Is internet gambling 'doomed'?

[H1_Roller]

With all the Casino and Poker room closures, and banning (US) and so on (no need to go into too much detail because we're all aware), is the long-term future of internet gambling doomed?

I mean, with many casinos now struggling to turn a profit, and many others simply closing altogether, do you think we'll see an increase in 'Rogue' behaviour? (I refuse to use the American spelling of 'behavior', by the way, regardless of my spell-check screaming at me like a furious prefect ).

If the odd casino here and there begin to tighten up, refuse bonuses, refuse withdrawals (citing 'newly written' rules), could players become disillusioned and just stop playing, leading to more erratic and desperate antics from more casinos, resulting in even more players abandoning them, and so on and so forth; the domino effect, I guess it's called?

We non-US players are very lucky at the minute, but there is a snowball at the top of a huge mountain, gradually rolling down and getting bigger and bigger... These are worrying times for the long-term, don't you think?

[Cleveland]

I think it's to big of a possible market with internet gambling and some body will tap into it. Not everyone lives near a B&M and making it available online opens up the doors to so many more customers.

I'm guessing someone even if it's a B&M deciding to open up an online extension of itself will continue to pursue the online possibilities. Allowing your customers to gamble in their undies while drinking some vodka or rum is just to much of a great marketing opportunity to pass up....yea i went there

[gid88]

With all the Casino and Poker room closures, and banning (US) and so on (no need to go into too much detail because we're all aware), is the long-term future of internet gambling doomed?

I mean, with many casinos now struggling to turn a profit, and many others simply closing altogether, do you think we'll see an increase in 'Rogue' behaviour? (I refuse to use the American spelling of 'behavior', by the way, regardless of my spell-check screaming at me like a furious prefect ).

If the odd casino here and there begin to tighten up, refuse bonuses, refuse withdrawals (citing 'newly written' rules), could players become disillusioned and just stop playing, leading to more erratic and desperate antics from more casinos, resulting in even more players abandoning them, and so on and so forth; the domino effect, I guess it's called?

We non-US players are very lucky at the minute, but there is a snowball at the top of a huge mountain, gradually rolling down and getting bigger and bigger... These are worrying times for the long-term, don't you think?

I don't think it's "doomed" per se, it will always be around. The internet has become such an essential part of our lives and access to it is becoming increasingly easier that, dare I say it the sex and gambling industry on the net will never die. Having said that, the online gaming industry if it became properly organized with a standard global accreditation process, then I think it could thrive and experience multi-billion dollar growth...whether we see that in our life time, who knows.

[4 of a kind]

What I’m about to say is purely just my personal views concerning online gaming and its future.

I don’t think it will ever be doomed, especially for the players across the pond. With what took place over the last couple of years here in the USA, of course for USA players online gaming right now (except for the USA gambler that believes as long as there’s a way their going to play,) most would agree that right now is not a smart or good time to risk any money into what should be considered a leisure hobby. I also believe that most USA players that insist on taking the double gamble of playing online now are players that probably don’t have the needed bankrolls to buy them enough time to hopefully get lucky at land based casinos, and have grown accustomed to seeing phony bankrolls created by the bonus.

I’ve read thread after thread here about players abandoning certain casinos because of the casinos willingness to reduce bonuses and or make them almost impossible to overcome, except of course for the occasional lucky duck. Kasino King always comes to my mind when I think of bonuses and winners that take them, since no matter what they throw at him; he always seems to still overcome it. I also would think that if everyone here did what he did, there would either be no bonuses for anyone or the casinos would be forced to close down.

Regardless, based on the events taking place recently, I truly believe there is going to be a big correction within online gaming. Of course the casinos that predominantly banked on the USA dollar already have to be in dire straits. Some casinos already shut down and many more probably will. Many are scrambling now and doing everything possible to skate the DOJ to survive. If another crackdown should come about soon, I would say that even the die hard gamblers would realize it’s over for them, and should cause most if not all of USA concerned casinos to close their doors. Apparently casinos still living off the USA player had no foresight like many others did to concentrate on other markets.

Personally, I think the events taking place now are causing a well needed correction with online casinos. There are way too many of them to choose from, and they all were getting carried away with bonuses, trying to gain a hefty share of players, since the market presently is so watered down.

I think the strong casinos with their market everywhere else but the USA will be just fine. Most players overseas could give a rat’s ass about the USA player.

With that being said I also believe that within a year or two or three, that the USA will regulate and legalize online gaming here in the USA. Should that happen I think there would be another correction for the remaining online casinos that survived.

I also believe that online gaming regulations within certain jurisdictions seem to be heading recently towards a more serious stance simply because of their fear of the USA regulating and legalizing online gaming in the future. Would a person overseas be willing to abandon the casino he or she were playing at with the uncertainty of regulations being enforced, and prefer to play at the Mirage from Las Vegas online casino fully monitored, regulated, and enforced?

Regardless of tax issues if any that may come into play, European players might be willing to sacrifice those issues for safety.

Like gid88 and Cleveland say above it's way to big of a market to crumble, combined with the internet being what it is today. Money usually decides whats legal or not in most cases, and a multibillion dollar industry pretty much speaks for itself.

The next few years are going to be very interesting concerning online gaming. I think the present form of online casinos are through having their way with the players.

[chuchu59]

They havent really tapped the CHINA market and with such a vast number of internet users with plenty of spare cash, as lkong as they can drum up some great marketing gimmicks the money will start rolling in. Being Chinese myself, I dare say we are the most addicted gamblers in the world. There are plenty of people in China who can gamble hundreds of thousands in one night but definitely not on slots unless its really attractive. Just using a chinese version of the software isnt enough. They must think hard to get them to play. The sportsbooks and illegal bookies are already reaping in the cash so online casinos also stand a good chance.

[Jasminebed]

I don't think internet gambling is "doomed". The US is a big market, but only part of the world.

Looks like my province's Gaming Corp will be jumping into in sometime next year. Whether I can still play other venues is undecided. BC is the the market, hardly any posts about them. But the slots here pay back about 82% on penny machines. We are not taxed on gambling wins in Canada.

I had to search for this one, but I found it telling. Buzzluck (geez, I still miss you guys, and you made a graceful exit from the market)

I often wanted to post that I was surprised at guys NOT in the US playing in sites that take US play for exactly that reason; there are greater risks that way for your funds. Then again, you should only be playing with funds you can afford to lose anyway, but you DO deserve some value from them.

The big sports books that take US play are far safer bets than new US standalone online casinos as they DO have thousands of players and have so much at stake that their processing is usually pretty good. So you can feel safe-ish at Bodog, Betonline, Sportsbook dot com (haha, all RTG come to think of it! Although as published here previously Bodog is on original RTG source code and has made changes (most likely) since getting it a couple of years ago). And at smaller, well established books like BetPhoenix, Bookmaker... most offer SOME sort of casino play (although it may just be the old DGS systems, which is fine for BJ but slots, well...). Note that some sports books in the US don't take non-US/North American players, usually due to their (in)ability to process payments outside the North American market.

The other thing about playing at sports books is virtually all of their action is on blackjack, so they tend to forget about their slots and leave them loose-ish to attract players to them. As they usually understaff their casino side relative to its value to the book, and may have issues with using casino bonus funds on the book versus the casino, their casino promotions can seem weak compared to standalone casinos.. but the bigger guys are generally getting their act together there.

As usual, you should find the casino manager (casinomanager@..., casino@.... ) and tell them what you want/need to play their casino at their book and they should take care of you. Players drive their business; at good places you have more say about what you get than you think. Demand more!

[azzy]

It will be never doomed... Casinos make so good profit that it's just not possible.

[luarod]

I don't think it's doomed. Right now things are super crazy (and I think they are probably going to get crazier). But once the figure out how much money they can make if it's regulated, the situation is going to change. Also, I don't think you can stop anything from happening in the internet, they can make an example out of some sites but in the end people are going to still demand online gaming and the casinos a way to provide that service.

I guess it also depends on the countries and their different stands towards gaming as a whole.

I think that if online gambling is regulated the players will benefit from it the most, in a way we will be more protected as they will have to provide a quality product just as any other business.

cheers.

[jetset]

I'm optimistic regarding the future of the industry.

A steady consolidation has been taking place which means more big, well funded and responsible companies operating squarely within the law, and that makes things safer for the player imo.

I agree with much of what 4 of a kind wrote in his thoughtful assessment. There will eventually be US legalisation and major US gambling groups will enter the market - the size of the returns are too high to ignore.

Eventually I believe it will shake down into a customer-oriented approach, albeit pretty protectionist to keep the cash in America...and that means that enforcement will if anything become fiercer on unlicensed operators who dare to operate there, and companies associated with them.

Chuchu makes a good point that the immense Asian market remains largely untapped, although the stumbling block there appears to be getting governments on-side; maybe working through important land operators in Macau and Singapore would get things moving....?

In Europe it's getting really competitive and increasingly formalised as growing numbers of governments realise that they can make useful bucks out of this pastime.

But there is the spectre of fragmentation which is hampering progress, certainly in the EU member nations. If the European Commission is successful in bringing about regulatory harmonisation it will make for a less confusing and more appealing overall market which still has good potential imo.

Online gambling technology is often at the forefront of global software and communication developments - consider how much progress in delivery channels, games and performance we have seen just in the last decade. I expect that to continue, bringing many new enhancements to the pastime and making it more entertaining and effective.

We're also now seeing a much more collegiate approach to gaming content from operators and software companies, making a greater choice of games available to the player at operator venues, which I think is a good thing.

I believe the best is yet to come, and I hope that as the market continues to mature we will see less of the small, badly run, fly-by-night and undercapitalised operator who - for the player - is usually a disaster waiting to happen.

So the same player wisdom continues to apply - research first and be careful who you give your money to, no matter what incentives are being offered to lure you in.

[KasinoKing]

I pretty much agree with everything 4 of a kind said.
The industry is definitely not "doomed" but there are a lot of changes happening at the moment which have been greatly accelerated by recent developments in the USA.
I think it will be "survival of the fittest" and we'll see yet more weak casino fold or get taken over by bigger groups.
One can only pray that all the rogue casinos fold up too, but unfortunately I think the US situation will actually help many of them.

KK