Survey shows online gaming enhances land-based operations

Research from a recent survey has indicated that online casino gaming is not a threat to land-based casinos. The findings were released at the recent iGaming conference in Las Vegas, where issues pertaining to Internet gaming were discussed by professionals from across the US industry.

Furthermore, the survey also indicated that contrary to previous opinion, the online industry actually enhance the popularity of the more traditional land-based casinos.

Speaking to over 300 delegates at the conference, Jan Jones of Caesar's Entertainment called upon the US gaming industry to look towards the UK gaming market for examples of successful relationships between online and land based venues. UK betting services, such as William Hill have recognised that whilst the average age of a customer to a bricks and mortar betting shop is approximately 50 years old, gambling itself is becoming increasingly popular with younger players as well. By creating a strong online presence, gaming companies can tailor their offerings to attract players from other target markets.

The report's findings were greeted with serious interest by delegation, particularly in light of the growing speculation that the US online gaming laws will change over the next few years. Despite recent prosecutions by US law officials, it is widely believed that online gaming will become legal in some capacity, and this has been a concern of the land-based casinos and the impact such legislation will have on their business.

Experts have predicted that if the US does decide to make online gambling legal, the market could grow to double its current size in the next five years, making the Internet a business opportunity that shouldn't be ignored.