A Million Lives

A million lifestyle hacks...unlimited possibilities

by

What changes will happen in the casino industry in 2018

2018: gaming industry in the US

There are many thoughts and ideas regarding the changes in the casino industry in 2018. For instance, a well-known owner of the company “Treasure Island”, Phil Ruffin is configured positively to the future of the casino industry in the year 2018. Recently, he has also mentioned of a 3 billion dollars bet for the flourishing of Vegas casino industry. Mr Ruffin is sure that Las Vegas – the gambling capital of the USA, will become even more attractive in gamblers’ eyes due to more ways of entertainment, luxurious and bright shows, the involvement of celebrities, etc.

He presumed that by the end of 2018, local hotels will have accommodated not less than 50 million visitors. He is sure that the government will not be able to resist getting profit from online as well as offline casinos taxes. He considers that exactly this factor is the most significant in terms of casino industry regulations.

Ruffin has no doubts that real casinos will not suffer because of such competitors as online casino websites e.g. Novibet Casino UK and others. On the contrary, he believes that traditional casinos in Vegas will “get the piece of a pie”. “I think that internet gambling can’t bring any harm to the casino industry. You can’t visit the best shows ever through the internet, right? Alternatively, online users can get to know more about gambling”. In such a way, knowledge and information received through the internet will make players want to visit Vegas, which automatically means city’s flourishing and even more profit.

Discussing the future of the casino industry in 2018, the billionaire mentioned that from the technical point of view, gambling houses will have considerable changes. And gambling fans will have a possibility to enjoy absolutely new gaming opportunities.

2018: gaming industry in Macao

Macao in China is another gambling giant that even exceeds the profits of Las Vegas. In accordance with the S&P Global estimations, the next year for Macao will be very successful: it has great perspectives for growing and renewal. In line with the statistics – the gambling gross income in the year 2018 will be 10% higher compared to the previous year. Experts claim that such new resorts as Wynn Palace and Parisian will greatly influence on this particular industry.

“New gambling houses will attract more and more players in Macao. The only issue that might happen is the competition among new and already existing casinos. But this is not a problem at all. The worst days for Macao are already behind”.

All in all, 2018 should be a wonderful and successful gambling year for many countries, including American and Asian markets. Consequently, it will also be great for gamblers no matter whether they play online or for real. New technologies, options, features, and functions are already waiting for them!

by

Casinos Now See the Writing on the Wall from Online Gambling

Source

In 1994, Microgaming became the first real-money online casino to open its virtual doors. The industry grew more rapidly than anyone could’ve ever predicted. In 1996, there were only 15 online gaming websites. Within a year, that figure increased to 200.

As the online gaming industry grew, many brick-and -mortar casinos became skittish about the competition. Online casinos could operate with a smaller infrastructure and offer their services more cost-effectively. They could also tap deeper player pools, which would allow them to offer larger payouts without facing the same liquidity risks.

Brick-and-Mortar Casinos Evolve on Attitudes Towards Online Gambling

Traditional brick-and-mortar casinos lobbied for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Gaming industry analyst Sebastian Sinclair said that many of the country’s brick-and-mortar casinos feared that prohibition was the only way to save themselves from obsolescence. They formed an unusual alliance with conservative activist groups that feared the social implications of online gambling.

“When any industry is confronted with something of this nature, a game changer that is a paradigm shift, the first reaction is to circle the wagons to protect your business,” Sinclair told the New York Times. “But then, that changes over time.”

The UIGEA partially shielded land-based casinos from competition with their online counterparts. On Black Friday, the Department of Justice demonstrated its commitment to the law by indicting the owners of Full Tilt poker, Absolute Poker and PokerStars, as well as a couple of banking executives in the United States. The Black Friday indictments spurred discussion over the need to legalize online gambling. Many brick-and-mortar casinos maintained their support for the UIGA, believing that they could maintain prohibition and keep their online competitors out of the market.

However, many Americans continued to play on black-market gaming sites overseas, which weakened arguments in favor of prohibition. Some casinos, such as Harrah’s began to support legalization, believing they could gain a share of the market.

The DOJ handed these casinos an unexpected setback the following year. DOJ officials revised their interpretation of the Wire Act. They argued that the law only prohibited sports betting. This left the legality of online gambling in limbo. While federal law no longer outright prohibited online gambling, federal regulators would need to draft new legislation to regulate it across state lines.

This opened the door for states to legalize online gambling within their own borders. Many brick-and-mortar casinos were forced to reassess their position on online gambling. The traditional casino industry was teetering on bankruptcy. Boardwalk casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey had taken a substantial blow from the recession and the community’s faltering tourist industry.

Casino executives realized they could either continue to oppose online gambling or partner with leading online gaming providers. They lobbied for legislation that would require online gaming companies to partner with a brick-and-mortar casinos before they could receive a license from the state’s gaming regulators.

Within the year, Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware all passed legislation that legalized online gaming to some degree. Nevada was the first state to legalize any form of online gambling, but the legislation was limited to online poker sites like 888Poker.com. New Jersey was the first state to legalize both online poker and casino games. Delaware followed shortly thereafter. Four years later, Pennsylvania became the fourth state to legalize online gambling.

As legalization spread, attitudes of brick-and-mortar casino executives became more mixed. Several years earlier, their opposition to online gambling was near universal. As states began enacting laws to regulate the emerging industry, many began to see the industry as a salvation.

Support for online gambling wasn’t universal though. Billionaire casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson urged Congress to introduce a new bill that would ban online gambling. His bill was supported by Reps. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican lawmaker from Utah.

“That is so offensive and wrong,” Chaffetz said. “When you’re a seven year-old kid and there is no physical barrier, and all you need to do is get your iPhone, that becomes a whole new world… This is the Wild Wild West. There are no rules, no prohibitions, no structure, no oversight, nothing.”

Adelson’s bill has stalled and casinos have been more supportive of online gambling than ever. Recent figures have shown that online gambling has not cannibalized revenue from brick-and-mortar casinos. It has also added to the bottom line for both land based casinos and their online partners. According to recent figures, New Jersey casinos banked $245 million from online sources in 2017, a 25% increase from the prior year.

Casino executives are realizing that online gambling wasn’t the bane they initially expected. Nevertheless, Adelson maintains his opposition to the industry.

by

First Time in a Casino? Here’s How to Go About It

As part of my job I need to spend a great deal of time traveling to California and I always make sure that I grab myself a room in the outstanding Bicycle Hotel and Casino. I like this hotel not only because it is a great hotel, but also because of its huge casino, the biggest on the West Coast so I am told. When I am in the casino, I always spot newbies coming in for their first time and I actively try to give them a bit of a hand if they are looking lost. I wanted then, to offer some tips for anyone who is going into a casino for the first time.

Money First

The first thing that you need to think about before even entering the casino is how much money you are prepared to spend. If you are going into the casino for a good time, like the majority of the people who go into a casino do, then you don’t want to end up losing everything that you have, something which is more common than you may think. Instead, you should be looking to go in, play a little and be prepared to lose some cash along the way. You basically need to think of how much money you are prepared to lose, think like this and then win or lose, you will have a good time.

Research

If you don’t understand many of the casino games then the best thing that you can do is to do a spot of research online before you even go to the casino. If you have a quick check on YouTube then you will find a huge amount of tutorials for beginners for all of the popular casino games. If you are really keen, then you can invest your time in learning more than the basics and even study some strategies which you can employ to boost your chances of winning. The more that you know before you go into the casino, the more confident that you will feel inside. 

Quiet Tables

If you aren’t feeling very confident then the best thing that you can do is to find a table which is quiet so that you feel less pressure. In doing this, you can also get some help from the croupier who will be more than happy to help you out. If however, you sit at a busy table, the croupier will not have time to help you and there will be many pairs of eyes looking at you which will really add to the pressure. If there are no quiet tables around, look for one with people who look like they are not taking it too seriously, sitting at a fun table can be much more relaxing for you rather than staying at a table with high rollers.

The key to gambling in a casino is having fun and being confident, do your research, be smart with your money and take your time.

A Million Lives

Travelling in all its glory is fun and exhilarating but sometimes you might want to find some information on where to go, what to see and how to go about it from someone other than the go-to websites, especially when it comes to travel hacking and the coolest, most useful ways to get the most out of your next adventure.

Recent Posts