Mobile gaming’s US momentum
CASINO
IS THE US HEADING FOR A MOBILE VERSUS LAND-BASED BATTLE? THE NOTION OF IGAMING BEING THE NEXT BIG GOLD RUSH for US gambling
is one that is quickly becoming well trodden. However, in equal measure, it continues to captivate many as numerous conversations continue amid an array of industry incumbents vying for position in the handful of legal states
BY CRAIG DAVIES
D
espite being met with much scepticism at certain stages, the growth of online casinos throughout those legal regions is one that certainly cannot be argued against, with it being a question of when, and where, will the next drives for legalisation come to fruition. The uncertainty of the last 16 months or so has certainly done no harm to the digital charge, with land-based entities shuttered and quickly striving to either establish, or enhance, an online presence. This is backed up by recent
comments by the American Gaming Association, which said that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the US commercial gaming ecosystem, with the “enormous challenges” bringing “significant changes”. “The gaming industry faced enormous challenges in 2020 – and we also saw significant changes, as player
THE LEGALISATION OF ONLINE GAMBLING ACROSS THE US WILL HAVE AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE COUNTRY’S LAND-BASED CASINO SPACE
demographics shifted and emerging verticals saw strong growth,” the Association's CEO Bill Miller reiterated. Alongside a rise in online gaming comes an accompanying surge in mobile play, a topic of conversation that united numerous speakers at the recent CasinoBeats Summit as representing the future of the industry. However, with all of this mind, how will the rise of mobile gaming across the US impact the country’s land-based casino space? And what impact will the numerous stay-at-home mandates have? Troy Zurawski, CEO of Design Works Gaming, begins by suggesting that this does not have to spell the beginning of the end for land-based entities,
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