Casinos in the UK are a big part of the gambling culture that seems to be embedded in modern society.
They make up a large part of the gambling industry along with betting shops, online casinos and racecourses.
Gambling can have negative a certain stigma attached to it but the fact of the matter is that the gambling industry employs over 100,000 people with a large chunk of them working directly in casinos, meaning the industry plays a sizeable role in the UK economy.
These claims are substantiated by the reports coming out that land-based casinos alone have a gross gambling yield of £1.1 billion. In 2014 it was estimated there were around 140 casinos open in the UK with this figure perpetually on the rise.
Looking at the statistics provided we know how casinos in the UK contribute to the UK economy financially, but where did these they start and how have they evolved? If we explore these questions in more detail then we find some interesting facts about this lucrative industry.
History of UK casinos
Gambling has been part of British society for a few centuries and it has a deep relationship with UK culture. Casinos though, haven’t been around for very long in comparison to gambling as a whole.
Casinos were legalised under The Gaming Act of 1960, paving the way for new casinos to be opened up in the UK. This market was led by George Alfred James who was known as the ‘Father of British casinos’.
He opened his first casino in Port Talbot which was called the Casino Club, and it thrived right up until he died in 1976. Fast forward until today, 75% of the casinos in the UK are owned by two companies, The Genting and Grosvenor groups. These two mammoth companies highlight how lucrative the UK gambling industry has become ever since the government started becoming more lenient on gambling laws.
Emergence of online casinos
Online casinos in the UK were formed in the year 1994, meaning there had to be a conscious shift in mindset on the concept of what a casino actually was. People back then only knew of traditional land-based casinos so this new idea of online casinos would have seemed so alien to them, even though we would be completely accustomed to it nowadays.
After the launch of the first online casino and it wasn’t long after that that people thought online casinos would outshine land-based ones due to their ease of access and endless options.
The internet soon spread at an exponential rate and now millions of people have access to the online casinos on their PC, laptop, tablet or phone at the touch of a button.
Has online casinos changed the UK casino industry?
There is no doubt that the emergence of online casinos has affected the casino industry. More money is being spent in online casinos due to the record number of online users.
Innovation has been the main reason for change in the industry. Online casinos have innovated their platforms making way for various games to be played such as slot machines and roulette.
These innovations are causing land-based casinos to adapt by integrating restaurants, bars and dance floors into their properties so they can attract more customers.