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How Does The Modern Gambling Industry Change During Economic And Social Upheavals?
Just over one year ago, the entire world was shaken when the coronavirus, named Covid-19, started to spread to all corners of the planet. The World Health Organization officially declared Covid-19 as a worldwide pandemic in March 2020. Since this time, we have seen multiple countries going into lockdown. Several industries were severely affected in the process – and this includes the gambling industry.
Several land-based gambling facilities were forced to close their doors during the lockdown period. This had a significant impact on their performance, resulting in months with no profits generated. The online casino industry, however, did experience an opposite effect. This post takes a closer look at how the gambling industry has changed during the Covid-19 global pandemic.
Covid-19 And Physical Casinos
Physical businesses around the globe experienced the hardest impact from the pandemic. With this in mind, we should start by taking a look at how physical or land-based casinos were affected. A group of researchers posted a paper based on statistical data collected between February and June 2020. The data was related to the casino industry and looked at how these businesses were affected when global lockdowns were initiated. Tax payments were the primary factor taken into consideration – as this has a direct indication of revenue generated by casinos and other gambling-related business ventures.
A significant reduction in tax payments was recorded by physical casinos. This allowed the researchers to make a conclusion that land-based casino operators were certainly affected in a negative way.
A Switch To Online Gambling During A Global Pandemic
Even though a negative impact was observed among casinos that are based on a physical location, the online gambling industry has not experienced the same impact. There was a slight decline in online gambling usage was observed in March 2020, but the industry quickly recovered and saw an increase in user activity, as well as new registrations.
Currently, the online gambling industry is growing at an 11.5% rate on an annual basis. One report states that there are several factors currently driving the increasing interest in online gambling platforms. This includes easier access to the internet, the ability to play from home, and the legalization of these digital platforms.
There are additional reasons why people have been increasingly turning to online gambling platforms – especially during the Covid-19 pandemic that we are still facing.
Here are a few of the primary reasons why there has been an increase in the number of people turning to online gambling websites:
- As we entered a pandemic and lockdowns were initiated, sports were put on hold. This caused many people to miss out on standard sport betting opportunities. Online casinos, however, gave these individuals a chance to continue betting on virtual sports events.
- With online casinos, there is no risk of being infected with the Covid-19 virus – as no physical interaction with other individuals is needed.
- The ability to play casino games from home provided an attractive opportunity. There is no need to visit a physical location and no long drives to be concerned about.
- Many people started to work from home during the pandemic. This gave them a more flexible schedule to work with and allowed them to have a computer at home. These two elements further drove an increase in online casino activity among the population.
- Those who were in a career affected by Covid-19 found themselves with extra time on their hands. This also led to more people turning to online activities and games to kill time.
Several statistical reports have been released to help us understand how the industry had grown in the pandemic – with a primary focus on online gambling games.
In one report, it is reported that between April and October 2020, a 43% growth in the online poker game industry was noted. In the United States, a 255% increase in first-time players related to online poker games was noted in the same period.
In another report, it was noted that the online casino industry surged to an all-time high in terms of both new user registrations and activity in the lockdown period.
Here, we can see that interest spiked within a matter of days. The data shows that more people started to search for online gambling platforms when the coronavirus outbreak started. The trend continued to increase further.
Since the start of lockdowns, many companies have also provided their input. One publication explains that lockdown can be considered a good reason for people to turn to online casinos. While there are risks with these activities, the benefits need to be noted too. By playing these games from home, it reduces a person’s risk of being infected with the virus – thus serving as a type of protective barrier compared to land-based casinos where people frequently interact with each other. Other benefits include welcome bonuses, which is something people do not gain access to when they visit a physical casino. This can add to the funds available to play, giving the person a better opportunity to make a profit from their gambling activities.
Conclusion
While the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the global population, there are some industries that seemed to remain stable. Physical casinos were adversely affected, with some larger casinos being closed completely due to the pandemic. On the other hand, we have observed increased interest in the online gambling industry. Numerous individuals turned to internet-based casinos during the pandemic, and the trend has continued to remain stable.
Carolina Fiel is a professional with experience in various industries. She is passionate about content production and currently serves as a Redator freelancer at Upwork.
References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34061685/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.611939/full
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/online-gambling-market
http://www.aaamusic.co.uk/2021/04/22/lockdown-is-a-good-reason-to-play-online-casinos/

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DATA.BET Teams up with Pragmatic Play Sports – Partnership to deliver full esports solution
DATA.BET, the trusted sportsbook solution supplier, has partnered with Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, to expand the gaming provider’s new esports betting product.
Through the collaboration, Pragmatic Play Sports can provide an esports solution that combines premium content with official data and best-in-class streaming technology.
DATA.BET will deliver its complete esports offering, giving Pragmatic Play Sports access to its odds feed and customisable Multi Widget that combines Scoreboards, Pitch Tracker, and low-latency live Video Streaming into a single interface.
Pragmatic Play Sports customers now have access to DATA.BET’s entire catalogue of 30+ esports disciplines, which includes some of the world’s most in-demand esports titles, such as Counter-Strike, Dota 2, EA Sports FC, Valorant, and League of Legends.
A broader rollout of additional disciplines is scheduled for upcoming phases through 2026. The collaboration equips Pragmatic Play Sports with reliable, premium esports content supported by strong infrastructure and seamless integration to meet the growing needs of its operators and customers.
“This is a long-term alignment where we will grow in the esports space together and deliver a strong, revenue-generating product to Pragmatic Play Sports and their clients,” said Otto Bonning, Head of Sales at DATA.BET. “We are eager to collaborate with such a forward-looking team and continue delivering tools that help drive global growth. For DATA.BET, the project reinforces its strategy of delivering modular, scalable integrations to global leading partners.”
Gareth Crook, SVP of Sports at Pragmatic Play, said: “We’re delighted to expand our new esports product in conjunction with DATA.BET. This partnership delivers a complete esports solution powered by official data, giving operators reliable pricing and extensive event and market uptime. Alongside this, Pragmatic Play provides a premium range of managed services – including trading and risk management of esports – to ensure operators have the confidence and support they need. Esports is one of the fastest-growing global betting verticals, and this launch reinforces our commitment to an official-data approach while adding a truly dynamic new product to our already extensive portfolio.”
This collaboration marks another step in DATA.BET’s roadmap for scaling esports accessibility across the betting industry.
The post DATA.BET Teams up with Pragmatic Play Sports – Partnership to deliver full esports solution appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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XSOLLA WEB SHOP AND SINGULAR JOIN FORCES TO DELIVER CROSS-PLATFORM LTV AND ROAS MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS
Xsolla Web Shop And Singular S2S Integration Bridges The Gap Between Mobile Marketing And Web Transactions For Complete Campaign Visibility
Xsolla, a global video game commerce company that helps developers launch, grow, and monetize their games, today announced a new mobile-focused Server-to-Server (S2S) integration with Singular, a leading marketing analytics and attribution platform. The integration unifies mobile marketing data with direct-to-consumer web purchases, enabling developers to measure campaign performance and player value more accurately than ever before.
As mobile game makers increasingly turn to Web Shops to expand revenue streams beyond app stores, one challenge has persisted: how to tie those off-platform transactions back to mobile marketing spend. The Xsolla Web Shop + Singular S2S integration closes this gap by treating Web Shop purchases as attributable events, giving developers true Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS) and comprehensive Lifetime Value (LTV) insights.
Key advantages of the Xsolla Web Shop + Singular S2S integration:
- Capture both mobile and web purchases as part of a single funnel
- Link revenue directly to user acquisition and re-engagement campaigns
- Reveal the complete LTV picture across app and Web Shop transactions
With this integration, Web Shop purchases are transmitted to Singular as server-to-server events, then mapped back to the correct install source or re-engagement campaign. This provides growth teams with a single, trusted view of performance across all platforms.
“Having launched more than 600 mobile Web Shops, we’ve seen developers demand actionable data that connects web monetization with mobile marketing,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla. “Our new S2S integration with Singular delivers that missing link, giving teams the clarity to optimize and scale their Web Shop strategies confidently.”
“Our goal at Singular has always been to simplify complex data and make it actionable for growth teams,” said Gadi Eliashiv, CEO and Co-Founder at Singular. “By partnering with Xsolla, we’re giving developers the full-funnel visibility they need to measure ROI and maximize revenue across every platform.”
Learn more about the S2S integration for Xsolla Web Shop and Singular at: xsolla.pro/singular
The post XSOLLA WEB SHOP AND SINGULAR JOIN FORCES TO DELIVER CROSS-PLATFORM LTV AND ROAS MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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eGaming Integrity Welcomes Hayley Ashton as Compliance Manager
eGaming Integrity is proud to announce the appointment of Hayley Ashton as its new Compliance Manager, effective immediately. Hayley joins the firm in response to growing client demand for enhanced compliance support across the Isle of Man’s eGaming sector.
Hayley’s career reflects deep expertise across the regulatory and financial services sectors. She has gained extensive experience in anti-money laundering frameworks, risk assessment, and governance best practices, with a proven ability to support organisations in maintaining the highest compliance standards.
With diplomas in Anti-Money Laundering and Governance, Risk and Compliance from the International Compliance Association, alongside a BA in Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status from Leeds Beckett University, Hayley combines technical knowledge with strong skills in training, leadership, and operational delivery.
Emma Shilling, Director at eGaming Integrity, commented: “The demand for practical, outcome-focused compliance advice continues to grow as the GSC elevates standards and the island prepares for MONEYVAL. Hayley’s appointment reflects our commitment to meeting that demand, and her experience and proactive style will ensure clients get the support they need where it matters most.”
Hayley Ashton added: “I’m passionate about fostering compliance cultures that are both effective and sustainable. Delivering practical, outcomes-focused guidance tailored to real-world business contexts is where I believe compliance adds its most valuable contribution. I’m looking forward to working closely with our clients and helping them put robust, workable compliance practices in place.”
Hayley’s appointment strengthens eGaming Integrity’s team of industry experts and former regulators, reinforcing its leadership in mock audits, remediation and internal audits for the Isle of Man’s egaming licence holders.
The post eGaming Integrity Welcomes Hayley Ashton as Compliance Manager appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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