Online casinos have become a big hit.
Nobody in the gaming world saw this coming, as online gambling has always been an activity reserved for a small audience. But everything has changed, with even the world’s casual gamers now signing up to join the likes of BetMGM and FanDuel to play slots, roulette, and all of the other popular casino games.
This trend really started to catch fire a few years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were stuck at home in need of entertainment. At the same time, many of the big-name streamers on Twitch and Kick signed partnership deals with online casinos, including the likes of Adin Ross and Roshtein. These streamers have huge Gen Z and Millennial audiences, so the people watching them naturally found it exciting and decided that they wanted to join online casinos, too. The Drake x Stake partnership has also had a huge influence on the culture as well, with many of Drake’s fans seeing his endorsement of an online casino and joining Stakebecause of it.
According to Statista, recent data shows that the number of players in the online casino market will reach 127.2 million – yes, million – by the time 2029 arrives. This is a crazy number, and it largely consists of casual gamers who’ve decided to give online casinos a try. The big question, though, is what are the other driving forces behind this?
The Rise of Online Casinos with Casual Gamers
A Chance to Compete for Real Prizes
One of the most exciting reasons why casual gamers have transitioned to online casinos is because it provides them with an opportunity to compete for real prizes.
When you add sweepstakes casinos to the conversation, which are a type of online casino where you play with virtual coins that can be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, and more, you begin to understand why so many people are joining the hype. According to sweepstakes casino experts SweepstakeCasinoBonuses.com, you don’t have to bet real money to play. Instead, simply activate the bonus offers available through WOW Vegas, McLuck, and other popular casinos, use the free coins you receive, and then you’re good to go.
Megaways Slots — The New Crowd Favorite
Over the past decade, online casinos have modernized so that they can appeal to newer generations. One of the smart ways they’ve done this is by introducing ‘Megaways’ slots back in 2017, where there are no fixed paylines and up to 117,649 ways to win. When you provide the player with more ways to win, they (unsurprisingly) jump at the opportunity to do it, which is why Megaways slots like White Rabbit Megaways™ are incredibly popular with casual gamers. They don’t require you to be an expert player, either, as all you have to do is spin the reels, wait to see what happens, and hope you land one of the many available winning combinations.
A Wide Variety of Games
Today’s gamers love variety. Online casinos have tapped into this by adding games from different genres to their libraries, ranging from slots to table games. Essentially, no matter which online casino you join, you’re going to find thousands of games to pick from in most cases, so there’s quite literally something for everyone. This also helps to ensure that players never get bored, as they can quickly jump from one casino game to another in seconds.
Free Cash Bonuses
Not too long ago, online casino operators realized that one of the best ways to attract casual gamers was to start offering free cash bonuses. “Unsure whether to join us? No problem – we’ll give you a cash bonus to get you to sign up!” That’s generally how the strategy has worked, and it’s been highly effective. Countless gamers have created casino accounts so that they can use their cash bonuses and then discovered that they actually really enjoy the experience of playing different casino games, which leads to them sticking around for the long term.
In many cases, online casinos even offer cash referral bonuses, so this naturally encourages gamers to refer their friends to join in the action, too.
PC and Mobile Accessibility
Every mainstream online casino is accessible on both PC and mobile. It’s a smart move, as having mobile-friendly casinos ensures that no gamer is left out. For example, many of today’s casual gamers only want to play on mobile, so making your casino available on iOS and Android encourages millions more people to start playing. This is especially true when the gameplay is good, and most online casinos have managed to make it so that their games perform exceptionally well on mobile, with no lag or input delay. Whether you play slots, roulette, or even a live casino game, it’s going to run smoothly on mobile, which is precisely what casual gamers want.
Final Thoughts: Online Casinos — The Future for Casual Gamers?
Heading into the future, the online casino explosion will continue, especially now that the casino streaming market on Twitch and Kick has skyrocketed. Because of this, record sign-up numbers are taking place across the 2,000 online casinos currently available across the internet, and it’s largely expected that big-name online casinos and sweepstakes casinos will continue to attract casual gamers away from console platforms like the PlayStation 5.
