Do Devon Casinos Still Pull in Players?
The international gambling landscape has undergone many changes over the last two decades. Chief among these is the widespread and widely celebrated adoption of online casinos and sports betting in numerous countries, including the UK.
While the industry has ballooned far beyond what would have been imaginable in the late 1990s when online casinos first started growing in popularity, it has also brought about some adverse effects. The most significant of these is its impact on physical casinos.
With players turning more frequently to online options for their gambling thrills, brick-and-mortar casinos are left trying to lure people out of their homes and onto the gambling floor. Since this is true for casinos worldwide and UK casinos as well, it begs the question: do Devon casinos still pull in players?
Gambling in the UK
Gambling has a rich and profoundly ingrained history in the UK. Officially legalised in 1960, gambling was commonplace long before this, with many residents circumventing the law to place wagers.
After being made legal, however, the floodgates opened, and Brits from across the nation quickly turned to local casinos, raceways, or bookmakers. This led to substantial growth in the industry, reaching its peak in 2022 when the country recorded 144 brick-and-mortar casinos.
Many years before this historic number was reached, however, online casinos began taking the market by storm.
Online Casinos in the UK
The first online gambling platform to enter the UK market was launched by popular bookmaker William Hill in 1998. The website, called Sportsbook, was focused on sports betting, but by 2000 featured a limited number of elementary casino games.
Although these games were primitive and far from the visually engaging titles available today, they and the various promotions run by the site allowed punters to take full advantage of these offers and experience a new way to gamble. Online gambling quickly skyrocketed in popularity, with thousands of Brits trying the latest craze.
The iGaming industry continued experiencing incredible growth. This growth was so fast that it necessitated additional regulation, which, among other factors, led to the formation of the UK Gambling Commission. Founded in 2005, the UKGC assumed complete control of gambling activities in 2007 and has, since then, been the country’s governing body for all market activities.
Among these is the issuing of licenses to online casinos. As of June 2024, over 175 online casinos are available to British players, with more than 2,000 companies holding some form of gambling license issued by the UKGC.
Casinos in Devon
Amid the slew of online casinos available to players in the area, Devon is also home to two notable physical casinos: Grosvenor Casino and Genting Casino. Both establishments are located in Plymouth and offer quite a few things to do.
Grosvenor Casino
Grosvenor Casino in Plymouth is operated by one of the largest casino brands in the country and offers a wide range of games to keep players entertained, including slot machines, physical poker tables, roulette, and blackjack.
Other attractions include a restaurant serving delicious food and a live fan zone showing the latest sporting events. The casino also offers ‘experience packages,’ which entail reserved gaming tables, welcome drink, and free play.
Genting Casino
Apart from Grosvenor, Genting is the most successful casino brand in the UK and operates over 30 physical locations across the country. Its Plymouth casino offers access to various games, including roulette, poker, blackjack, slots, and mahjong.
The location also features an eatery for gamblers feeling peckish and a late bar that is perfect for anyone looking to enjoy a drink out with friends or family. Genting Casino continuously offers attractive deals and rewards to lure players in.
Online Gambling in 2024
Despite these two brick-and-mortar casinos offering unique selling points, they continue to face the ever-steady growth of online gambling.
Recent surveys in the UK have shown that 27.9% of consumers in the country have tried online gambling. This number, which equates to more than 17.5 million people, is expected to rise as revenue generated by the industry is set to increase by an additional 7.4% from 2023.
This projected revenue of £11.01 billion for 2024 makes the UK the second largest gambling country, falling behind only the USA. Due to their convenience and user-friendly nature, much of this gambling is predicted to take place through online channels.
Physical Casinos
Despite this record growth and estimations predicting further developments, physical casinos still hold a dear place in the hearts of UK gamblers. No public data is available to indicate the extent to which online gambling has drawn players away from these locations towards websites and apps.
However, the increase in online gambling does not mean that visitors to physical locations are declining. In fact, Grosvenor Casinos, for one, posted an operating profit increase of over 198% in 2023 compared to 2022.
Data like this shows that, despite many punters fulfilling their gambling needs using online channels, some still prefer to support local physical establishments. Whether this is due to their unique atmospheres, which cannot be recreated online, or due to the other entertainment options they provide, there is no clear answer. However, it’s likely a combination of factors.
Nevertheless, one thing is certain: while online gambling booms and more players than ever log online to take advantage of great deals from the convenience of their homes, physical casinos will continue to survive. This isn’t just good news for smaller physical casinos like those in Devon but for all players who love the experience of heading down to the casino to take on Lady Luck herself.
