Even before the pandemic, the land-based gambling scene was beginning to show signs of struggle. Closing down made business even worse, but can it rise from the ashes?

The last few years haven’t been the best for Vegas-style gambling houses, mainly due to the increase of virtual casinos. The pandemic didn’t make matters any better, so the last year was spent trying to survive. Most land-based casinos folded and salvaged what was left, and it was sad seeing names that have been in business for decades cease to be quite unceremoniously.

Closing Down for a Year

When countries locked down, all unessential service providers were asked to stay home too. This meant land-based casinos too, and it started a year-long drought that would see some of them close their doors for good. The online casino side of the industry was abuzz with activity since it was its time to shine. And shine it has with insane $1 deposit casino offers that players cannot seem to get enough of if the 20% surge in online gambling is anything to go by. Unable to make any earnings for a year is hard for any business, and the cost of coming back after that has been a little too steep for most dealers. The expected incomes aren’t that good either because players are still wary of meeting, so it may be harder to recover than expected.

It is worth noting that most land-based houses were already struggling to make ends meet before the pandemic. The younger lot is interested in other forms of entertainment, with sports stealing the show. Most sportsbooks, fantasy teams, horse racing deals, and motorsports have been making gamblers real money and have been more enticing than regular casino gambling. With already waning business and now the pandemic, some casinos were never going to open their doors again after that lockdown. They counted their losses and went home.

Rising from the Ashes

Those that refused to die are slowly reopening while still observing the WHO protocols for COVID-19. At most of these establishments, waiters are expected to have their masks on while serving, but the visitors are not obligated to do the same. Establishments such as Treasure Island, The Sahara, and The Cosmopolitan are back in business, as are several others. However, it is hard to tell how their cashflows are from seeing the current activity level. Most people are still cautious of being outside their houses or in the midst of other people, but the casinos are slowly beginning to pick up, especially over the weekends.

What can we Expect?

The future is a little hard to predict since this sort of pandemic hasn’t happened at times such as the ones we live today. Technology is better, medicine and vaccines have advanced since the last pandemic, and business is more resilient. So, we cannot say those who gamble at an online casino will not need a boost from a land-based one from time to time. Players still need to play old-school slots on weekends, so casinos may still be relevant. It is unclear whether they will remain open long enough with the little business they will be getting from gambling. Thankfully, most of them are resorts, too, offering world-class vacation facilities, which could make up for the income they lose during most working days when people would rather gamble online. They could also come up with rewards to bring more people through the doors.

Conclusion

The popularity of land-based casinos isn’t likely to die with the surge of online casinos. Both can coexist because they each offer something the gambler is happy to experience. What seems apparent is that the land-based scene may not be prepared to do as much as the online space is determined to do to keep players on their toes, though it’s partly not at fault. The online gambling scene has technology on its side that will keep advancing to make games as real as the industry needs them to be. The innovative offline casinos have already started gambling sites to capitalize on the brands they have built for decades. That may be the only way to make it in an industry that is sure expected to be extinct at some point in the future.