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The development of the tourism industry is intricately linked with the development of other sectors of the economy. The footfall of tourists increases if the transportation system improves.
Likewise, the number of tourists also increases if the hospitality sector gets a boost.
Tourist spots develop in places of natural or man-made wonders. So tourists flock to deserts, mountains, beaches and also to famous cathedrals and architectural features. Gambling hubs also attract tourists, and the development of tourism that is related to these hubs is known as Casino tourism.
Relationship Between Tourism And Gambling
Gambling is an ancient recreation activity, and people love to gamble even today. In the present times, the largest gambling hubs of the world are located in the biggest and the most luxurious hotels of the world. If you are planning to visit the US, you can go to the best Casinos in Las Vegas; however, if you cannot travel, you can go to the best new online casino USA.
Many places like Las Vegas and Macau developed due to their large and super luxurious gambling hubs. The economy was anchored on gambling based tourism. The main source of government revenue came from the taxes levied on the large Casino hotels, and most people were employed in the grand Casino hotels in some way or the other.
How The Gambling Tourism Industry Developed
Ancient Gambling Houses
Gambling has been practiced in almost all countries of the world since time immemorial. In Britain, people would bet on the outcome of horse races. In Asian countries, people would play card games. In ancient Greece, France and Italy, people gambled on streetside parlors.
In the US, there were streetside gambling spots that were known as Saloons. These places were like the present-day roadside motels and inns. Travelers would visit these places if they intended to rest for a while. These places would offer drinks and gambling games for the relaxation of weary travelers.
However, these places were nothing like the present-day luxurious Casinos. These were small places that were constructed mainly for the resting and lodging purposes of travelers.
Legalizing Gambling And The Beginnings Of A New Industry
In the early 1900s, developments in the world’s history shaped the history of Casinos. Most of the countries of the world became free of colonial rule. Most of the newly independent countries that were under British rule for several years imbibed the Britisher’s love for gambling.
Many newly formed countries passed laws to legalize gambling. But, there were countries that viewed gambling as a social evil. These countries took steps to ban gambling. The biggest gambling parlors developed in cities that legalized gambling. Cities like New Orleans, Las Vegas and Macau would allow people to visit their Casinos and gamble freely if they were above the age of eighteen.
Development Of Large Hotels
Large Casino hotels started being built around the 1930s. Hotels like the El Rancho in Vegas was built by a businessman. When these newly built hotels earned a large revenue, they attracted the attention of media personalities as well. The rich and the famous began investing in the new industry to gain large profits from their investments.
The Vegas strip was so named because that area had many Casino hotels, luxurious highrise buildings etc. With time all the economic activities in these areas became dependent on the betting industry. These places became a hub for tourists from all over the world.
Development Of Mega Hotels
In the late 1900s and early 2000s, Casino hotels became the most luxurious hotels in the world. Such hotels in Vegas and Moscow had more than two thousand rooms. These mega resorts would cater to guests’ entertainment, dining, lodging and travel needs.
Also, in the early 2000s, the world became globalized. Hence, the tourist footfall of these mega hotels increased further. Rich and famous people from all over the world would travel to these places to splurge their wealth.
The Present State Of The Casino Tourism Industry
In the present day, the gambling industry is seeing many changes. Tourism has been impacted by COVID pandemic-related travel restrictions. However, in the present times, most people can gamble on their mobile phones or their desktops while they are sitting in their own houses.
Online Casinos are transforming Casino-based tourist hotels. People need not visit Macau or Moscow if they want to enjoy a good game of slots. At present, Australia has the maximum number of gamblers in the world; however, most of them gamble online.
However, the Casino tourism industry is not going to decline anytime soon. The new year bashes and festive jackpots in these luxury hotels still attract thousands of people from all over the world.
These are travel agencies that offer packaged tours to these places. Thus the traditional brick-and-mortar Casinos and the larger-than-life luxury hotels associated with them have their unique charm, which appeals to people even today.
However, the way in which the Casino tourism industry develops will see a steady change. In the coming years, tax laws are going to become all the more complicated. So if a tourist spends a lot of money on a Casino or if someone wins a jackpot at an overseas Casino, he will have to pay special attention to the tax implications.
The large Casino hotels, on their part, will have to come up with newer marketing schemes to compete with their online counterparts. There are possibilities that famous land-based gambling hotels can tie up with successful online Casinos.
Conclusion
It can be said that gambling and tourism are intricately linked. Traditionally tourists became attracted to those places that offered a great gambling experience. With time some cities of the world like Vegas became famous for their gambling-related activities. These cities saw the development of large land-based Casinos, luxury hotels that offered gambling games etc. However, at present, the industry is at the cusp of change, and new developments are being seen every single day.
