Before the dawn of online gambling, something which is now a multibillion global business and industry, casino games were played, well, in casinos. From the traditional gamblers paradise of that is the storied Las Vegas, to the ever-burgeoning resort of Atlantic City, not to mention the gaming haven of Macau, going to the casino was the way people played poker, tried their luck on the roulette wheel or enjoyed a few spins on the slots. Then came the internet.

What followed was the birth of what is now a worldwide gameplay phenomenon, online casino play; this offered everything from a live dealer casino experience, even with crypto as a currency, to world series poker style games to be played by and with people from all around the world. As well as the traditional gambling on sports, for example, almost every game you could play in a real, bricks and mortar casino have now become available online, with the user experience getting better and better, as graphics and gameplay advance and improve.

From playing online to having apps dedicated to delivering a casino style gambling experience, devotees who love to gamble have ensured that this virtual gaming has become unimaginably popular and commercially successful. So how has this explosion of online gambling options and virtual casino experience popularity impacted the world of the old, real-world casinos of Las Vegas and beyond? Has it made people who are new to casino and card games and had never been to a real casino before want to visit one, making Las Vegas a place of pilgrimage, or has it allowed people to gamble without the need to ever visit a real casino even, even if they have in the past?

Can The Casino Experience Really Be Replicated Online?

It is a question that has been asked of many things: can an online experience ever truly replicate or deliver the same enjoyment as the real thing? Can a virtual tour of a city really be like being there in person, and in the same way, for example, can playing poker, roulette, or slots, or gambling on betting sites or an app actually recreate the buzz, excitement, and communal pleasure that being in a casino does? It rather depends on who you ask, but it is certainly a conundrum that can be answered many ways.

If you take a look at the purely financial side of things, it would appear that the world of the real casino has not lost its attraction, with more people visiting places Las Vegas than ever, and a global casino revenue records seeing them take in tens of billions. But does this mean that people want the genuine experience and do not see the online versions as being as good? Again, it depends on who you ask. There will be those who traditionally love to gamble at casinos but also enjoy the online user experience of gambling sites and apps, enjoying both experiences equally. There are others, of course, who would never want to play online and those who would never want to go to a casino, or cannot, so there really is a dichotomy to the answer. Either way, as the online gaming industry grows exponentially, the gameplay itself does promise to deliver if not the atmosphere of the casino floor, the ability to play every casino game and do so with people from around the world, making it equally communal for users.

How Casinos Can Combat Online Gambling Challenges

We all know how popular Las Vegas is, but we are also aware of how accessible and popular online gambling now is. So how do casinos combat these challenges in terms of attracting people to play in person versus online? Well, the answer could be two-fold. Many casinos have now entered the online gambling world alongside their physical business interests, delivering their branded versions of online casino games and enticing people to visit them if they ever get to the place where they are located.

Naturally, some people may not have the time, means, or desire to go to a casino, but this is one clever way of attracting those who may. But whether casinos offer online versions or not, they can still offer something that, as argued above, can perhaps not be delivered by their online competitors: the in-person experience, the chance to play with real opponents, or even watch those who are the best at poker, black jack, or pontoon, all while enjoying all the other attractions of a hotel or casino resort.

Put simply, casinos are now using all their marketing acumen and advertising skills to remind people just why they should want to go there, whether it is the buffets, the drinks, the wider array of games, or even larger jackpots. In doing so, they are at least attempting to engage with those who may prefer to play online and ensuring that their devoted casino gamblers continue to love the in-person experience rather than the online facsimile. Whether this makes online gambling good or bad for the casino industry may still be one that the jury is still out on.