Lockdown has hit most of the countries around the world. True to its meaning, it created restrictions in the movement for all citizens. For the Internet gaming community, it has been a windfall of unprecedented proportions. Confined to their homes with nothing else to do, gamers have hit the internet gaming scene with a vengeance. In this article, you get to explore these pandemic gaming trends and how they impact the online gaming industry.
The Industry
The gaming industry, in general, has been growing in leaps and bounds even before the pandemic outbreak. With people stuck at home due to lockdown, or just out of fear of contracting the virus, it’s logical that internet gaming will experience further growth. For casinos that offer online gambling, this was an unexpected windfall.
There are quite a few online casinos, such as Bob Casino, which offer slot games, table games, and live dealer games. People have been signing up with relish, looking for the perfect pandemic online game to dispel the boredom of being stuck at home.
Many online operators offer games that will suit most tastes. You can enjoy a variety of slot games, table games, or live dealer tables. For sports fans, virtual and fantasy sports are an enticing outlet to place bets.
Sports
Gaming is not entirely immune to the COVID-19 virus. Esports, in particular, relies heavily on live events, and since the games can’t be hosted, it’s been hit quite hard. Most events are postponed, and some canceled, with just a few taking place but without an audience.
However, it’s definitely doing better than traditional sports, which aren’t able to take place at all. With many sports events also under lockdown, punters have taken to fantasy and virtual games for their gambling fix. Online sportsbooks have seen a considerable rise in betting on virtual sports events.
Considering that the events can run 24/7, it’s a definite moneymaker for the online operators. For gamblers, they can enjoy some horse racing, World Cup Soccer, motor racing, greyhounds and many more virtual platforms, around the clock. In fact, it’s plain to see that online operators don’t need real sports to part the gambler from his money.
As long as they offer online entertainment with a chance of winning, they will keep the clients happy and coming back for more. What’s interesting to note, is that the virtual sports events are not in favor of bettors in the slightest. For example, if you take virtual horse racing, gamblers only have access to the odds and information for literally a couple of minutes before the race starts.
Being starved of information means they don’t get much time to study and make an informed decision. Betting decisions are pressurized, and most bettors are likely to go with their gut feeling, swaying the favor towards the sportsbook.
Casinos
Online casinos allow you to try your hand at almost any card game or classic slot games. Once again, it’s an internal entertainment product that doesn’t require a physical casino even to exist. Soon some of the casinos might land up only as an online presence if customers still wary of the virus choose to stay home instead of driving to a destination for gambling.
Our casino expert Eliasz Nowak would approve as he is on a mission to show people which online operators are safe to play, and weeds out the scams. He reviews casinos and only recommends ones with fair rules and gameplay.
Going beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s likely that many customers that started playing casino games during lockdown will continue to do so afterward. Giving the gaming industry a bigger platform to jumpstart from, especially once casinos and sports events return.
Global Market
The global gaming market is estimated to hit $159 billion in 2020, with Asia-Pacific being the most significant market by far. According to online gaming news, since the start of the crisis, internet usage has increased overall by up to 20 percent, boosting gaming usage by 75 percent. People aren’t only using the computer for work, and have started to explore the benefits of online gaming.
The pandemic has changed how people perceive health and safety. The more vulnerable will most definitely change something about their current lifestyle choices once everything goes back to some form of normality. It will impact where and how people choose to entertain themselves.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the world will never be the same after the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The internet gaming industry has, through this crisis, emerged as a victor in most cases. Esports and virtual sports have grown in popularity, along with casino games.
This trend is more likely to continue as people make different choices when it comes to weighing entertainment and safety. If you haven’t tried any online games yet, take the time to explore what’s on offer. You will soon discover how much fun, and sometimes lucrative, online gaming can be.