How Have Gambling Companies Fitted into the UK Business Landscape?

When it comes to UK business in 2018, innovation seems to go hand in hand with one sector in particular: casino (both online and physical).

We’ve long known about the glitz and glamour of Vegas, which is still a hugely popular location with gambling fans, but, as evidenced in Swindon last year at the launch of the Doubletree by Hilton, where the launch party was casino-themed, innovation has pushed forward the gambling scene across the world, and especially in the UK.

Indeed, while we have seen the start of the decimation of the high street since the internet flourished and started to truly dominate, the online landscape has only been a good thing for the casino industry, with online gambling bringing in new customers who wouldn’t normally have been interested in this activity. Growth in the sector overall was shown by, amongst other developments, the 2016 launch of a super casino in Leeds, which stands in stark contrast to the failure of huge out-of-town store closures from brands like Maplin and Mothercare.

Innovation, not stagnation

Gambling companies have highlighted that changing your image as a company and as a big brand isn't impossible. The popularity of the online gambling scene has seen a shift in how certain games are perceived; we have seen poker, for example, become far more diverse in its appeal. It now attracts far more females than ever before, in part thanks to professionals like Annette Obrestad and Vanessa Selbst leading the way as some of the top female stars taking part on the world tours.

OMG! That was the reason the name had the Norwegian flag????.

I want to go to Stavanger. It seems that Poker player Annette Obrestad also lives. It's strange information but lol

I would like to travel in Scandinavia.
I like both Sweden, Norway and Finland. pic.twitter.com/vUhKdsmMoA

— ??????????????????????? (@inori_minoru) February 14, 2018

The online casino industry has also helped to introduce a new demographic to the games available. Clever advertising has helped break down gender stereotypes, capitalising on the change in gaming habits, and also making gaming more democratic. It can now be enjoyed anywhere, at any time, thanks to the proliferation of mobile games. This shift has seen gamers able to enjoy short spells of gaming at a time on their smartphones, rather than sitting for hours at their desktop computers.

This has meant that sites wanting to grow in popularity haven’t only had to focus on great welcome packages to get customers interested in the first place, but have also had to rely upon largely positive casino reviews to highlight how easy they are to play on mobile as well as focusing on the diversity of table games, slots and live casino offerings available.

A look to the future for the casino industry

This innovation doesn't stop at just modernising for the 21st century, with gambling companies in the UK embracing new technological trends like looking to utilise virtual reality technology, bringing live casinos more firmly into the world of online gaming, and making sure that games are a social rather than an individual event where appropriate.

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Available every day 6.00-8.00pm: 2 courses for £13 or 3 courses for £15. pic.twitter.com/az87LE3UR7

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The battle to stay relevant and become more and more innovative is never an easy one when it comes to the UK business landscape. The success that UK casinos and gambling companies have had in doing exactly that, however, is a tale for the likes of WHSmith to pay close attention to as they continue to struggle to stay relevant in 2018, during an age in which the internet has changed so very, very much.