Do Online Casinos Impact the Tourism Industry?

Online casinos like https://icecasino.com/hu/rulett proliferated like mushrooms in the last decade. One of the questions people ask is this: does the iGaming industry impact the tourism industry?

While the obvious answer is yes, we can assume that the impact is not as heavy or negative as people deem it to be. Nevertheless, let us look into the influence of the online gambling industry on tourism.

Less Tourism from Gamblers

Now that gambling and sports betting are accessible on the web, a lot of people have no reason to visit land-based casinos anymore. Less foot traffic means hotels and restaurants have fewer customers, too.

Here are some tourism industries that may experience a negative impact from online casinos:

• Restaurants;
• Entertainment shows or clubs;
• Bars and drinking places;
• Hotels and other accommodation services;
• Other hospitality services like spas, saunas, etc.

All businesses located in a casino haven earn lesser now than they did before. If a gambler does not go to a land-based facility, these tourism destinations will not make money.

However, one cannot say that casino tourism represents the entire tourism industry of a country. Casino tourism is merely a tiny chunk of tourism as a whole. An entire country does not depend on casinos for its tourism income.

Why? Because there are beaches, sports, the Olympics, restaurants, ancient monuments, and so many other things that people want to see. Tourists do not go to a country to play in a casino. They go to a country to visit places they have never been to.

If anything, we can say that online casinos have a major negative impact on the casino tourism of a local area. For example, places like Macau or Las Vegas suffered a huge blow from the growth spurt of the iGaming industry.

Overall, though, the impact of online gambling platforms on the tourism industry is so minimal that nobody feels it. On the bright side, land-based gamblers may consider playing on the Internet, but they will never abandon their passion for brick-and-mortar gaming houses.

Why? Because land-based gambling is way much better than online. The lights, the sounds, the people — the entire ambiance of a land-based facility offers more pleasure than playing alone at home.

As you can see, online casinos only have one negative impact against land-based ones. It affects tourism in general, considering that brick-and-mortar casinos are usually tied up with hotels and resorts. However, there is no need to listen to doomsayers saying that casino sites are killing local tourism.

How the Land-Based Casino Industry Is Reacting

Operators of land-based casinos are aware of this negative impact. They cannot do anything to stop the online casino industry from growing. So, what are they doing about it?

First, many land-based facilities now have a variant of their own online platforms. They created a web version of their casinos, which gave their loyal customers access to their games.

Second, they offer better shows and physical experiences. Land-based casinos now concentrate their marketing efforts on promoting entertainers. For example, MGM Grand in Las Vegas at this time has a show that features Bruno Mars. They also have a show featuring David Copperfield.

Here are some more entertainment offers:

• Jabbawockeez;
• Cirque du Soleil;
• Brad Garrett;
• The Hunger Games: The Exhibition.

Some casinos, Caesar’s Palace, offers affordable room rates, golf packages, and more. With these offers, people who have the desire to be social have more reason to go to a land-based casino.

What Is the Verdict?

The battle between land-based casinos and online platforms will never end. However, one should not look at it as a battle. Instead, one should see it as different offerings for different people.

For one, some people want to gamble but do not want to spend money on hotels or other things like shows. These are the best people to target and play in online casinos. All they want is to place a bet and win.

Then, some folks want a social experience. More importantly, they want an experience they will never forget. For example, a man who is about to get married will certainly want to go to a land-based casino with his friends.

Some people want to watch shows — these are people whose primary motivation is to watch, and gambling is only secondary. As such, these are the appropriate market for land-based casinos.

It is true that online casinos are accessible and that gamblers have one good reason to just stay at home and play. However, we must also take into account that land-based gamblers will never feel satisfied with gambling online.

Overall, the impact of online gambling on tourism is insignificant. Tourists who want to go to the beach will still go to the beach. Those who want to visit old churches, restaurants, etc., will still travel physically. If anything, online casinos have a big impact on the revenue of land-based ones, but not tourism.