A Big Dilemma: Should Online Casinos Focus More on Casual Players?

Written By Ivan P

Through the history of gambling, casinos have put a lot of energy into attracting and keeping high roller players. Often also referred to as “whales”, this big-stakes players were given all sorts of perks to keep them coming back and have them spend more on the gaming floor.

But, the gaming industry has changed a lot in the recent years. In particular, more and more players are turning to online casinos and the shift is more than evident. While the gambling industry as a whole is growing, its land-based segment seems to be losing its pull.

Unlike brick and mortar venues, though, online operators aren’t nearly as dependent on big players. While high rollers are still welcome and treated to some cool perks, the level of attention they’re getting is nowhere near that offered by live venues in places like Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

Different Face of Online Gambling

Live casinos can be quite glamorous with their shiny lights and flashy jackpots but all of that glamour costs money. A large casino employs hundreds of people in different departments and they have huge running costs. With all that, their capacity is still quite limited compared to online sites.

Internet casinos have much lower costs and a much bigger capacity. With a solid server, an online casino can cater to thousands of players at the same time without breaking a sweat. They don’t need cashiers or waitresses to take care of these players, either. Everyone is comfortably seated at their homes, behind their computer screens.

And that’s why online casinos don’t care so much about big players.

They can cater to hundreds and even thousands of casual players, easily making profit over time. They are in no rush to make money because their running costs aren’t nearly as big. It wouldn’t make much sense for these sites to spend thousands of dollars’ worth of comps on a high roller because they also have access to a huge market. If one big player goes, the next one will likely come around soon enough.

Casual Players Aren’t as Demanding

Someone gambling huge sums of money on a regular basis has certain expectations in terms of bonuses and other offers. They want to be treated according to the level of their play, largely because of the standards set by the land-based industry.

As already explained, that just doesn’t work for gambling sites. They don’t have access to free rooms or show tickets. The majority of their promos is based on giving away some cash and trying to meet expectations of many of these high rollers is virtually impossible.

At the same time, casual players are happy with reasonable offers that improve their experience and provide them with some extra play time. They gamble for fun and don’t have the idea that they have to be treated to some extraordinary perks for their patronage.

Some free spins and a few weekend boosters here and there are more than enough to make most casual players happy. And that’s something the casinos can do without hurting their bottom line.

More Fun, Less Gambling

Casual players are also easier to please in terms of gaming options. Many punters just want to have a blast and they enjoy having access to new slots and seeing new games. They aren’t necessarily looking for huge limits or the ways to break the bank.

So, from the operators’ perspective, it makes a lot of sense to turn more towards casual gamers moving forward. Because they can easily attract numbers having access to such a large player pool, they can easily make their profit goals without having to stress too much. As long as they’re having fun, these players will keep coming back regardless of the results and without big expectations.

Of course, this isn’t to say there aren’t some online casinos still catering specifically to high rollers. These sites make up a small share of the overall market, though, and their offers still aren’t as competitive as those available in live casinos.

Simply put, the online gambling sector loves a casual player; a player who’s looking for some fun and a bit of luck without causing them big headaches. It’s smooth, it’s simple, and, most importantly, it’s very profitable.

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