Online casino use growing as bricks-and-mortar visits falter
A recent report has revealed that fewer adults are choosing to visit land-based casinos in the US, while one-in-ten are opting to use online casinos.
The Mintel research has suggested that movies glamorising casino culture such as Ocean's Eleven and The Hangover are not swaying US citizens, as only 30 per cent of adults visited casinos in the past year, compared to 35 per cent in 2001.
Online casino use could be behind the drop, with 12 per cent of Americans having visited an online gaming site in the past twelve months. The research also found that men are more likely to play online, with a 5:1 ratio compared to female visitors.
However, while it might be fair to assume the recession has had an effect on casino attendance, Mintel senior analyst Billy Hulkower remarked that the figures can be attributed to other factors as well. He said:
"This shift has been gradual, which suggests that this is not a result of the recession. Casinos may be losing audience to the increasingly compelling entertainment offerings in the home; such as HDTV, high-end video game systems and the internet, including internet gambling."
Recent research also from Mintel found that the number of online gamblers aged under 45 playing bingo on their computers has increased by 62 per cent over the last decade. It also found that 21 per cent of players in the UK are aged between 18 and 25.