What is the most popular activity on the internet? What do people spend their time doing? These days, it’s not surprisingly easy to find out. There are so many different ways to measure website popularity. Popularity amongst users, search engine queries, page views, the number of online guides.. the list goes on.
Here we’ll take a look at how quickly the world’s most popular activity has increased in popularity, and what this might mean for the future.
The first online casino was opened in 1994 and it took 11 years to attract 10 million players. Just four years later, that number had jumped to 40 million. On average, casinos now sign up hundreds of thousands of new users each day.
In January of 2020 alone, more than US$5 Million was spent on gambling apps worldwide, with Poker being the most popular individual category. And these trends are set to continue upwards as both technologies improve and more people have access to mobile devices capable of accessing the internet.
Understanding the Popularity of Online Gambling
Some people are skeptical about this growth in gambling, suggesting that it’s just a fad that will pass. The same thing was said about cryptocurrency in its early days, but if you look at the numbers, it seems rather unlikely. For example, most online casinos have more members than physical ones have regular visitors.
So why is online gambling so popular? To answer that question, we need to take a closer look at what makes them so popular in the first place:
- Mobile access: People can gamble from their phones or other mobile devices anywhere and anytime.
- Versatility: The internet allows casinos to offer tons of games, including slots and table games like poker and blackjack.
- Customizability: Sites allow players to create their own playstyle with a unique username, profile picture, and avatar.
- Anonymity: Anyone can join up and play from the comfort of their own home without anyone knowing who they are.
Online Gambling vs Traditional Casinos
The question is no longer whether or not people would be willing to gamble online if it were possible – we know that most certainly do, after all – but which options offer more value for money? Is it better to enjoy casinos in real life, or through a laptop or smartphone?
When comparing online gambling against traditional gambling there’s one thing you must remember: It’s much easier to win big when playing online slots because you don’t have anything standing in your way; not even your local casino. The only difference between the set up at an online casino and a real one is that you don’t have to physically be there. The house edge will always exist no matter where you play, but in the land-based casinos, it’s significantly higher, especially for slot games.
In addition to this, traditional slot machines offer fewer paylines and jackpots. In fact, most of them only give out one or two sizeable prizes each year, if any at all. Despite not being as popular as a few decades ago due to governments around the world cracking down on what they consider a ‘sinful’ activity, video poker still has an enthusiastic following thanks to its high payback rates – even more so when played online!
The same can’t, unfortunately, be said about blackjack and other table games. Even though they do benefit from increased versatility with options like private tables, you still won’t find the same level of exciting welcome bonuses and promotions that most online casinos offer their new players.
Gambling Online – The Future
Nowadays playing online is so easy that even people who’ve never gambled before are attracted to it. It simply takes a few clicks to register at an online casino, then just as little time to figure out how it works. They don’t need any special skills or previous experience; just some free minutes during which they can test drive the game for real money.
And with technology improving, more and more people will be able to enjoy the benefits of mobile gambling in the future. For example, recent advancements in 3D technology mean that we’ve already seen the first holographic slot games. Who knows what’s next?