The Ides of March are upon us, and it can only mean one thing for the online casino industry:  The casino action will pick up.  True to form, there has been a marked increase in online casino activity, both in play-for-pay, as well as in free casino formats.  There are several reasons why the online casino industry is experiencing a new influx of gamblers and players.

First of all, it is the time of the season for “March Madness.”  March Madness involves the N.C.A.A. Basketball Tournament, which generates a huge amount of bets.  Danny Sheridan, one of the most renowned sports gambling analysts in the world, is predicting that over $7 billion will be spent on March Madness in online wagering, as well as in land casino betting and street bookmaking.   

March Madness is three weeks of exciting basketball games, as 65 teams compete in a single-game elimination tournament for the right to be called “College Basketball Champions.”  As gambling enthusiasts log onto their favourite online sportsbook sites to place their wagers over the three week period, they often stop by the online casino to play their preferred games.  This substantially increases the overall online casino activity.

The second reason for the influx of online casino activity is that the characteristics of the season in many parts of the world have driven a trend toward the online casino and away from the traditional land casino.  In the U.S., the eastern part of the country has experienced terrible snowstorms over the past six weeks, which has virtually crippled the Atlantic City casino industry.   Last month, the 11 Atlantic City casinos took in $261.6 million, a drop in revenue of almost 20 percent over the same period of time in 2009.  The Atlantic City Hilton realized a drop-off of 32 percent.

Many land casino players chose to play casino games on online casino sites.  Additionally, there has been brisk action on free casino sites.  These sites allow players to play their casino games of choice without risking any monetary involvement.  These sites are valuable tools for regular casino players in that the sites allow players to hone their skills and test out new gaming theories without incurring a financial cost for the experience.

So, as the Ides of March have come and gone, the online casino industry, including free casino sites, continues to make tremendous inroads at the expense of the traditional land-based casinos.