Kansas casinos are among the gambling facilities facing a battle to stay alive right now.
As if coming to terms with the coronavirus crisis was not challenging enough for a lot of these businesses, online gambling regulation changes could well make it even harder to remain open.
COVID-19 led to the closure of casino sites across the state, although recently they got the green light to reopen their doors. Things will not be the same as before, though, with visitors to casinos in Kansas asked to abide by social distancing rules during their time inside the facilities.
The future also appears bleak for a lot of Kansas casinos. Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa, which can be found in the suburb of Riverside, has announced that it is cutting nearly 300 jobs. In a statement, the casino said the job losses were a direct result of the coronavirus crisis.
More casinos might have to follow suit, especially with the landmark decision by the Supreme Court that will potentially open the gate for online gambling to become a reality in Kansas very soon.
The state of play for online gambling regulations in Kansas
The pace of change has been surprisingly slow in many states after that Supreme Court ruling back in 2018, with Kansas among those moving cautiously so far.
Opposition to the rollout of online gambling options such as sports betting has been strong in Kansas. Naturally, existing brick-and-mortar casinos that are open across the state are against a move that would see a large increase in competition to their businesses.
There is also a lack of agreement on how online gambling operators should be taxed, with such battles continuing to play out in the courtroom. Those online operators who are ready to launch new sites for people in Kansas are said to be growing increasingly frustrated with the situation.
Of course, there is little to stop people who live in Kansas from using online casinos, which helps explain why the current blockage does not seem to make sense. Iowa and Colorado, two neighboring states to Kansas, have already made moves to make sports betting legal.
Benefits of online sites compared to Kansas casinos
Players prefer to gamble online rather than visiting Kansas casinos for many different reasons.
First, in the COVID-19 era, being able to stay at home is naturally going to be very appealing for people who would rather avoid the risk of contracting the virus where possible. There is also the fact that a visit to the casino is no longer the fun-filled experience of the past as a result of the safety measures that have been introduced in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus.
Flexibility is another key selling point of online casinos compared to their brick-and-mortar casinos. While the latter usually close their doors overnight, this is not the case online, where players can log in at any time of the day or night for a few spins of slots or the roulette wheel.
Online casinos offer thousands of slot machines, where many Kansas establishments offer mainly classic slots and a few progressive options as well. The choice of games is not really comparable, with online casinos regularly bringing out new titles to keep players interested.
Bonuses and promotions are also usually a lot more generous at online casino sites. As there is so much competition for customers nowadays, they have to put up very attractive promotions in order to convince new users to sign up with them, rather than join another online operator.
Is it the end of the road for Kansas casinos?
It seems very likely that most gambling in the future will be done online, regardless of brick-and-mortar casinos battling against the changes to the law that are needed to make this happen.
The combination of the changing online gambling regulation with the impact of the coronavirus crisis is likely to be a hammer blow for the industry. The job losses that have already been seen at the Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa in Riverside seem certain to be replicated across the sector.
However, some casinos are expected to be able to survive. Despite the many benefits of online gambling compared to visiting a brick-and-mortar casino, not everyone likes to use the internet for their betting. Visiting a brick-and-mortar casino is still more of a social experience that can be enjoyed with a group of friends on a night out.
They might well not disappear entirely, but Kansas casinos face an uncertain future for sure.
