According to surveys and data collected over the past few years, 1.6 billion people gamble, which is more than 20% of the world’s population. Moreover, the number is likely higher given how the world population grows, and more young adults start gambling once they turn 18. It’s also worth noting that casino sites have a diverse gaming selection, and they want to expand their list of unique features in order to stay competitive. You can find some of the best online casinos currently in Canada, by going over wagering advisors reviews, as they do in-depth evaluations of operators. After all, this market is huge and online gamblers don’t really settle for one platform. So, let’s see what types of players visit online casinos, and what they expect to see before making an account.
Free to Play Casino Players
There is a huge portion of gamblers that don’t exactly want to spend much money on gambling. They like the idea of getting extremely lucky and scoring big, but they want to do it as risk-free as possible. So, they will either pay a small amount of money to play or try to completely avoid paying. Luckily, this is very possible nowadays thanks to no deposit casino sites, or no deposit bonuses to be precise. Much like the name suggests, you don’t need to make a deposit, you simply get a small amount of betting credit upon registration.
For these players, it’s not really important what games they are playing, as long as it’s free. So, if there is a free spins bonus offer for specific slots they will claim it, if there are free betting slips then they will bet on sports. They aren’t in it for the thrill, or the gaming experience, they just want to see if it’s their lucky day.
Professional Gamblers
For many gambling isn’t just a hobby, it’s their way of making a living, or it’s their career. There are a lot of people who love certain casino games and want to play them professionally. Of course, you cannot be a professional slot or roulette player, but you can play poker professionally and participate in tournaments. Now, it’s worth pointing out that many online casinos only offer video poker, which isn’t really the same as online poker.
In online poker, you play against other people, and your winnings depend on how much money there is on the table. Therefore, you get to bluff or even try to get a read on other players at the table. A lot of qualification rounds for big tournaments like World Series Poker are done through online play, and those who end up winning get to play in person.
Another game you can play professionally is blackjack, however, that is really difficult to do online. In land-based casinos, players can count cards and if they are good at it they can significantly improve their odds of winning. In blackjack online there are multiple decks in the shoe and they are re-shuffled automatically, so counting cards isn’t exactly possible. However, you might have better luck if you try counting cards in a live dealer blackjack, as this one isn’t fast-paced and involves a real dealer.
Sports Bettors
There is a huge portion of the player base that loves to gamble but isn’t really into casino games. They mainly bet on sports and fantasy sports. To them playing slots, roulette, baccarat, or craps just boils down to the luck of the draw. They prefer something where they have more agency or better insight. As a lot of players are sports fans they simply deem betting as a safer option. This way they get to rely on their own knowledge and analysis when making a bet on a team or athlete.
Additionally, gambling laws and regulations aren’t the same across the board, so you might even find countries where sports betting is the only legal form of gambling. In other words, it’s not that they don’t like playing online casino games, it’s just that it is too risky for them to engage in this activity. They could technically use VPN or other means, but it’s just not worth the trouble as several things could go wrong in that instance.
Slots Enthusiasts
Slots are the most played casino games, and they are also the most profitable games for the casino. So, it’s only natural that online operators invest so much in acquiring new slot games, and developers also want to make them more appealing and entertaining. The majority of players who gamble on the internet are only interested in playing slots. Also, the majority of bonuses and promotions aim to promote this content and bring more players on board. As a result, you’ll often see lots of free spins that are a part of a welcome bonus, and you’ll also notice that the best way to meet bonus wagering requirements is to spend money on slots.
The best commercial for slots though is the jackpot announcement. Both internet and brick-and-mortar operators love to announce when someone wins a jackpot, as this motivates people to be persistent. In the case of a progressive jackpot, the players can win over ten million dollars which is a life-changing amount of money. So, slots really feel like you are playing a lottery non-stop.
Big Spenders
There are players with lots of disposable income who really enjoy spending money on online casino games. This is a small portion of the player base that accounts for a large portion of casino profits.As a result, operators really want to cater to these users and they create very appealing VIP memberships.
These whale customers don’t really concern themselves with wagering requirements, as they plan on spending a lot in the first place. They actually love the fact that they are treated with respect and that casinos are ready to give them all sorts of membership perks. Some of them are even taken to big exclusive sports events.
Social Gamers
Finally, there are players who really enjoy certain social aspects of online gaming in general. Most casino games are single-player, but there are those that you can enjoy with your friend or other strangers. For example, live dealer blackjack, baccarat, and roulette allow you to interact with a dealer via real-time streaming technology. Moreover, it’s not just you and the dealer there are other players in the chat as well. The same applies once again to online poker rooms.
There are even sweepstakes or social gaming sites where you aren’t really playing for real money. You simply play against other people and get symbolic tokens or chips that you can exchange for other rewards.
Other Types of Gamblers
There are also players who simply look at this hobby as escapism or a way to entertain themselves. They aren’t really casual or regulars, they simply try out a few games, and then they become one of the previously mentioned types. However, there is also a small portion of the problem or compulsive gamblers, and that definitely doesn’t look good. Almost all legitimate casinos are strong proponents of responsible gambling, and they do need to follow up with users that are overly active on the website.
You might also find people who are content creators or vloggers and who play casino games on stream in order to entertain their audience. Once again, this is a small portion of the player base, so it doesn’t really deserve its own category.
Conclusion
These were some of the main player types that you can find in an online casino. Any online operator should strive to cater to all of these user groups, but even focusing on a specific niche can be extremely beneficial. Most of the gambling sites really focus on expanding their slots library and want to attract as many slot players as possible. This is the best way to start and eventually grow the business to the point where you start attracting other player types.
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