As more and more countries around the world start legalizing online gambling, certain issues must be addressed. Land-based casino operators tend to resist online gambling, but industry experts reassure them that their profits will not decline as a result of the legalization of online pokies and other casino games.

Firstly, it is also important to note that many states that legalize online gambling require operators to have local land-based operations. As such, local casinos do not have to worry about international operators swooping in to take hold of online players. Recently, Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith spoke out against these concerns. He states that there is no reason for land-based operations to fear the legalization of online gambling.

In fact, they have the chance to benefit from the changing market if they seize the right opportunities as they arise. According to Mr Smith, 85% of the Borgata’s online casino population have never played at the land-based location. As such, there is little overlap between the two businesses, and the brick-and-mortar casino has little to worry about with regards to online casinos stealing its customers.

Since online players tend to stick to online casinos, there is a great opportunity for the land-based venue to market to these players in order to get them to visit in person. “Online gaming is growing our database, creating a long-term opportunity to market Borgata to an entirely new group of customers,” Mr Smith says. Many casino operators estimate the 70% of their online patrons have never visited their brick-and-mortar venues.

So, they are actually catering to more customers. There are certainly plenty of benefits for land-based casino operators if online gambling is regulated. At the moment, Australian politicians have not made plans to legalize online gambling. Local operators have shown their support by the government is still on the fence.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.