News

Casinos around the world cautiously reopen to a new normal

Published

2 years ago

July 13, 2020

Given how devastatingly hit the casino business has been in the past few months, it should come as little surprise that casino operators around the world are hurriedly reopening their doors at the first opportunity.

Revenue reports from March to July – effectively when the novel coronavirus had spread across the planet and forced countries to impose severe lockdown measures – made for grim reading in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.

In Nevada and New Jersey – the biggest casino hotspots in the US – recorded losses of up to and more than 90 percent compared to the same months in 2019. In the UK and mainland Europe, the figures were similar, while Macau – the gambling capital of the world – saw three successive months of revenue drops over 90 percent.

While online operations have seen a surge as millions of people have been forced to stay at home, that makes no difference to the many people whose livelihoods depend on land-based casinos opening their doors and welcoming customers. Indeed, thousands of jobs have been lost and thousands more are still at risk.

So even as Covid-19 continues to plague many countries, casinos have understandably started to open their doors once again.

The United States – the country where the pandemic has hit harder than any other – has allowed casinos to reopen, even as new cases cross more than 50,000 per day. In Las Vegas, Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey casino floors are once again welcoming guests, while casinos across the United Kingdom reopened on July 4.

Las Vegas has also reopened its sportsbook operations, so guests can visit to get the latest Kentucky Derby odds (although you can find them online easier through TwinSpires.com). You can place wagers on races and sports that, like the casino business, also went into lockdown but are now re-emerging.

Meanwhile, in Macau, casinos have also reopened but the mandatory 14-day quarantine for foreign visitors has severely limited foot traffic. The same applies to other countries like Singapore, South Africa, and Monte Carlo.

While casinos have resumed operations in an attempt to bounce back from a financially damaging few months, they do so amid a new normal for operators and visitors alike.

Strict rules and health measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of guests and staff and to limit the potential spread of the coronavirus.

Maximum capacity limits range between 20 and 30 percent and face masks must be worn at all times. Drinking, eating, and smoking have been banned for the time being, while temperature check points and hand sanitizer stations have been placed all around casino floors. Glass barriers have also been placed around table games in some casinos to prevent the spread of germs between players and dealers.

Those guests returning to casinos may also notice higher gambling minimums or at least fewer options of lower minimum games. This is thought to have been introduced for two reasons. Firstly, it is viewed as an attempt by many casinos to drive revenues up as quickly as possible and secondly, to deter some players to ensure going over the imposed limited capacities.

Even with the many restrictions in place and the pandemic still raging on, the economical decision to reopen has helped to address growing unemployment in casino-focused cities and towns.

For instance, the union representing casino workers in New Jersey reported that in the first few days of reopening, between 20 and 30 percent of union members got their jobs back.

As measures loosen and capacities gradually increase, more people will be able to return to work after months of struggle and uncertainty.

It had been deemed callous to talk about reopening economies and getting people back to work during the early stages of the pandemic and when the death toll was rapidly increasing. But as the crisis continued and there was a realization that ‘normal’ would not return for the foreseeable future, then tackling increasing poverty as a result of the outbreak has become an inevitable priority.

The casino business is just one of many industries that rely heavily on visitors and tourism, and its cautious reopening shows that life must go on in the current climate, even if ‘normal’ is some way away from returning.

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Affiliate Announcements

SKILLONNET AFFILIATES TO RALLY BEHIND SAFER GAMBLING WEEK

Published

2 days ago

October 4, 2022

George Miller

SKILLONNET AFFILIATES TO RALLY BEHIND SAFER GAMBLING WEEK

EGO (EgamingOnline.com) affiliates partners will drive conversation about safer gambling this October

EGO (EGamingOnline.com), the affiliate program for SkillOnNet’s network of proprietary online casinos, is urging its affiliate marketers to embrace Safer Gambling Week.

With the aim to stimulate conversation around safer gambling, the industry-led annual event will take place between 17th and the 23rd October. Organisers are asking the whole of the UK gambling industry to participate and to help drive awareness of how to approach gambling more safely.

All SkillOnNet brands will be involved, including PlayOJO, Slingo, Genting Casino and SpinGenie. And EGO is asking its affiliate partners to get in on the act, too.

Affiliates will be carrying a Safer Gambling Week banner on the homepages of all UK-facing casino sites for the duration of the campaign. Those who regularly mail their database of players or members have been asked to send a Safer Gambling Week email during the week.

Additionally, affiliates will be following and liking Safer Gambling Week Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and have been asked to share or repost a selection of Safer Gaming Week posts on all relevant social media channels at least once during the campaign.

Those concerned about their gambling can visit the Safer Gambling Week website now to get advice and learn about resources available to help them stay in control.

Michael Golembo at SkillOnNet said: “Safer gambling has always been a watchword for SkillOnNet and we have always expected the same of our EGO affiliate marketing partners. They have always done a great job of arming players with the tools and knowledge they need to make responsible decisions and informing them about resources available if gambling becomes a problem. But let’s push that message even harder during Safer Gambling Week.”

News

Steps to Have Strong Blackjack Skills

Published

1 week ago

September 28, 2022

Gaspar Incze

Who does not know the game of blackjack? Maybe it is difficult to find such people. No wonder! This iGaming product is among the most playable in the industry of online casinos. The reason is that it is full of excitement and fun. While some gamers believe that blackjack is a game of fortune, other players think about tactics and strategies for playing this amazing game.

It is very important to deal with the fundamentals of this gambling product before diving into it. We prepared some effective steps that will help you to be as close as possible to the winning money prize at blackjack.

Basics is a foundation

General rules of any blackjack including blackjack online game in Australia are the must for players especially if they are the newbies in the iGaming world. They should keep in mind the fact of facing up two cards at every start of this game. Speaking about the dealer it is essential to remember that he also has two cards but one is up, another is down its face. After the player should do one of the options (case in point, Aces splitting).

These are just a few examples of general cases of blackjack. At the first glance they are so simple. But it is a key idea to practice every point of them.

Learn diversity of strategies

There are plenty of strategies for gambling blackjack online including those that were developed for real money online casinos. You can read about such gambling platforms here toponlinecasinoaustralia.com/online-casino-australia-legal-real-money.

We recommend looking through the best blackjack strategies and finding one that will be suitable for your game and needs. Of course, you can add or change something in the strategy of your selection.

Try live games

The games with live dealers are so attractive. You can get an experience of a real casino sitting on your sofa with a glass of cold drink in your hands. Speaking about online blackjack it is about being at the table with the live dealer, taking one of five seats and seeing more cards that were dealt. In addition, you have a perfect chance to learn charts with strategic cases while you are waiting for your next hand.

It is known that the study process will go more rapidly in the online environment with dealers and other players. You will see cards in different positions and in different circumstances. It will improve your game for sure.

Use bonuses

Take into account the programs of bonuses and special promotions that are offered by online casinos. Moreover, these bonuses depend on the term of your playing on the online gambling platform.

So, you can use a welcome bonus that will be presented for registration, bonus coins for the minimum depositing. But before using them, learn carefully all terms and conditions of the website. There you will get essential information about the size of deposits (minimum and maximum), requirements of wagering and other important facts.

Bottom lines

We presented just some of the steps on the way to successful blackjack playing. If you follow all these points and combine them with other information you will create and develop your own way of gambling blackjack online. In addition, we want to say that this game is pretty funny and simple to understand, so you will have no difficulties with the game of blackjack. But play safe and responsible.

Affiliate Program News

AstroPay expands services with the launch of Global Affiliates Programme

Published

2 months ago

August 10, 2022

George Miller

AstroPay expands services with the launch of Global Affiliates Programme

AstroPay, the online payment solution of choice for millions of users worldwide, has launched a flagship global Affiliate Programme to provide revenue generating opportunities to individuals and businesses that want to generate online income and grow their business. The new programme is aimed at increasing AstroPay’s consumer base worldwide, while ensuring that those who are professionally dedicated to affiliate marketing can rely on a solid partner to thrive.

AstroPay launched the programme to enable affiliate partners access to special deals where they can generate income on an ongoing basis for every new user that joins the payment platform. The programme offers up to 20% revenue share commission, as well as dedicated teams and expertise on sales conversion. Affiliate partners will be able to rely on multilingual support and local experts for any of their needs and will also benefit from the AstroPay payment platform/solutions that have been tested and optimised for cross-border payments.

AstroPay will welcome a diverse range of partners including platforms, comparison sites and content creators in the payment industry as well iGaming, forex trading, and many others.

The programme will be available across countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe where AstroPay is available, and through hundreds of merchants that offer AstroPay as a payment option.

Leonardo Alonso, Head of Affiliates at AstroPay, said: “I am excited to see our new programme go live today. The Affiliate Programme is a new way of doing business with AstroPay. All those who are professionally dedicated to affiliate marketing will be very welcome and we look forward to working together and rewarding partners with a robust partnership that provides added value through an alternative way to continue growing their business.”