Online Gambling Grows, Land Casinos Wane as World Changes
Operators of big land casino-resorts blame their woes on the current recession, but online gambling is growing even during tough times, and the popularity of Internet usage in general shows signs that Western culture is undergoing a sea change.Despite rising unemployment and a massive decrease in discretionary spending, comScore Inc. reported that Internet gambling sites saw an increase in traffic of 28.6 percent over the fourth quarter, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. That reversed the trend from the year before, when online casino volume declined 26.9 percent.
But it's not just gambling sites, as social networks report significant jumps in attendance, and game sites also show an increase in volume.
Meanwhile, land casinos face even faster plummeting sales in their diversified retail and restaurant divisions than in the gambling sector.
Sherman Bradley, Online Casino Advisory's senior gaming analyst, says, "We are simply seeing a move to the Internet to provide for consumer demands. No longer can Las Vegas tell patrons to come and spend a fortune on meals, shopping, and exploring faux landmarks. Anyone who wants to gamble can do it from anywhere at an online casino.
"Likewise, shopping and social interaction are now as close as a laptop. If a customer wants to take a vacation on Grand Cayman, where no casinos exist, he brings his casino with him. A trip to the real Eiffel Tower doesn't mean forsaking all the casino games available at the Paris Casino in Las Vegas, they are right there on the computer."
Sociologists are saying the inexpensive qualities of the Internet draws consumers, and the convenience keeps them. Like malls which were once packed at Christmas time only to see customers drained away each year by Amazon and the like, the Mirage and Mandalay Bay might never see the number of patrons they drew two or three years ago, as Rushmore Casino and Cherry Red take a larger slice of the business.
