The Coronavirus has affected the gambling world in a drastic way. Sports betting has effectively been halted in the United States, with all major sports postponing their seasons. Las Vegas and every other land-based casino in the country have also shut their doors.
Instead of March being the massive wagering month that Nevada and sportsbooks around the country are used to, the cancellation of March Madness led to the worst sports betting handle since 1993 in the Silver State.
However, there has been one sector of gaming that has been flourishing in a big way, and that is legit online casinos.
Online Casino Revenues Explode Amidst COVID Pandemic
Although gambling revenues are down for states across the board, one area that is exploding is online casino gambling. Poker has seen a surge as well, but nowhere near where casino gambling has gone in the past two months.
For example, with Atlantic City casinos closing their doors, revenues have skyrocketed for online casinos in the month of March in New Jersey. Gambling sites took in $64.8 in revenue that month. It was a near 25 percent increase from February and over a 65 percent increase from March 2019 numbers.
In Pennsylvania, we see similar numbers for online play. Though overall gaming revenue was down 51 percent, the state set new records for online casinos, bringing in over $24 million in revenue, setting records for monthly revenue, and the total amount wagered.
There are states around the country with similar marks for revenue and amount wagered.
Will This Spur Online Gambling Legalization Across the US?
It’s possible, but just because it becomes more economically viable or the opportunity presents itself, it doesn’t mean states will act.
One could draw the comparison to sports betting legalization, which has happened rapidly in the country after the Supreme Court overturned the Federal sports betting ban in May 2018. Since then, 16 states have regulated and legalized recreational betting in some form in their states.
However, we have to remember that the green light for legal online casinos and poker sites has been around since 2011.
The Wire Act Flip Flop
After much of the online poker world got wiped out by the US Department of Justice, in what became known as the “Black Friday” of poker, the online gambling world changed dramatically.
However, the DOJ quickly changed course on the legality of online poker and casino gambling. They stated in December of the same year that only sports betting fell under the scope of the 1961 Wire Act.
That was changed with the 2018 decision for sports betting, but the ability for states to legalize online casino gambling has been around since 2011. However, only 13 states have decided to tax and regulate the activity within their borders.
Will More States Act Now On Online Casino Gambling?
It’s possible but still seems unlikely. Most states that have legalized sports betting often don’t have an online component for wagering sports, making online gambling an afterthought.
As it stands now, only three of the 16 states that have regulated sports betting have also legalized online casinos. So, even though states are moving quickly with sports betting, casino gambling has not been a part of these gambling expansions.
Don’t Worry, Players Still Have Options
Regardless of how states act in regards to online gambling expansion – players have all sorts of options for online casino gambling. There are lots of legal online casinos operating that accept players from all 50 states and across the globe.
Their games offered, bonuses and casino software are also better than land-based options. Most of them also offer sports betting and poker from the same account.
Players may be moving towards online casinos because of the Coronavirus, but it’s been the better choice, all along.