Throughout most of the world, 2020 saw the closing of many entertainment facilities and venues; casinos were no exception. With various lockdowns and restrictions in place, land-based casinos throughout British Columbia were closed in March 2020, with them only very recently being allowed to reopen. What does the reopening of these venues mean for casino goers?
Visiting a Casino That Has Reopened
Land-based casinos across British Columbia were allowed to open their doors again on the 1st of July. With the global pandemic still happening, Covid-19 is still at the forefront of many people’s minds – and as such, any venues that are reopening have had to adapt the way they work. Not only to keep people safe but to give customers peace of mind that visiting the venue is safe and secure.
Although people can enjoy casino games at land-based casinos in a similar way to before, they will notice some differences in how the casino operates. For example, venues have to operate at a reduced capacity which means that you’re unlikely to find a casino as busy as it was before. Face coverings are still mandatory and all indoor venues are being encouraged to operate enhanced sanitation throughout. There may be some new procedures around table-games are social distancing is still very much in place and will be in operation throughout any land-based casino that you visit.
Casinos will be keen to welcome people back through their doors and as such will be putting in measures to make sure that people are happy to visit. It is likely that over the next few weeks they’ll have bonuses and ways to play free games in order to encourage people in. Lots of us are now much more used to staying at home for long periods of time and there will be a section of people that are still nervous to venture out and about again. It will be down to land-based casino operators to reassure casino goers that visiting them is not only lots of fun but also completely safe. It may even be that guidelines change from the government as case numbers change and it is important that all industries keep on top of the changes, with the casino industry no exception to this rule.
What’s Happening Within The Casino Industry?
Since restrictions have been in place since March 2020 many industries have had to adapt and change the way they work, the casino industry is certainly no exception. Since they were forced to close their doors across every land-based casino in British Columbia, they had to think fast and offer something to their customers in order to bring in much-needed revenue.
Online casinos are nothing new, although the rules around using them in Canada have been changeable throughout restrictions these certainly became more popular. With casino goers no longer able to visit a physical venue in order to place a bet or have a game of poker, they were forced to get their entertainment online. Although this is something that was a necessity, it has resulted in lots of people realising just how great online casino playing can be. After all, you can play from the comfort of your own home and you don’t even need to get out of your pyjamas to do it!
With more users turning to online entertainment it was important for casinos to make sure that they offered enough to keep customers happy. Across any industry, the needs of customers are always changing and if a company wants to be successful then it needs to keep up with these needs. With so many online casinos in existence, with even more opening up, casinos had to massively improve what they were offering in order to keep customers interested.
This is great news for online casino users as it means that they have had a wider range of games, bigger jackpots and even larger welcome bonuses. With many land-based casinos expanding their offer it also means that players to get play with a brand name they find familiar; which can give great peace of mind when signing up to an online service they haven’t used before.
What Does The Future of the Gaming Industry Look Like?
The gaming industry is thriving and this isn’t something that is likely to change any time soon. The opening up of land-based casinos is something that many people have been waiting for, but people are also now more familiar with online entertainment and more comfortable offering this.
The future for the gaming industry is likely to be brands offering a hybrid of options where memberships can be used at both a land-based casino and its online website/app too. Land-based casinos have been closed since March 2020, during which the online sector has thrived, enticing new customers with a series of bonuses and promotions. This worked well and now plenty of people are choosing to use online casinos as a way to get their gambling hit – it would be silly of land-based casinos to not pay attention to this.
In terms of keeping customers interested and growing a customer base, the types of games that online casinos offer will need to continue to expand and grow. Live video games are something that is proving popular and VR technology is also something that many casinos are exploring as an option.
Alongside the acceptance of Cryptocurrency and bigger, bolder jackpots the casino industry will need to make sure it stays ahead of the game if it wants to continue to thrive and grow.
The truth is that as a nation we have become much more comfortable and familiar with the concept of enjoying entertainment online and as such all industries are going to need to up their game with what they offer. As people are also unsure whether there will be future restrictions or times when people will have to self-isolate, they’re also likely to keep their options for online entertainment open just in case.
