Atlantic City Casino Now Offers Online Games
If you can't beat them, join them. That's the obvious lesson in the recent decision from the Atlantic City based casino, Ocean Resort to launch its own online casino site that would work hand-in-hand with the real casino.
The new site will allow people to combine their loyalty points between the real casino and the online version so that people can continue to stay within the Ocean Resort brand even if they prefer to play online casino games rather than travel to the casino itself.
The announcement marks the first major casino to branch out into the online casino market. It's not the first real casino to offer an online version, however, and not even the first in America. A number of casinos in Pennsylvania have already applied for licenses to operate in the online space. However, those sites are only permitted to serve patrons who are physically within the Pennsylvania border.
The wave of real casinos looking to offer online casino games to reach new players proves what online casino owners have been saying for the past decade - that there are more people playing casino games than ever before thanks to the online casino and that the savings in time and money playing from home is pushing the real casino out of its place atop the casino hierarchy.
Advantages of Online Casino Games Over Real Casino Games
While most real casinos have a big advantage in pomp and circumstances, there is little evidence to prove that the atmosphere at the real casino is more appealing to people than the atmosphere they create themselves in the comfort of their own homes.
In fact, if the judgment were rendered simply by the numbers, the clear winner would be the online casino. More people are playing more games online than they are in real casinos, though both draw a steady and robust number of players and so far have been able to coexist. The advantage of the online casino has been the comfort and convenience it allows while consistently delivering excitement levels that match the real casino.
It's always been a cliche about online activity that people can do it in their pajamas. In other words, they can do it in comfort and they don't need to dress up for the experience. But the convenience of the online casino goes far beyond that. It lets players create exactly the type of environment that will keep them calm and let them enjoy the games. If that means having their pet cat or dog in their laps for moral support, there is nothing standing in their way.
The Real Casino Admits Defeat
By joining the world of online casino games, resort casinos, like the Ocean Resort Casino - traditionally the heart and soul of the casino world - are admitting that they cannot compete entirely on their own and need their own version of the online casino to push them forward.
They are also admitting that reaching new people is easier and more efficient online, where the masses can join without having to carve out time on their calendar or spend money on hotels or transportation. Most importantly, they are admitting that the big advantage they offer - the high energy, bright light atmosphere - may be less of a draw than they care to admit.
Of course, the real casino can still leverage benefits such as loyalty points to bring people to their own casino site. That may help them keep some of the players they draw to their actual casino, but it's no guarantee to bring new players into the loop. Since most players won't be traveling to Atlantic City, to take advantage of the loyalty points, the games are going to have to stand up on their own.
Many casino sites have long established casino sites that not only cater to many, many players but also have arrived at a point of intersection between traditional casino formats and the digital versions of the games to give people what they want. They have already gone through their person of trial and error. The real casinos might be initially be biased for digital versions of the games it offers in real life. But to reach the type of audience they want, the casino has to lead not follow.
It will be interesting to see how well the resort casino with the online option appeals to the high rollers of the online casino. Will online casino games finally prove their superiority once and for all?