The impact of online gaming throughout the US

While online gaming has crept up only in the last thirty years or so, its impact has been significant on today’s society. From increasing governmental revenue, providing a social outlet, and even affecting those with addictive personalities, its impact can’t be disputed.

Why Has it Become so Popular?

The rise of online gaming has one simple explanation: convenience. It’s easier to log on online than it is to drive several miles to find the nearest casino.

Once you arrive at the casino there is also parking (or price of valet), gas, and potentially tolls — and that’s just to get there. While at the casino, there a matter of food, beverages, and a place to stay for the night. The amount of money spent before even reaching a poker table is astonishing. No wonder so many people have turned to online casinos.

It Generates a lot of Money

While part of the reason to legalize gambling was for the general public’s safety, the real purpose is the constant cash flow. According to a report released earlier this year by the American Gambling Association, the revenue created through iGaming totals around $7.61 billion — there’s plenty of profit from online gaming in America alone.

Interestingly, in November 2024, Nevada alone contributed over $1 million, beating every other state by over half a million. It seems Las Vegas really does have an impact.

There’s also more revenue from online sports betting than from online casinos. Online sports betting contributes around $1 billion every month while iGaming produces just under one billion at $818.8 million in November 2024. After the most recent increase in viewers from the main sporting events — like the Super Bowl — this isn’t surprising.

While bringing in the cash, online gaming sites also bring in jobs. The Department of Labour estimates that the number of unemployed people is currently around 6.8 million in the US, 11.8% of which are teenagers.

The unemployment rate will forever be an ongoing issue for most of the world, which is why the importance of job creation is hugely beneficial. Online gaming platforms provide jobs for software developers, customer service responders, and writers.

An increase in revenue aids not only the government but the American people too: it provides more money to be distributed into the public sector and improving the quality of education and healthcare.

It’s a Social Setting

While every boomer may frown upon the idea that being online, even between friends, is the most preferred way of socializing, it does have its benefits. The ability to interact with people all over the globe has been a huge novelty for many. Live casino games offer a social element to playing, allowing the gamer to interact with others in real time.

Addiction is on the rise

Unfortunately, addiction is a problem for many Americans. Around 2.5 million adults have a severe gambling addiction, while five to eight million citizens have a mild to moderate issue. This means that 1% of the population is struggling with a severe addiction.

Usually, the criteria have to include a detrimental effect on everyday life to be considered severe. This can include financial issues and the amount of time spent gaming rather than working or spending time with family.

Mental health and addiction so often go hand-in-hand. If a person has an addictive personality, they are more likely to have a gambling problem. Mental health disorders like ADHD, BPD, and Bipolar all have an increased chance of having this personality. This is why it’s so important to provide a helpline or preventative measures

With an increase in addiction and ADHD diagnoses, methods have finally been put in place to act as either precautions or blockers. For example, there are ways to ban a person from gambling sites if they believe the problem may be worsening or harming themselves or others.

These bans are self-implemented — the players themselves have to undergo self-exclusion. This is just one of the ways that online casinos have stepped up to help the 1%.

Advice for Online Gamblers

So many online scammers and phishers make it practically impossible to stay safe. There are, however, a couple of things to avoid, and do, to make sure you stay as secure as possible while enjoying your hobbies. One of these is checking for a regulation logo by a certifier, which can usually be seen in plain view once opening the webpage.

Another quick solution to providing an added blanket of security to your internal software is through installing a VPN. These basically remove the middleman so that your data only ever interacts with the operator and yourself. It’s a recommended step if you rely on a lot of public WiFi servers too, as they can be a risk.

A final recommendation is to use reviews to find the safest, and most secure site for you. These websites not only provide a list of rankings for popular casinos, but also review different online gaming platforms to offer new insight to players. With online sports betting being a desirable form of gambling for many players, sites like WSN have stepped up to the podium to lend a helping hand with their Sportzino review.

Currently, for the sports fiends, WSN is recommending Sportzino, which offers an impressive 800 slots and other jackpot games. Also accompanied by a promising welcome bonus of 220,000 GC and 10 free Sweeps Coins, Sportzino jumps above many other contenders out there. This is where WSN sites come in handy, helping to find the best suited casino for your play.

Online Gaming and the US

Sports betting and casino platforms are a huge benefit for the population in many ways, as long as they are regulated. With effective safety measures put in place and support offered to those in need, the iGaming market will only grow more.