As so many are currently quarantined or under self-isolation to stop the fast-spreading coronavirus, certain sectors’ business is less vulnerable. One of them is online gaming.
New Jersey’s internet gambling leader, The Golden Nugget, is seeing a virus-related bump in its online numbers, with a 20% increase in new player signups this month in addition to the $177 Million it made last year.
Other online gambling providers say they’re seeing a significant spike in volume and revenue in recent days as well.
And there could be numerous reasons for this.
Sports Betting – Cancellations, Suspensions, and Postponed Events
People are looking for entertainment, action, and escapism. And, the virus is a serious issue that’s causing the cancellation of events worth billions of dollars all around the world.
To limit large gatherings of people to stop the spread of the virus – baseball, basketball, hockey, pro soccer, college basketball, and more have all been suspended. This is disrupting people’s lives in so many ways and leaving millions of sport betters worldwide very disappointed.
The @NHL pauses 2019-20 season. https://t.co/WMePei4clH pic.twitter.com/W5Hqmk3kX7
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 12, 2020
For those who routinely bet on sports, it has taken most of the action off the board.The solution? People are turning to online casino games, like slots, roulette, cards, and poker instead.
FOX Bet says its online casino and poker operations have doubled the rate at which it is adding new customers in the last week.“When the NBA shut down, we really saw a sharp increase since that date,” said Robin Chhabra, FOX Bet’s CEO. “We’re seeing a very strong shift to poker and online casino.”
Sin City Has Shut Down
Coronavirus shut down Sin City, creating a potentially devastating situation for Las Vegas.
Furthermore, the huge crowds of both tourists and regulars who come to the luxurious hotels, eager to play for hours in the casinos, and make some money – can’t anymore.
This could also be part of the reason for increased customer activity in online casino and poker products. As they might go online to compensate for physical casino disruption in this upcoming period of time.
Some say we might see an increase in live casino games with virtual dealers in actual dealing rooms to make up for all of this.
Is the Surge in Online Gaming Due to Plain Right Boredom?
It’s pretty obvious that the more we stay home, the more time we spend online, looking for something to do.
That’s why many thrill-seekers, looking for excitement, are turning to online gaming – simply to get some action, from home.
Some are missing it so much that wagering on the outcome of the competition in the U.S. television show, Survivor, is now available on numerous betting sites in the country.
Others do it to escape – perhaps from the family, or for some nice alone time.
For whatever reason you choose to play, do note that it’s important to do so reasonably and responsibly, at all times – regardless of the chaos happening outdoors. Some limitations to bet sizes, wagering amounts, and hours spent online should definitely be put in place.
About half a million players are blocking themselves from their online banking, while some banks offer customers an option to “block” payments to gambling sites.
If you’re interested in learning more about Covid-19’s impact on online gaming, see these trends and tips for marketers.