iGaming destroying traditional casinos or what?

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philderby

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gday all, been looking at some revenue numbers and its crazy how fast online is growing compared to traditional casinos
igaming revenue grew 33% in may while land-based only up 4%. some states like delaware and rhode island doubled their online revenue year over year
are we watching the death of brick and mortar casinos? seems like younger players just want convenience of playing at home
feel free to share your thoughts here
 
The revenue trends are indeed striking, but I think we're seeing market segmentation rather than simple substitution. especially the demographic split is significant - iGaming skews heavily toward 25-40 age bracket, while traditional casinos maintain stronger appeal with 45+ demographics. The question is whether younger players will transition to land-based experiences as they age and gain disposable income, or if digital-native preferences are permanent.
Another thing to mention is that land-based casinos are increasingly viewing themselves as entertainment destinations rather than purely gambling venues. The successful ones are investing heavily in non-gaming amenities to differentiate from online offerings. iGaming growth is also constrained by regulatory expansion and only 7 US states currently offer full online casinos, leaving massive untapped markets. So likely outcome is coexistence with different value propositions rather than one format eliminating the other.
 
bill_collins said:
The revenue trends are indeed striking, but I think we're seeing market segmentation rather than simple substitution. especially the demographic split is significant - iGaming skews heavily toward 25-40 age bracket, while traditional casinos maintain stronger appeal with 45+ demographics. The question is whether younger players will transition to land-based experiences as they age and gain disposable income, or if digital-native preferences are permanent.
Another thing to mention is that land-based casinos are increasingly viewing themselves as entertainment destinations rather than purely gambling venues. The successful ones are investing heavily in non-gaming amenities to differentiate from online offerings. iGaming growth is also constrained by regulatory expansion and only 7 US states currently offer full online casinos, leaving massive untapped markets. So likely outcome is coexistence with different value propositions rather than one format eliminating the other.
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Partly agree as your point makes sense,but the growth rates suggest online will dominate eventually
33% vs 4% is massive difference. Even if they serve different demographics, those numbers suggest land-based is becoming niche market
 
from european perspective the shift is even more dramatic. most younger players here never even go to physical casinos anymore. why would you when you can play same games at home without dealing with dress codes, travel, expensive drinks etc
think covid accelerated this trend permanently. people got used to online everything :cautious:
 
even in vegas you can definitely see the changes. weeknight crowds way down compared to few years ago. weekend still busy with tourists but locals play online mostly now. tips have dropped significantly cos customer base is older and more conservative with money
management keeps talking about "experience enhancement" but basically means more restaurants and shows to make up for gambling revenue decline
 
goatwack said:
dealerwins thats grim for casino workers. are they cutting staff? also wondering about all those new casinos being built. seems like bad timing if industry is shifting online
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yeah layoffs happening but they're trying to be quiet about it. some properties reducing table game hours and converting floor space to sportsbooks and dining.new builds are mostly targeting ultra high end market or focusing on conventions/entertainment. gambling revenue is becoming smaller piece of total business model
honestly thinking about career change. writing on the wall for table game dealers unless you work at top tier properties
 
dealerwins said:
yeah layoffs happening but they're trying to be quiet about it. some properties reducing table game hours and converting floor space to sportsbooks and dining.new builds are mostly targeting ultra high end market or focusing on conventions/entertainment. gambling revenue is becoming smaller piece of total business model
honestly thinking about career change. writing on the wall for table game dealers unless you work at top tier properties
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oh that sucks mate. technology always displaces workrrs but gambling industry seemed immune til now. what about poker rooms? those still busy or dying too?
 
shadow123 said:
oh that sucks mate. technology always displaces workrrs but gambling industry seemed immune til now. what about poker rooms? those still busy or dying too?
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poker rooms doing better than table games but still way down from pre-covid levels and online poker is so much faster that live games feel sluggish to a lot of players now. rake is lower online too so only really recreational players or those who want social aspect come to casino.
anyway tournament attendance holding up better than cash games so there is some hope left
 
the convenience factor is huge. why drive 2 hours to nearest casino when you can play same games instantly on phone. live dealer games online give you most of the casino experience without any of the hassle. only thing missing is free drinks lol
 
@colinsunderland exactly and online games run way faster. can play 10x more hands per hour than live blackjack so obviously for serious players the efficiency difference is massive. land based casinos feel like watching paint dry after playing online
 
somehow i actually prefer live casinos for big sessions call me old-fashioned please. something about physical chips and real dealers makes wins feel more ...real. online can feel too much like video game sometimes. plus easier to lose track of money when its just numbers on screen. but yeah for quick sessions online is definitely more convenient
 
I get that but think youre in minority now especially with younger players. My nephew is 25 and thinks going to casino is something old people do. Same way we thought about bingo halls
Generational shift is permanent imo. land based casinos will survive but as much smaller niche market
 
the numbers dont lie. when delaware and rhode island can double online revenue in one year thats not just growth thats complete market transformationfolks. traditional casinos had good run but technology always wins eventually. same thing happened to retail, banking, entertainment so gambling was just protected longer because of regulation but once online became legal the writing was on the wall
 
@ValDes thats what i was thinking. this feels like inflection point where old model becomes obsolete.
interesting to see how casino companies adapt. some like draftkings started online first, others like mgm trying to transition from land based. its gonna be painful period for traditional operators who cant make the switch
 
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