Online casino gambling hasn’t yet made it to Illinois. But when they are introduced, will they cannibalize the retail casino market?
It’s a fair question to ask.
On the surface, it’s easy to assume that when there are Illinois online casinos , people will no longer feel the need to play in-person casino games. It’s far more convenient to play casino games from the comfort of your own home. So why would bettors make the trek to retail casinos once online casino gaming comes to the Land of Lincoln?
In reality, there’s some overarching evidence that proves online casinos and retail casinos can successfully coexist in the Illinois market. Illinois online casinos would complement, not cannibalize retail
Earlier this year, a major US gaming study was conducted to examine the impact online casino gaming has on in-person casinos. The study was funded by MGM Resorts , which has both brick and mortar and online casinos. GP Consulting conducted the analysis.
The lead author of the study was Dr. Kahlil Philander , and he found each type of casino attracts very different types of people. Philander had this to say in regards to his findings: “From a sociological level, people who are regular casino goers often find some sort of sense of community within those environments. So, the idea that [online] is a direct or even a partial substitute for the online experience that’s typically at home, it’s not obvious that that’s the case.” “It just didn’t seem like there was any material impact from online gaming legalization on retail gaming, in all the markets that we studied.” Benjie Levy is president and chief operating officer of theScore Bet sportsbook. He said online gambling has been complementary to the retail casinos he oversees. theScore Bet is active in Colorado , Indiana , New Jersey , Iowa and Ontario .
In a Toronto Star article, Levy said this about the competition between online casinos vs. retail casinos in the four U.S. states theScore is active in: “We’re not seeing job losses, and we’re seeing the market in totality grow.” Online poker helped grow the popularity of […]
Click here to view original web page at www.playillinois.com
