Experts believe Internet casino gambling is one of the biggest futures for gaming in the U.S.
Even though the practice is legal in only a handful of states in America, the industry is convinced it will be massive for the industry.
“Once you get to millennials, people are comfortable basically running their entire life off their cell phone. This is where gaming is going,” Elizabeth Suever, a vice president of betting company Bally’s Corporation, said, speaking on May 22 at a major gambling conference the SBC Summit North America.
“It’s been a rough road, [but] I-gaming is paramount; this is the direction the industry needs to go to be successful, and this is where consumers want it to go,” Brandt Iden, a vice president with Fanatics Betting and Gaming, added.
The seven U.S. states that offer legal online casino games are Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
Nevada offers Internet poker but not online casino games.
However, 38 states — plus Washington D.C. — offer legal sports betting, the overwhelming majority of which is done online and mostly through mobile devices.
The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way in 2018 for any American state to offer legal sports betting, and Shawn Fluharty — a former Michigan legislator and president of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States — said the bets “took off like a rocket” after the change.
“Many people thought I-gaming would follow suit. That has not taken place,” he admitted.
Deutsche Bank last month released a research note saying it is probably a matter of “when, not if” Internet gambling in Atlantic City overtakes revenue from physical casinos.
The predictions come as casino bosses warn online gambling is hurting the revenues of brick-and-mortar casinos.
