Changing The Casino Game In South Africa

I’m sure most of you have been to a casino in South Africa. It’s not always a pleasant experience. Casinos consist mostly of smoke-filled rooms, eerie music and the sound of slot machines swallowing thousands by the minute. I was recently invited to a casino-themed party, at a casino, and realised that it is actually really exciting and the games are a lot of fun!

Casino Gaming has grown since the early days of the Liberty Bell slot machines. Today, the industry is a staggering multi-billion dollar business that creates revenues of upwards of $500 billion a year globally! Now, we often look at this industry with a stigma attached, but as you learn the gimmicks behind the games, you’ll realise it can be more about the fun and less about making quick bucks.

Changing The Dynamic Of Casinos

To initiate more interest in gaming, the dynamic of casinos need to change. Most people don’t want to go to casinos because of the stigma attached to it; there isn’t an exciting, open atmosphere and basically no live entertainment. If you look at how the developers who built The Venetian in Macau changed the whole dynamic of gaming, you’ll see that it is possible to make it more exciting (even bringing back that “Casino Royale” flair!).

Gaming Competitions in South Africa

South Africa also lacks gaming tournaments. It doesn’t have large, regulated competitions where people can see how to play properly. It can start at grass root tournaments, which can help usher in the new generation of South African card players. How can players get the experience of playing in a competitive environment, if they are not pitted against the best from other countries on a regular basis?

In order to increase participation, South Africa needs to showcase world-class professionals that the public can witness in action. However, we are obviously lacking the digital mediums to hold such events and, unfortunately, the only chance casino gamers get to see the world’s best card gamers is on the Internet.

South African-themed Online Gaming Portals

Smartphone usage and Internet connectivity has been on the rise steadily in South Africa over the last 4 years. What is apparent is that many are using this for online gaming. Internet World Stats reported that the country’s internet users grew from 2.4 million in the year 2000 to an impressive 28.6 million as of March 2017. And with the slew of online gaming channels that provide new versions of table games, as well as innovative portals like Slingo who offer virtual dealers, these platforms are now accessible for a next generation of players, aligning themselves with cutting-edge technologies. What’s great about online gaming is that it can provide things that land-based gaming providers cannot, because it’s a convenient alternative to traditional gaming establishments.

If, like the rest of the world, we change the dynamic of gaming and casinos, it will encourage participation. Like anything, it will take time for South Africa’s gaming scene a while to improve, but I’m looking forward to when it does.

The post Bringing Casino Royale Back appeared first on Dirty Pink City.