
And though the lifting of restrictions has not led to a massive rebound in the economy, it should logically result in businesses bouncing back, consumer spending increasing, and ultimately a way back to normal.
Among the businesses that will see an uptick in time, we’re likely to see in-person casinos enjoying more and more activity.
At the same time though, this is one area worth watching for a more long-lasting downturn when all things are considered.
That is to say, casinos are open and doing business again, and may well report short-term surges.
But it might be that in another few years we look back and realise that these particular businesses never regained full strength, and were in fact made partially obsolete during (and really, before) the pandemic.
Let’s look at a few reasons why this may be the case.
Slots continue to improve
In all fairness, this improvement began long before the pandemic, but slots have continued to become more vibrant and engaging with each passing year.
Several years ago now, it was suggested in the US that the vaunted casinos of Las Vegas might need to turn to video games in order to keep younger players interested.
Indeed, the Association Of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers even got a law passed compelling regulators to craft rules for skill-based games.
But the transition hasn’t really happened yet, either in Vegas or elsewhere in the world.
And in the meantime, online slots have become more like video games for members of younger demographics to enjoy.
We should expect online slots to be even more engaging as in-person slots continue to lose popularity, and companies invest more into developing both existing and new online versions.
In this space specifically, things are tilting decisively toward internet options.
Poker has more apps and sites all the time
It seems that everywhere you turn, there’s a new site up and running to cater to the poker players who have been stuck at home for two years.
As so many of us were craving a bit of interaction and entertainment, the online poker industry swooped in with more games and apps than we know what to do with.
Countless gamers were drawn to these options during the worst days of the pandemic, whether they wanted cartoonish, just-for-fun experiences, career simulations, real-money tournaments, or even crypto-based games.
And there’s no reason to expect these players will abandon online options simply because live casinos reopened their doors.
Bingo and Slingo are growing
Once upon a time, the UK’s bingo halls and bingo-infused casinos at least seemed to offer something that was uniquely built for in-person experiences.
But in the past several years and throughout the pandemic, bingo has become more commonplace on gaming sites.
Players can enter virtual rooms full of like-minded gamers and enjoy one live bingo game after another.
Additionally, the Foxy Games Slingo offerings have taken things a step further, augmenting bingo with some of the same video game-like elements (such as animations and themes) that have made slots so much more exciting.
These Slingo offerings have steadily gained popularity of late, and spread to a number of online platforms, providing yet another online alternative that may keep gamers from feeling the need to visit live casinos.
Virtual reality is coming
As you can imagine given all the talk about virtual reality’s potential impact on society, the tech is also making major moves in gaming.
There are already some beloved VR poker experiences out there that, like regular online poker before them, make the in-person game rooms feel a little less necessary.
The Mega Particle game Poker VR led the way a few years ago, but even since then we’ve seen card gaming in virtual realty improve.
Chances are good that gamers will soon have fairly extraordinary options in this space.
While it’s too early to know what affect the pandemic will have had (and please consider that some of these developments were in effect beforehand), Covid has either accelerated or introduced changes that appear to be problematic for in-person casinos in the UK and around much of the world.
For now, it’s a question of waiting and seeing what happens to in-person casinos.
Gamers certainly have more options now though, and we can at least expect brick-and-mortar casinos to stick around for a little while.
