For many countries around the world, online casinos have been available for over 20 years. However, that has not been the case in the United States and while many states have been quick to legalize online sports betting when the ban was overturned in 2018, they do not seem to be showing the same urgency for online casinos. However, many land based casinos now have an online and mobile presence, including Parx who offer players a generous sign up bonus. Promotions have played a significant role in attracting people to online casinos and we will look at that more closely below.
Where are Online Casinos Legal in the US?
At the time of writing, online casinos are legal in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, Michigan, and Connecticut. This is not a substantial number, especially compared to online sports betting and perhaps land based casino owners are wary of allowing people to play online as it means they will see fewer people through the door. Some other states are in the process of making online casinos legal, including Illinois, Louisiana, New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Legislation is a complex issue and is one of the reasons why the move to online casinos is proving to be slow progress in some states. However, the likes of New Jersey and Pennsylvania have shown how profitable online casinos can be when run successfully and we are sure to see more states moving to legalize online casinos soon.
Obtaining Licenses
The main issue when moving from land based to online and mobile casinos is licensing. Mobile casinos must have a license to operate in the state it wants to offer its services. For example, any casino wanting to offer an online service in Pennsylvania must obtain a license from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement issue licenses to online casinos in New Jersey and obtaining such a license, having also gone through other checks, can take time. Nonetheless, it has proved to be worthwhile for the online casinos now operating in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Mobile Gamers
Moving online has allowed land based casinos to offer their services to people who may have never stepped foot in their casino. Parx Casino is a good example and they have a fantastic 150,000 square foot casino in Pennsylvania packed with slots, table games, and poker rooms. It is a tremendous casino but there are many people who will never travel to play casino games, especially if they do not have a great deal of interest in visiting a casino. However, this soon changes when it comes to playing online casino games using a computer, mobile phone, or tablet. Taking a mobile phone as an example, playing casino games is extremely convenient. It does not matter if you are sat in a café, on a train, or at home, with just a couple of taps of the screen, you are playing casino games. Millions of people play mobile games in the United States and the 18 to 34 age group are the most common in terms of the distribution of online gamers. The legal gambling age various by location in the US but it is either 18 or 21 and both ages fall within the most common bracket for mobile gamers in the country. These people may never have considered visiting a casino but they could install casino apps on their phones and start playing games.
This is a whole new audience for casinos and one they may have missed if not for moving to online and mobile.
