At the beginning of the year, the world was celebrating the return of the roaring 20s with Great Gatsby-themed New Year’s celebrations and economists forecasting continued economic expansion for the foreseeable future. Little did we know that headlines beginning to emerge in the Asia-Pacific markets would ultimately bring the entire world to a halt and redefine our sense of security, social norms, and way of doing business.
The impact of COVID-19 arguably hit the American gaming industry the hardest as 100% of the brick-and-mortar casinos were closed for a three-week period at the end of April, with some continuing to be closed through the beginning of July. Through these closures, there has been a renewed interest in online gaming expansion, as the digital economy and virtual transactions have been the business success stories amidst the pandemic.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE BY DANIEL HOLMES IN THE FALL 2020 EDITION OF GAMING & LEISURE MAGAZINE.