The growing coronavirus scare is changing people’s habits around the world. Nowhere is the impact felt more than in the big casino capitals of Macau, Las Vegas and the French Riviera which are experience a serious drop in traffic due to customers’ fears about mixing within large crowds.
That doesn’t mean that the gamers are forgoing their gambling entertainment. We're proud that our Sloto Cash casino lobby can supply our players the means to stay safe while they continue to gamble freely on their favorite games.
Coronavirus
The COVID-19 is one of a large family of viruses that was first identified in Wuhan China and has since spread around the world. The virus originated in animals but is now being spread person-to-person as those who are actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness via airborne proximity.
Countries around the world have been isolating coronavirus sufferers, and those who are suspected of having contact with someone who is sick with the coronavirus, either in the hospital or at home. The general quarantine time is 14 days with guidelines for releasing individuals from quarantine when:
- They free from fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
- They have tested negative on at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected at least 24 hours apart.
- They are no longer showing symptoms, including cough.
Once an individual has been released from isolation s/he is not considered to pose a risk of infection to others.
Effects on the Casino Industry
The Casino industry, particular the Macau, Singapore and Hong Kong casinos, have been hard-hit by the illness. Macau’s big casinos closed their doors for 2 weeks at the request of Macau health authorities and Chinese visitation to all casinos, including those in Vegas, British Columbia, New Zealand and Australia has dropped due to travel bans imposed by those countries on Chinese visitors.
And now, even Vegas casinos have been shut down by the Nevada governor.
Most Chinese citizens don’t have access to online casino gambling but players in other countries do and they are exploring these Internet options in order to stay out of the incubator environments of the brick-and-mortar casinos.
Online casinos are filling in the gap of the brick and mortar casino industry. The original forecast that the global online gambling market would grow at a CAGR of 8.77% by 2024 is being revised as analysts see the coronavirus outbreak acting as a catalyst for even faster growth for the industry.
The fastest growing segment during the forecast period is online betting among both male and female payers. As a matter of fact, the rise in the number of female players is one of the industry’s biggest successes. Another element that seems sure to boost the online gambling market is sports betting which is now legal in many areas of the world.
Worldwide
60 countries around the world permit their citizens to play at online licensed casinos, including our Sloto Cash casino. Over the last few years there have been changes in the laws in many of these countries that are affecting their citizens’ access to online gaming while they stay away from land-based casinos due to the coronavirus. Our player base includes people from all countries - we're happy to be a meeting place for the "people of the world"!
