Monday, December 23, 2024

Covid-19 and Online Casinos : boom or bust ?

Since Covid-19 first appeared in Wuhan towards the end of 2019, it has spread all over the world, infecting over 7 million people and killing over 400, 000.

In Thailand alone, it has infected over 3,134 people, of whom 2,987 have recovered, and killed about 58. Most of the reported cases are from people who had been in high-risk areas as well as community transmission.

The government gets a grasp of COVID-19 cases by placing infected patients in isolation and quarantining their close contacts. 

As for the 15th of June, Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has decided to lift the 11pm-3am curfew from Monday night, but to keep the country’s borders closed to all in-bound air, sea and land travel for now.

Restrictions also state that every person should remain at home as much as possible and only leave for necessities such as shopping and medical care. As a response measure towards Covid-19, governments put restrictions on all live sports.

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has touched people from all walks of life. Across Thailand, children have been home from school, employees have been working from home, and business owners have struggled to remain viable.

In Thailand gambling is illegal, thus there are no casinos operating here, but in other countries such as Macau the decision to close down gaming casinos has been a big blow to casino owners, as it will result in declining gross gaming revenue. 

Macau Tourist Arrivals Surge
Macau casinos suffered a historic earnings plunge in April

Macau casinos suffered a historic earnings plunge in April when measures were put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Gross gaming revenue dropped 97% to $95 million last month, from the $3 billion raked in during the same period last year.

As Gclub Online Casino (สล็อตออนไลน์) examines the impact of coronavirus on gambling in the world’s gambling hub, it would be essential to understand this question: what is the result of a lack of physical spaces for gaming?

What is the result of a lack of physical spaces for gaming?

The answer is provision of more online opportunities for gambling. Gamers are now turning towards virtual sports and online casino games. Since the pandemic began, more people are gaming and gambling online, as companies are seeing a massive increase in the number of people playing poker and other games online for the first time.

Unlike China, Malaysia, Mexico and other upper-middle-income countries, Thailand lacks a generalized safety net program for the poor, though the existing welfare card scheme is a step in this direction.

Also, the NBA, NFL, and the Tokyo Olympics have been suspended until further notice. The sport’s cancellation allows people to gamble on online games and horse racing events. Gamers play online games because they cannot meet their friends for regular poker sessions.

Other people are just trying to make their stay indoors more fun to enjoy the wins by sheer luck. Some sites are making staying at home enjoyable by allowing people to bet over normal things such as the most likely candidate for the next pope. 

Gambling will continue to grow because the government is unlikely to contain the increasing popularity of online gambling. Thailand has well-established gambling laws, and despite previous bans, gambling is active in Thailand, with key players eager to make the most out of the online platform.

The government is also beginning to appreciate regulated gambling and legalized gaming as a way of reducing crime in the country.

Furthermore, the online platform is hard to control and police, as VPN services offer people effective and cheap ways of safely accessing gambling sites out of the government’s reach.

However, as you enjoy your online games, proceed with moderation. Research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to result in a wave of gambling addiction. With isolation, people now have a lot of time on their hands.

Coupling up time availability and the current job and financial insecurity, the allure of online gambling is impressive to many people, an aspect that could lead to addiction. It is therefore important that we work towards ensuring safer online gaming and gambling as a way of protecting our loved ones who are at high risk and prevent a new wave of gambling addiction during these hard times. 

If you enjoy safe online gaming, be sure to check out gclub.org for exciting games to keep you entertained during this self-isolation period.  

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