Even though — if legalized — New York online casinos won’t launch in the state until at least 2023, there’s no reason for the market’s retail locations to reject the idea. Some may believe that the introduction of online apps would cannibalize the brick-and-mortar industry. However, there’s plenty of evidence to disprove that.
From previous studies to examples from states that offer both forms of wagering, there is no direct correlation tied to the two. Online casinos and retail options can not only coexist, but they realistically benefit one another as complements.
Rather than pull bettors away from land-based establishments, online casinos platforms give players a separate alternative. Let’s take a deeper look at the situation the Empire State may find itself in sooner than later.
New York online casinos complement retail locations
There is a lot of information now available to states considering an expansion into online gaming. With NY on the cusp of growing in both areas (online and retail) the state can feel comfortable diving into the online space.
A study conducted recently by Washington State University and principal investigator, Dr. Kahlil S. Philander, showed that this new wave of betting doesn’t detract from brick-and-mortars. In fact, it stated that both online casinos and sports betting didn’t provide much of an impact on retail casinos.
When looking at multiple states across the US that launched online casino markets, the research said their retail casino revenue either increased or stayed the same. This included states like neighboring New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Two separate customer groups
The study also mentions that retail and online bettors differ more than one might think. While there is obviously some overlap, the online users and regulars at the actual casino consist of two different groups.
Although they both provide avenues to gamble, there are some massive differences between the two options. Just because an online app exists now doesn’t mean that people who consistently gamble in person intend to stop doing so.
Another factor that proves online isn’t negatively affecting retail is the fact that jobs aren’t being lost. Several examples in multiple places all reference that the implementation of online apps doesn’t force downsizing for real casinos.
So, with revenue and job security stable, it appears NY casinos don’t need to worry about joining the online industry.
NY online gambling will lead to retail casinos
Some might argue that the emergence of online casinos helps drive more action to land-based establishments.
Betting through a mobile app gets the job done in terms of legally wagering your money. That said, it doesn’t offer the same experience as a real casino. Sure, playing the games is fun. However, it’s not quite the same as sitting down at an actual table.
In fact, many online casino apps now provide live dealer games. These give mobile bettors a more realistic feel by streaming actual people as dealers using real cards.
Many live dealer games are growing in popularity, as operators and gaming manufacturers begin rolling out even more versions lately. Clearly, there is a desire among today’s online bettors to feel a more authentic involvement.
Even though there are lots of these titles now available to individuals in legal states, they don’t match the feeling of a real-life casino. People playing these games constantly seem likely to want to visit their local retail spot more often than they usually might.
Conclusion: NY online casinos will help retail locations
Of course, this also opens up the social aspects and opportunities of a night at the casino that online platforms simply can’t give you.
Retail casinos have actually seen this trend before. When online poker reached new heights in the early 2000s, in-person games increased substantially.
Many brick-and-mortar locations feature sizable poker rooms now that hold lots of regular games and tournaments. These weren’t nearly as expansive just 20 years ago.
New York appears on the threshold of legalizing online casinos in the state, with one expert panel predicting the Empire State to do so and launch NY online casinos “in the near future.”
Another panel pointed to New Jersey, where brick-and-mortar casinos have seen no drop-offs in industrywide revenue.
“What we’ve seen, time and again, is that iGaming does not cannibalize retail casino revenue,” Joseph Weinert, executive vice president of Spectrum Gaming Group, said during the panel. “There may be some things that have stunted some growth, but they’ve proven they’re compatible.”
