Published by Programme B
It is needless to say that there’s absolutely no industry that’s been left untouched by the Covid-19 global pandemic. The gambling industry has also not been left unscathed. Many popular casinos have been left clinging on for dear gambling life after having to shut their doors for many months at a time, while others never reopened their doors again. There’s no gambler amongst us that will forget the chilling silence of the Las Vegas strip in 2020 that was shared with the world via social media.
But that being said, amongst the many on-site casinos, some were savvy enough to get their digital leg up and running as soon as possible. Whilst the operations of on-site casinos stuttered to a grinding halt, online casinos were laughing all the way to the bank. For employees being stuck in lockdown limbo, not knowing what to do with themselves or their time served as a segue to grab hold of online gaming and never let go. Whilst over 55% of the world’s population were already online gamers in one form or another, 2020/2021 saw a spike of more than 13% in online gambling.
With a spike like this and a clear money-making opportunity in the market, there was a shocking albeit obvious increase in new online casinos popping up in cyberspace. This is great since players (old or new) are now spoilt for choice, but many of these new kids on the casino block disappear just as fast as they appear – often along with players’ winnings. That’s also why more and more players are relying on reviews by reputable experts. French speaking players can always refer to https://www.critiquejeu.com/casino-en-ligne-canada/ if they are unsure whether an online casino can be trusted or whether it offers the best gaming experience.
A few criteria when identifying some of the best online casinos available are:
- Whether it is a registered company operating with a legal gambling license.
- Whether the casino has independent third parties who ensure that the casino software and games are kept ethical and fair.
- Whether the site uses trusted payment methods.
- Whether the casino has a good online reputation (this can be found on reputable review sites).
- Whether the site offers bonuses and promotions with reasonable wagering requirements.
- Whether the withdrawal times of a player’s winnings are fast.
- Whether the site is user-friendly.
- Whether the site offers a wide variety of game play as well as a large games library underneath each different game’s category.
I think it’s safe to say that while Covid-19 might have inhibited us gamblers from getting dolled up and heading down to our favourite gambling hole, we’ve definitely reaped the benefits of the global pandemic when it comes to the massive growth it forced on the online casino industry. We can now spin the slots, roll the dice or even fold if we have to in the comfort of our own homes whilst sipping cocoa in our pj’s. As the saying goes: “every cloud has a silver lining”, and this is especially true when it comes to Covid and the online casino industry.
Photo by Irina Bekhtereva from Pexels