There’s no doubting the financial might of the casino market. In 2017 alone, US casino gaming was worth $76.59 million. That’s more than 50% higher than in 2014 and it shows no sign of letting up.
People clearly love the thrills and spills of a casino – the bright lights, the big jackpots and the fun range of games – but they’re not just getting their fix of fun in ‘land based’ casino buildings.
Recent years have seen an explosion in online casinos that replicate as much of the magic of their real-world counterparts as possible – with established gambling providers from overseas such as London-based William Hill stepping in to meet the demand.
Yet, while this might seem a part of life in the US and Canada in the modern day, this hasn’t always been the case. Both countries have had their moments with casinos and gambling. Indeed, while European nations let sports fans bet on their favorite stars and teams, US sports have been resistant to this. New rules are now relaxing these restrictions and the rise of sports betting could make this every bit as lucrative as the world of casinos over time – especially given the popularity of the multi-million dollar fantasy sports industry.
The rise of casinos relied on winning a battle with the assumption that gambling was in some way linked to illegal activity. This feeling caused it to be tainted by association and, at a time of a stricter and more religious social code, led to bans. It’s a battle that sports betting needs to win if it’s to follow suit.
In Canada, every type of gambling was banned in 1892. It then took the best part of 100 years for this to be reversed, with bingo and horse racing allowed followed by gambling at fairs and lotteries (the first of which was in aid of the Montreal Olympics). The first land based casino actually opened in Winnipeg in 1989. Now there are casinos in every province and Canada is one of the leading casino-playing nations in the world.
Famously, casinos have a longer history in the US – forming a huge part of the growth of Las Vegas from the 1930s, when Nevada was the first state to legalise gambling as the nation moved away from the stricter era of prohibition. There are now more than 1,000 casinos across the country, with Vegas followed by Atlantic City, New Jersey and Chicago as hotspots.
The growth of Las Vegas, legal race tracks, lotteries and the evidence of gambling overseas helped to chip away at the attitudes of prohibition and the late 19th century and pave the way for the growth of casinos, eventually uninhabited by the stigma and stereotype of the past. In turn, this more liberal minded view of casinos has helped to shape attitudes to online casinos too.
These are even breaking new ground, ending geographical barriers in both nations and extending the appeal more evenly to a female audience. Anyone with a smartphone can now transport themselves into a virtual casino world no matter where they are in the world.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t regulations. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, for example, sets tight rules around service providers. In 2011, it was confirmed that the Federal Wire Act of 1961 did not apply to online casinos – instead focussing on the aforementioned rules on sports betting.
A combination of changing legislation and attitudes have helped to fuel the rise of casinos in North America in the last century or more. As demand continues to grow – and technology continues to offer new ways to play – it’s a growth story that should carry on for some time to come and deliver ever-more impressive business numbers.
