Humans’ drive to gamble is innate. The history of gambling proves so. Gambling has been around for so long, and it has evolved throughout the years. Nevertheless, many people in the gaming industry think that the generational shifts the businesses now face are unparalleled. Unfortunately, this also means dire consequences for the industry.
Currently, many people fear that millennials won’t gamble unless casinos take significant initiatives to accommodate them. While visitors to Las Vegas casinos appear to be spending less time gambling, commercial and tribal gaming revenues are at record highs. Additionally, sports betting, especially those happening through mobile devices, is set to grow significantly while the eSports industry grows dramatically. However, shifts in the way people choose to gamble aren’t new.
The innovation happening in the IT field has never failed to change gambling. These paths that open to gaming in the future are also steady with the historical evolution of gaming. The relatively short history of the modern casino proves this quite well.
For instance wasn’t widely played some 40 years ago. On the other hand, faro, a game that dominated gambling halls in the 19th century, is currently almost non-existent. Slots machines tend to have an even shorter lifespan, and most of the widely played games today were unthinkable around 20 years ago.
But this doesn’t mean casinos have nothing to worry about. The changes in the casino gaming industry mean a lot of disruptions to the business. Again, history acts much like a guide. The casino resort is the basic building block of the modern casino gaming industry. But they only became the major locus of American gambling in the past 75 years or so.
The casino resort’s rapid rise was predicted much earlier based on various cultural, political, and legal factors that happened in the second half of the 20th century, which created a favorable climate for the growth of such institutions. So, it is only logical to expect the casino resort and gambling to join hands.
Gambling is Old, So is the Gambling Business
Physical evidence of gambling found in the oldest archaeological digs suggests that the practice is as old as the organized societies. The earliest games used much simpler technology, like a selected group of markers in games like “odds and evens” and astralagi as dice. Though they didn’t produce satisfactory results, they were good enough to satisfy the gamblers who had little understanding of the concepts behind probability and randomness.
If these early games had one thing in common, it was that they were social. There was also not much business surrounding gambling. The only businesses that profited from gambling were gambling houses, taverns, food stalls, and backrooms of inns where people came together to shoot dice while enjoying food, drink, and other diversions.
It was later, with the invention of mercantile games, that the nature of gambling changed entirely. It also resulted in the creation of gambling businesses where businesses could directly profit from customers who could wager directly against them.
The basic idea behind mercantile games that involved playing using cards, dice, wheels, and lottery tickets was that they gave a portion of their revenues to the state in return for government support.
The NYC Gambling Scene
Currently, over 500 casinos operate across the United States, generating an annual revenue of more than $240 billion. The major sports books like BetMGM New York City are just an easy drive away from the city center and offer various entertainment options like table games, slot machines, racebooks, and more.
The state’s historic gambling laws put a lot of restrictions on casino gambling, but it all changed when the state legalized Las Vegas-style casinos. The decision was aimed to boost the state’s economy, which has been growing relatively slowly.
Fast forward to the present day, NYC residents are spoiled when it comes to casino options. There is the in Queens, and many more. If you wish to plan a holiday around gambling, then you should choose a resort with a nice hotel and casino that suits your needs. A lot of tribal and commercial gambling resorts put a lot of effort into the hotel amenities like spas, golf courses, lounges, and pools.
There is also no shortage of entertainment options alongside gambling options. At the most popular resorts, you can expect to find concerts, world-class dining, comedy shows, clubs, and more. For instance, the Seneca Allegany Resort features a large outdoor venue accommodating famous musical acts. Jackson Browne, Travis Tritt, and Ringo are just a few notable names that have graced the resort’s outdoor stage.
So, as you can see, the resorts and casinos in NYC are reinventing and putting a lot of effort into making gambling a great overall experience. And they will continue to do so.
