Kansas Billionaire, Phil Ruffin, may be on to something.  He recently shared his encouraging thoughts on online casinos and regulated online gambling in the United States.  Ruffin has made it clear that he feels online casinos will only be good for the brick and mortar industry.  Online casinos will provide a renewed interest and awareness of casino gambling as entertainment and that will spark people to venture out to places like Las Vegas to get the full gambling experience.

The “full” gambling experience implies that though online casinos make the games accessible, they are lacking in some way.  He is right online casinos cannot provide the shows, the glits, the food, or the glam found at places like Las Vegas.  However one thing online casinos do provide for brick and mortar casinos is competition.

Competition may be just what brick and mortar online casinos have been lacking all along.  Any business without proper competition has the tendency to grow complacent and stagnant; this may be an apt description of brick and mortar casinos.

Online casinos will challenge brick and mortar casinos to step up the bar and bring their venues into the 21^st century.  In fact it already has. 

International Game Technology recently debuted their sever-based slot machines that offer more software based games.  Already brick and mortar casinos are learning to offer the convenience and instant variety that online casinos have always offered.  The business is already changing.  Now players do not have to leave their slot machines to play different electronic games or even make reservation for a live show.  International Game Technology has found a way of bringing elements of online casinos into brick and mortar gambling establishments.