by Susan Paige
There’s no doubt that online casinos have become popular over the last decade. It’s one of the industries with the most significant growth in recent years. Many people question whether this popularity will hurt in-house casinos in Portugal. It seems logical that if one sector grows, the other must decline. This is, however, a simplified view of how these two industries work.
Martim Nabeiro discusses the different aspects you need to consider when answering this question, for instance, who visits Casino Online Portugal and in-house casinos.
Online VS In-house Revenue
Within the first three months of 2020, online casinos in Portugal broke its revenue record. It grew by more than 50% for the same period in 2019. This revenue growth is in contrast to the sharp decline that in-house casino gambling in Portugal experienced, although various factors are playing a role in the fall.
Rules and Regulations
The overseeing laws for online and in house casinos are different. The regulations for in-house casinos tend to be more strict than those for online gambling casinos, Portugal. It’s much easier for companies outside of Portugal to register an online casino in the country. However, there are only twelve registered online casinos in Portugal at the moment. While it’s easily accessible, there aren’t that many choices for players.
On the other hand, there are many more in-house casinos which give players more freedom of choice where to play.
Slots Play a Big Role
Slots attributed a significant part of the spending on Portugal online casinos. It’s always been a popular game, but its popularity keeps increasing, especially with online casinos. The variety of slots attracts different players. This fun, fast-paced game offers huge jackpots and is easily accessible on online gambling sites.
The RTP (Return To Player) is higher on online gambling sites than in-house casinos. While casino psychology shows that players enjoy the feeling of winning a jackpot in a land-based casino, the comfort and higher chances of winning is appealing to many players.
Image
The industry has actively been trying to improve the image that gambling has. As a result, more players, predominantly female, have started playing at both in-house and online casinos. Land-based casinos have become a fantastic place to spend a night out. Many in-house casinos have restaurants and other entertainment that the whole family can enjoy. This is a benefit that online casinos can’t offer.
Top Casinos and Online Equivalents
Some believe that there’s direct competition. To negate this competition, many land-based casinos have launched online versions of their offering. While these online versions may not have the same charm and excitement of the in-house provider, it offers many of the same games.
In-house casinos generally only offer promotions to high-rollers, while their online versions cater to all players. Low betters can access the same benefits as those with large bankrolls.
Accessibility
You can generally access online casinos from anywhere, especially with the rise in mobile compatibility. While it’s comfortable to access gaming while on your commute or lunch-break, it seems like it can’t beat the atmosphere that land-based casinos offer.
Conclusion
While the revenue of certain casino games, such as poker and blackjack, have decreased somewhat with the start of online casinos, most in-house casinos are doing reasonably well. It seems like there isn’t much overlap between in-house and online casino players. The target audience of these two entities appears to be different.
Online players enjoy promotions and easy access, while players who prefer in-house casinos enjoy the exciting atmosphere that online casinos will never be able to capture accurately. In-house casinos also allow you to spend quality time with loved ones while playing your favourite casino games.
So, what do you think ?