—TechRound does not recommend or endorse any financial, investment, gambling, trading or other advice, practices, companies or operators. All articles are purely informational—
The online casino industry is worth $78.66 billion worldwide. Constantly evolving, there are several current trends that may help predict where it will go next.
Search online for the trends shaping online casinos, and before long, you will inevitably meet the same response. These espouse the virtues of virtual reality and the blockchain. The truth is that the real trends driving online casinos and sports betting are much more human.
With fashions increasingly turning towards enhanced gaming experiences and social aspects, iGaming is changing, but not in the ways you may expect.
A Pivot to Skill-Based Gaming
Crash gaming has taken the globe by storm. Primarily, it involves predicting when an event will occur and cashing out before it does. In many games, you follow the path of an aircraft. Multipliers will add to the wager made, and players must cash out before the plane crashes. If they don’t, they lose their stake. Devilishly simple to play, the game has attracted a new type of casino player who is not interested in learning huge rule sets and strategies.
This is evolving once more, and the desire is for crash games to incorporate higher levels of skill. Mainly, this involves games where some degree of control is given to a player. Similar to early arcade games, they may require decision making, predictions of simulated physics or quick reflexes.
This is blurring the boundaries between traditional games and gambling ones. It has been evident in the path many slot games have taken by adding arcade-style bonus rounds. Some developers, such as NoLimit City, have even started to add stages to their games. Imagine Space Invaders where you are winning money, or Pong where you are gambling on the outcome.
Betting Personalisation
Betting apps have come a long way over the past few years. Once upon a time, they listed markets and odds but little else. Now, they are extremely user-friendly and are often combined with online casinos. Thus, personalisation has become just as important as it is to gamers when betting.
This can take many forms. Personalisation can take the form of specific betting offers based on favourite teams, markets, and selections. This can be gleaned from previous interactions. It may also be able to provide a safer gambling experience by noting when individuals are changing their normal online betting trends based on frequency and size of bets.
New operators on the market are going for this wholeheartedly, using it as a way to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. Next-gen online betting with Betmaster UK has only been around a short time, as they gained their UK license in January. Yet they have already attracted a huge audience with their personalised experience and easy-to-access system that allows users to flit between betting and casino easily.
More Social Features
Over the last decade, influencer gambling has been on the rise. This has made it butt heads with authorities in many countries: the Netherlands has recently issued fines to streamers and influencers who have promoted gambling. The US has also had issues with this due to its state-by-state laws. However, it is a sign of a larger shift in which gambling has become social.
This was first apparent in crash gaming. Entering into a lobby with leaderboards and being able to use a chat function was revolutionary. This social aspect was later explored with a live dealer game, in which people could interact with the croupier who was being streamed from a studio.
The result of this has been an increase in sharing and social features within online casinos and betting. This allows people to send their great moments and wins to friends, family and other gamblers.
Mobile as a Primary Gambling Tool
Around 96% of the world’s population now accesses the internet through a mobile device. As they increase in processing power and price, they are replacing other entertainment units. Televisions and gaming consoles are being set aside for smartphones as the sole piece of hardware.
Mobile usability has been important in casinos for some time. However, it is now the primary method in which games are being played. Around 75% of the 18–34 category use it as their first method to gamble, both in casinos and betting. This means further optimisation for UI/UX upgrades, so that games are fluid and without lag on mobile devices.
A tendency has also been for games to increase their loading speeds. Waiting for a heavy game to load can mean people just go elsewhere. In countries where bandwidth is essential, this is non-negotiable. This means that lighter, faster games are going to be the future, in contrast to the virtual reality worlds that many are predicting for the market.
Gambling is going mobile. To do so, it needs to improve on certain features, increasing the quality of both how apps and software run. Combined with high levels of personalisation, it seems this genre will continue to grow over the next few years.
—TechRound does not recommend or endorse any financial, investment, gambling, trading or other advice, practices, companies or operators. All articles are purely informational—
