Are New Online Casinos Better than Established Ones?

Posted by Harry Kane on Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Whilst the total GGY for the iGaming market may have declined in the year ending March 2019, online gambling platforms should continue to grow at a far faster rate than brick-and-mortar establishments in the years ahead.

After all, the iGaming sector still generated a hefty £5.3 billion during the reporting period, whilst online gambling also accounts for an impressive 37% of the overall marketplace. These numbers should continue to increase in the long-term, regardless of the regulatory and legislative challenges facing operators in the UK.

This is also an increasingly competitive space, however, which means that it can be hard for customers to identify the best online casino at which to play.

More specifically, it’s often unclear whether players should target newer casinos or those that an established reputation and familiar brand name.

What Advantages Do New Casinos Offer to Players?

Whilst the iGaming industry may appear to be dominated by established brands such as William Hill, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power, the last decade has seen a plethora of new and innovative names enter the marketplace.

The reason for this is simple; as double-digit annual growth in the industry has inspired a new generation of operators whilst creating enough demand to satisfy a larger number of brands.

At the same time, the iGaming market has diversified considerably as it has continued to grow, creating an opportunity for new operators to emerge and target increasingly influential player demographics.

By entering a growing sector that continues to mature at an incredible rate, new operators also tend to adopt an aggressive marketing approach that translates into significant advantages to consumers. These serve as unique and clearly defined selling points, which can help new operators to stand out in a genuinely crowded market.

This is best embodied by the bonuses offered by new casinos, which tend to be more generous and innovative than those proffered by more established brands.

For example, new brands may look to offer a significant deposit match bonus of up to 200%, whilst also providing a larger than usual number of free spins on selected slot games (which are increasingly popular amongst players and dominate the online casino GGY in the UK).

Increasingly, iGaming brands will leverage comp points and rewards as part of both welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions, whilst offering relatively low thresholds for players to become VIP members and unlock a number of additional features.

Whilst new operators tend to offer lucrative bonuses in order to win players over and claim a viable share of the market, they also take steps to retain customers and grow sustainably over time.

These also translate into viable advantages to players, particularly when you consider that new operators tend to invest in attractive and easy-to-navigate casino designs. This leads to a superior user experience, and one that enhances the quality of gameplay and makes it easier for players to make the most of their bankroll.

On a similar note, new operators are likely to create a platform that can be accessed through both desktop and mobile platforms, whilst they’ll usually develop native apps for both iOS and Android.

This enables them to target the growing demographic of younger and casual players in the UK, many of whom like to access casinos throughout the day and during the daily commute to and from work.

Most importantly, new operators focus heavily on ensuring that players can access seamless and high-quality gameplay across desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones, enabling them to optimise the overall gambling experience.

These represent important considerations, whilst highlighting the qualities offered by new casinos in the contemporary marketplace.

However, they’re just a few of the factors that players must consider before they choose between new and established casinos, and they’re certainly not enough by themselves to make an informed decision.

What Can Established Casinos Offer to Players?

When registering with an established iGaming operator, one of the most obvious advantages is the opportunity to partner with a trusted and high-profile brand.

Of course, it can be argued that the trustworthiness of iGaming brands has been diminished over the course of the last 18 months, thanks to a series of high-profile sanctions that have been imposed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

However, most of these fines were in response to operational failures and an ability to react quickly enough to regulatory changes, rather than any genuinely fraudulent activity.

Conversely, numerous smaller brands have lost their licenses as a result of questionable operating practices and serious social responsibility failures, and there’s no doubt that we’ve seen an increase in the number of rogue casino operators active across the length and breadth of the UK.

Whilst the extent to which these operators will vary, this remains a significant risk of registering with a new casino platform (particularly if you don’t take the time to research brands and verify that they’re fully licensed by the UKGC).

On a similar note, established casinos also operate 128-bit SSL encryption as a minimum requirement, and this helps to safeguard players’ personal data and the financial transactions that they make (typically in the form of deposits and withdrawals).

This is the same level of online encryption that’s adopted by banks and financial institutions, and it provides an additional layer of security (and peace of mind) that some new operators may not be able to offer immediately.

Not only are established casinos typically more trustworthy than new operators, but they often benefit from a larger and more diverse number of games. This rule applies across a number of iGaming verticals too, from slots and table games to video poker titles and live casino platforms.

This is key for players of all ages and experience levels, as many enjoy playing a wide range of games at different times. Even contemporary slot gaming fans are used to accessing a diverse range of themed titles, and established casinos are more likely to offer this type of comprehensive choice to customers.

The Last Word

As we can see, there are both pros and cons associated with playing at a new online casino, and the same can be said when registering with an established operator.

Ultimately, this means that there’s no right or wrong answer when selecting an online casino at which to play, and it’s important for individual players to determine precisely what they’re looking for from operators and thoroughly research all of the viable options.

Players should also use independent comparison sites to achieve this aim, as this should ensure that they receive accurate information pertaining to security, bonuses and each operators approach to responsible gambling.

From here, it should be easier to make an informed decision that helps you to make the most of your iGaming experience.