The pandemic.
When that happened, everything changed. Well, that's in my case but I bet it is for others too.
I am a poker player physically, I love playing with strangers who later on became my friends too. Still, when we sit at one table we become competitive again and there's no clue that we are friends. It became like a sport to me and it became my habit to go to that place weekly there are even times I cannot wait for my day off and will go there on weekdays just to satisfy my urge to play.
When the pandemic hit, the place closed down, and even now that it is open again I have not visited it again. I am kind of afraid that different people will be there and I might get shy to start playing again.
Then, I bumped into online gambling sites although I have known them before. i.e. Yolodice, Bitvest, 777, and more. That changed everything because I can satisfy my urge to gamble now by just opening my computer and it's a perk to me because I am also working at home. I don't even need to go outside to gamble and that's what happened for the last 3-4 years if my memory is correct.
I think the ease of access is the main reason why a gambler would just stay at home. You can even do it in your smartphone before going to bed which is a great feature.
Online gambling has been there even before the pandemic. It may have exposed you to the ease of access online gambling brings but then some gamblers never found that applauding because they enjoy gambling with others and enjoying the moments and conversations which come up during offline gambling. The truth remains that after the pandemic people went back to offline gambling. So, to me, the pandemic only provided a pause to offline gambling but never changed the mindset of some gamblers. Go to a casino shop and it will surprise you to see the number of people there gambling.
In my opinion, society is dynamic and that is why the way people used to gamble has changed especially with the advancement of technology. The rise of the internet and mobile technology has revolutionized how people gamble. Online gambling platforms have made it more convenient for individuals to access a wide range of gambling activities from the comfort of their homes. Mobile apps have further increased accessibility, allowing people to gamble on the go. This has encouraged a lot of people to gamble because their identity is not exposed to others when they gamble online.