General public prefer gambling online to bookies and casinos

People around the world show a marked preference for online gambling over in-person gambling, according to a YouGov survey.

Across all the people surveyed, 63% of respondents were found to favour online gambling activities over gambling at a land-based site. All of those questioned had had some experience of online gambling over the previous 12-month period.

The survey questioned samples of 2,000 people each in the UK, the US, Australia and Germany, as well as samples of 1,000 each in France, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Mexico, India and Singapore.

The percentage of respondents who preferred online gambling was consistently over 50% in all countries and ranged between 56% and 76%.

In a statement, YouGov said that the responses indicated that 'the popularity of online gambling globally has achieved new highs', attributing this to 'innovation, de-regulation in key markets, and the pandemic.'

For those in the know, the results of the survey won’t come as a surprise. There are so many reasons for the growing popularity of online gambling; we’ve summed up the main ones below.

Cost

It is often far more economical to gamble online than in a land-based casino. The amounts you need to bet are generally smaller and, since you can gamble from the comfort of your home, there’s no need to splash out extra money on getting to or from an actual casino — which might even mean more money to wager.

Range and quality of games

It’s often possible to find online casinos offering thousands of titles developed by many different providers, so players can benefit from a staggering potential array of games (online casino Videoslots has just added its 6,000th game). Land-based casinos simply cannot offer a range this vast. The iGaming industry is continuing to produce innovative and impressive new games designed specifically for mobile play, so online gamblers can only look forward to more exciting developments in the future. This optimisation also offers players an immersive experience that can’t be so easily recreated at a land-based casino.

Bonuses and promotions

Regular online gamblers are often first drawn to online casinos by the very attractive promotional packages on offer, and with good reason. Welcome deals like no-deposit bonuses and free spins give you the chance to try out the online gambling experience absolutely free. On top of this, online casinos also offer loyalty programmes which reward you the more you play, as well as VIP schemes for the most enthusiastic players.

Easier to set limits

The process of setting limits on your gambling is much more straightforward online than it might be in a land-based casino. Most sites offer easy ways to set limits on deposits, losses, sessions spent on the website and the amount to be wagered; moreover, these limits apply to all games across the site. In a physical casino, players can spend as much time as they want moving between different tables and games, meaning more potential money lost. All online casinos in the UK have to be registered with GamStop by law, meaning more peace of mind regarding safety.

Convenience

Perhaps all the advantages of online gambling boil down to one simple fact: it’s so much more convenient! Not only can you gamble from the comfort of your own home, but thanks to the development of mobile casinos, you can even keep up with your favourite games whilst on the move, any time and anywhere! Many online casinos also offer instant payout times — much more convenient than having several days to wait for your winnings to be transferred to your bank account, as might be the case at a land-based casino.