There was never a time when land-based casinos weren’t popular among large portions of the population, many of whom were not gamblers by any stretch of the imagination. Sometimes those who spent time in casinos were there because of the amazing shows and dinner theatres in hotels attached to the casino. While they would go in to play a few pokies for the fun of it, the casino wasn’t the original attraction. Once introduced, a larger number of holiday goers would return year after year and with each successive holiday they would play more and more games, different from previous trips. Now the world has turned to an interest in online casinos for several very good reasons.

Legalised in a Growing Number of Countries

Although it cannot be said that land-based and/or online casinos are legal in all countries around the world, every year more and more countries are relaxing legislation of the industry to some extent. Now, there are few countries that don’t allow online gambling. Many will post disclaimers about the dangers of addiction, but recognising the interest, especially in sports betting, they have relaxed the laws accordingly.

With that said, it is still possible for anyone who wants to place a wager or two to visit the online casinos through a VPN. It’s either that or go to an offshore casino and, of the two, it is much more comfortable and a whole lot less expensive to go online. Even now, there is so much interest in placing a bet or two online that sites like Online Casinos are there to give you brief reviews of some popular casinos online. This site also posts things like new player bonuses and deals that may be running at any time.

Newfound Fun During Covid Restrictions

Before Covid-19, people got their entertainment by going out to eat or to the movies or other social events. Once the pandemic took hold of the entire world, many of those venues closed, sometimes for the better part of a year and other times forever. The statistics on businesses in the entertainment industry are still coming in, but it is safe to say that more businesses were bankrupt than we had previously known of. Due to the availability of online casinos and sadly to say, sometimes for the lack of anything better to do, they began trying their hand at slots games or maybe a hand or two of poker.

Social Interaction in Multiplayer Games

Some of the online casino games are simply player against machine such as when playing slots. There is no one to play against so it’s just you and Lady Luck. However, there are other casino games that can be played against other players in real time. One of the most popular is Texas Hold’em and some casinos have a chat feature where players can ‘talk’ a bit while waiting for the next deal.

Has it already been six years since Nevada and New Jersey passed legislation allowing casinos to add multi-player, skills-based games to their repertoire? This gave the Gen Xers and Millennials an outlet during those long days, weeks and months of an historic global shutdown. Now that restrictions are being lifted, players still love to visit their favourite online casinos because, quite frankly, it can be a way to ‘win’ double. Not only could they win against the enemies in their game, but they just might win a bet or two as well!

Advances in Mobile Technology

With so many of today’s online casinos offering mobile access, gamers can take their casino games with them wherever they happen to be. Commuters can be seen playing a few spins on the train in London and workers can play a game or two on their break.

The amazing thing is that now with the availability of so many online casinos that can be accessed via a mobile device, there is no reason to be bored even if the world shuts down again. Some of the most popular mobile casino games include roulette, poker, slots, and baccarat. Of those, roulette and slots are probably the games played most on a mobile device because there is no strategy involved. It’s all just good fun.

Competitive Signup Bonuses and Loyalty Deals

When looking for new online casinos to try, many players check out those that offer competitive signup bonuses for newbies, but they will also check to see if they can earn loyalty rewards and deals over time. This is the same thing shoppers look for from brands they deal with and since everyone likes a little perk or two, online casinos often sponsor a loyalty programme as well.

Sometimes they run special daily deals as well. It isn’t uncommon to find double payouts or double deposits, especially around a holiday. It is the exact same marketing strategy that retailers use but it is within the gambling industry. Marketing is marketing and if players can reap the benefits, everyone wins!

Life in a Virtual Reality

Without whipping a dead horse, no pun intended, we’ve clearly suffered a beating the pandemic has perpetrated on us. Our reality for more than two years was one of worry and sorrow. We lost friends and family members to the virus and often couldn’t even have a celebration of life because even church gatherings were restricted.

For lack of a better way of saying it, our reality was unreal. We wanted to be anywhere but on planet earth and so we found solace in virtual reality. There we could create a character who wasn’t laden under the emotional burdens of a global pandemic and with the addition of arcade-style VR games, we could rise above any of the restrictions that were holding us captive. We could finally win against what seemed like a continual losing battle.

Why are online casinos soaring in popularity? It just could be that they have provided an outlet for pent up energy of the past two and a half years with something that is finally fun to do.