Sports betting has been accepted, legalized and normalized in more than 30 U.S. states and territories. It’s not unusual for bettors to pick up their phones and make a wager on their hometown team. Now they can utilize the “in play” option more than ever.
So, what’s the delay in getting iGaming—casino games and slots—the same kind of normalization and recognition?
Well, first there was opposition from the casinos themselves. The late Sheldon Adelson, who owned the powerhouse gaming company, Las Vegas Sands, which at the time operated the Venetian and Palazzo in Las Vegas and Sands Bethlehem in Pennsylvania, was the poster boy for this attitude. He was afraid that people who gamble from home would not experience dining, entertainment, sports at his casinos. He was also concerned that children—like his pre-teen grandchildren at the time—would use their parents’ credit cards to gamble online.
At TropicanaCasino.com new players can get up to a $500 casino bonus! Just make a deposit up to $500 to receive a 100% Bonus Match. Once you deposit and receive your bonus, you can use it towards your favorite casino games.
iGaming Surpasses Sports Betting
That attitude was familiar to casino executives until New Jersey legalized online gaming in 2013. But it quickly was noted that there was little impact on attendance at Atlantic City’s casinos. In fact, online gaming proved to be another revenue stream that added to their bottom lines. Since then, that same result has been felt in other states that legalized iGaming. Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, and the Canadian province of Ontario sees 85% of online revenue coming from iGaming. Sports betting lags far behind.
There was also a concern that unlimited access to iGaming would accelerate problem gambling. Some feared that online players would have access to their bank accounts and would gamble irresponsibly. Some of that fear was based on the misplaced belief that it’s harder to track online gambling activity.
That turned out to be false, as well. In fact, the data that players accumulate online is more complete and transparent than you get in the brick-and-mortar casinos. Every nuance of your gambling activity can be tracked online. If your gambling activity changes markedly, it can be flagged so that an intervention can take place. An online gaming expert can discuss with the player the reasons for that change and possibly cut him off.
iGaming Concerns
Finally, some states believe that if they maintain the illegal status of iGaming, then they’re protecting possible problem gamblers in their states. They believe that the absence of legal online casinos means that players in their states will have no access to online gambling. That is, of course, nonsense.
Online gamblers, whether they are problem gamblers or not, understand that there is always the availability of illegal online casinos. By keeping legal iGaming on the outside looking in, they are actually exposing potential problem gamblers to great risk by having them play at sites that have no consumer protection, allowing them to scam possible players by rigging the games or outright stealing their money, with no access to responsible gaming assistance.
Building Trust with Online Casinos
If you are a resident of a state that has legalized iGaming and you want to gamble online, rest assured that you will be treated fairly by the online casinos. In fact, your chances of winning can be increased by more favorable table game rules than you’d find at land-based casinos and lower bet limits. On the slot games, you can find information on the payback percentage (or the casino’s hold percentage) and choose a game that gives you the best chance to win.
And if you don’t live in a state that has legalized iGaming but does permit online sports betting, talk to your legislators. For the state, iGaming produces much more tax revenues than sports betting, and will help keep illegal casinos at bay, giving players more protection and confidence in the gaming process.
And stick with iGamingPlayer.com to find the best games, rules, regulations and bonuses at the best online gaming sites like Stardust Online Casino, Tropicana Online Casino, and Virgin Online Casino.
At NJ Stardust Casino they want to roll out the red carpet for players and treat you to one of the best welcome packages of any online casino in the Garden State. Signup bonus includes: $25 in Casino Bonuses.
