The growth of the gambling market in the United Kingdom continues to grow as the popularity of gaming attracts ever more players. Much of that growth has been seen in the online sector with Remote, Casino, Betting and Bingo (RCBB) accruing a staggering £6.9 billion annual Gross Gambling Yield (As of March 2021).
The dominant players in the remote market, however, so are online casinos, generating £4.0 billion, with a whopping £2.9 billion coming from slots games alone. While a huge chunk of this revenue is unsurprisingly from England, reports estimate that in Wales, over 50% of the population currently gamble.
Land-based casinos in Wales
There are several casinos spread across Wales, although the majority of them are located in Swansea and the capital Cardiff. These aren’t on the scale of some of the larger casino’s seen in England and further afield, but they offer all the games you’d expect, such as roulette, slots, blackjack and poker.
Three of the most popular casinos are:
Les Croupiers Casino Cardiff
Les Croupiers Casino’s features 20,000 square feet gaming space and is home to over 50 gaming machines. There are 20 tables including Blackjack, Craps, Dice, and one of the largest Poker Rooms in Wales.
Mecca Bingo and Slots Swansea
Mecca Bingo and Slots is, unsurprisingly, the perfect place to play Bingo and Slots. With traditional to more modern game offerings, it’s perfect for the casual gamer.
Grosvenor Casino Cardiff
The Grosvenor boasts great food and is a popular destination for tourists and residents alike. There’s a wide selection of casino games such as roulette, blackjack, and poker and plenty of slot machines to keep most gamers occupied.
Grosvenor Casino Swansea
The Grosvenor in Swansea is one of the smaller casinos around but offers a selection of table games and slots for players to enjoy.
Rainbow Casino Cardiff
The Rainbow is not as big as Grosvenor Cardiff, but it does offer a wide variety of games, plus it’s open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. With ten tables for live games plus all the classic casino games such as Blackjack, Roulette and Poker, the Rainbow is a fun all day option.
Online Casinos
For many people, travelling to Swansea, Cardiff or anywhere else in order to visit a land-based casino, can be problematic. Opening hours, lack of gaming experience, distance and dress code are just some of the deterrents that put people off attending.
Online casinos on the other hand, have no such barriers to entry and that is one of the main reasons for their growth in popularity. Gamers can access a casino anytime and anywhere they want.
If you want to spend five minutes paying slots while waiting for a bus or try your hand at poker form the comfort of your own sofa, you can. But what else is driving the popularity of gaming online?
Advantages of online casino
Accessibility
The increased use of smart mobile phones means that people are effectively walking around with a casino in their pocket. Thanks to mobile apps, poker, slots, blackjack, roulette or any other casino game is only the touch a button away.
Bonuses
Many online casinos give players signing up bonuses such as matched deposits, free spins and free bets. They will also encourage players to stay loyal with further enticements that are tailored to their playing needs.
Online casino giant 888 are currently offering a bonus of £88 free no deposit needed as well as a 100% welcome bonus of up to £100 attracting new players to their site.
Lots of online casinos also offer gamers the opportunity to play games for free, allowing beginners the chance to try out games at no financial risk to themselves.
Internet
Faster broadband speeds and the roll out of 4G and 5G has allowed people to play anywhere they want to. With fast access available almost everywhere, mobile and laptop users can pay games anytime and anywhere they feel the urge.
Technology
Thanks to ever improving technology, the graphics and sound effects of online games mimic the sights and sounds of a land-based casino, offering a far more realistic gaming experience for players. With yet more gaming operators utilising this latest tech to improve their offering to customers, gamers can even play a variety of table games alongside a real-life dealer.
Game Variety
Land-based casinos are limited in their game offerings due to their physical size. There are only so many slots and tables you can physically fit into a casino.
Online operators have no such limitations and can offer gamers a huge variety of games that are updated and improved constantly, unlike their physical counterparts.
Queues
Nobody likes waiting, so travelling to a casino to find your favourite game’s busy is not great. However, online casinos have no such restrictions making queues a thing of the past and ensuring your time is spent having fun and not standing around twiddling your thumbs.
The future of gambling in Wales
Online casinos are not going away anytime soon, and the increasing use of technology will only enhance customer offerings even further. Much like the video game market, better, frequent game updates will keep gamers coming back for more.
Virtual Reality is one technology that’s expected to transform the online market, allowing players to experience a true to life casino experience from the comfort of their own home. Researchers estimate that by the end of 2022, approximately $250 billion will be generated from virtual reality gaming globally.
The only thing Welsh gamers have to complain about is the lack of Welsh language options with today’s online casinos. But given the popularity of gaming in the country, that will surely only be a matter of time.