Online gambling has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the mid-1990s. Back then, we had very basic casinos offering few games and some slots and it was almost impossible to predict we’ll get where we are today. Early days of gambling online were hardly an indicator of what was to come.
Over the years, the industry continued to grow at an impressive rate. Not only that the number of
online casinos kept growing, but what players could find at these casinos was getting better and better. The fact that online gambling industry was always keen on adopting and putting to good use all new technologies probably played a major role in this growth.
The state of gaming industry today is much different than it was two or three decades ago. Many new trends have entered the scene and they’re here to stay. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at some of these trends, the impact they have had on iGaming, and what can we expect from them in the future.
Shifting the Focus with Social Gambling
By default, online gambling is a solitary activity. It is one man or woman against the machine, trying to get lucky and win some money. In the early days of
online gambling, this idea worked fine, because people appreciated the fact they were able to play from the convenience of their living rooms without having to drive to a land-based casino.
Over the years, however, players’ expectations started to grow, especially with new generations of customers who were already accustomed to having everything at their fingertips thanks to the internet. They weren’t particularly impressed by this whole “you can do it from home” idea. Of course you can, they thought, we aren’t living in the Stone Age.
So, to keep up, gambling operators have had to come up with new ideas to keep their player base loyal and growing. Making the activity more social and interactive in nature was a logical step. New generations of players wanted their experience to be more meaningful than just feeding slots with the cash and hoping machines would eventually spit out more than they’d devoured.
Playing the Player
The much needed change had to somehow get players more involved with the whole online casino experience. Over the years, operators have come up with a number of ideas and today, you’ll hardly find a successful casino that doesn’t feature at least some of these ideas, such as:
- Slot tournaments
- Leaderboards
- Casino missions involving other players
- RPG (Role Playing Games) elements
All these things create a sense of belonging and give players a bigger incentive to play. Instead of just playing for individual wins, players are pitched against each other in slot tournaments, for example, and all of a sudden it’s not just gambling – it’s a competition with other players. In fact, slot tournaments of different sorts have proven to be hugely popular and successful as they instantly turned a solitary, somewhat repetitive activity into something entirely different. Although fundamental principles of gaming stayed the same, the introduction of these new social elements was a breath of new life.
Many casinos today also feature various RPG elements, where players are tasked with exploring a fantasy world and/or developing their character by playing different games. Once again, there is a shift from just gambling to gambling with a purpose of sorts. When there is a whole different goal to achieve by playing slots, the experience becomes much more involving and entertaining.
Some casinos have even taken it a step further, allowing players to chat and have fun during the tournaments. This brings everything much closer to a brick and mortar situation, where you’re surrounded by other people and can actually make social interactions with fellow players.
The shift in focus is very clear. Successful online casinos need social elements to keep them going. Days of traditional casinos where you could just play games and not do much else are slowly but surely becoming a thing of the past.
Curious Phenomenon of Free Social Gaming
Although online gambling usually entails cash, this isn’t always the case. In fact, over the past few years, we’ve seen a huge surge in free social gambling, i.e. the kind of gambling where players don’t have to risk anything and can only win virtual money and gifts.
Back in a day, this idea would probably be laughed at. What’s the point of gambling if there is no money on the line? Isn’t the whole reason for playing trying to win cash?
Apparently, the answer is big, fat no! It seems that many people enjoy gambling as a social activity, trying to achieve high scores and compete with other players without feeling the need to risk anything. In fact, many of these social casinos make straight up cash from people buying the virtual currency or various virtual items to boost their player profiles and people have no problem paying for it even though they know there is no money to be won.
These social casinos are, in fact, the best proof that there is a clear shift in what players expect from online gambling. It needs to be a fun activity that involves other players and not something that further isolate them from the rest of the world.
Virtual Reality (VR): Online Casinos of the Next Generation?
Ten or fifteen years ago, virtual reality was something featured in sci-fi movies. Some of us with wilder imaginations could see it happening; many believed it would never come close to what was shown in those movies. But, today, VR technology has come a long way, and the online gambling industry is, once again, looking to get in on an early train.
Some of the leaders in the game, such as NetEnt, have already developed several games set in a VR environment and we’re likely to see this trend pick up even more in the coming months and years. In fact, at some point, it is safe to assume all online casinos will be set in virtual reality, providing players with the next level of gaming experience.
Right now, the equipment required for a full VR experience is still somewhat expensive and not everyone has access to it. But, just like with mobile phones and other gadgets that used to be costly, VR goggles and other accompanying toys will become cheaper and more available, to the point where almost everyone will have them.
What to Expect from VR Casinos?
Up until now, we’ve only seen glimpses of what virtual reality could to transform the online gambling industry. However, these glimpses are quite promising. In a few years’ time, we might be able to put on our VR equipment and enter a full-scale casino, filled with slots, table games, and, of course, other players.
The question really isn’t if but rather when this is going to happen. In addition to improving the gaming experience, VR technologies will also help boost the social side of things, so there is every reason for the casinos to continue working to implement these technologies.
With time, we might reach a point where we’ll be able to even cash out our winnings at a virtual cashier desk and have it sent to our bank account. Of course, we’re still some years away from these scenarios, but current trend indicate that VR online casinos are coming.
Cryptocurrencies: New Way to Gamble Online
The idea of cryptocurrencies may have been obscure and remote some years ago but today, more and more people are familiar with the concept and are starting to accept it. The rise of Bitcoin certainly helped cryptos enter the mainstream and cryptocurrencies seem to have a guaranteed place in our futures.
Once again, the online gambling industry was one of the early adopters of the concept. For online poker rooms and casinos around the globe, bitcoins represented a nice alternative to traditional forms of payment. These operators were quick to understand that this novel idea had a bright future ahead and started to introduce it.
In the early days of cryptos, online poker rooms were especially keen to pick up on the idea because it was a way to reintroduce the US market segment, which was cut off with UIGEA and the infamous “Black Friday.” But, other gaming operators were quick to follow as well.
Advantages of Cryptocurrencies
In the last couple of years, we’ve seen more and more casinos adding Bitcoin and other cryptos to their payment methods – and more operators are likely to follow. There is a number of reasons for this:
- Fast and secure transactions
- Relative anonymity
- Ease of transfers avoiding local bank restrictions
These and other reasons make cryptos an excellent alternative to fiat currency if you’re looking to gamble online. And, while players may have had their fears in the past, the whole idea has become much closer to us today. Buying and selling cryptos is easy, transfers are simple, and they represent a good way to keep your transactions private and away from prying eyes.
The trend of accepting cryptos across online casinos is likely to continue in the future. Some of the big name operators are still reluctant to start accepting them for reasons mostly having to do with regulations. However, there are already some movements in this area, especially in the European Union, and once laws become clearer and better-defined, there’ll be every reason to include cryptocurrencies as another alternative available to the players.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
Trends described in this blog are prime example of how the online gambling industry always strives to stay ahead of the curve. Early adopters of many new technologies, people in this industry realize they need to take advantage of every edge they can get and waste no time doing it.
Apart from it obviously being good for the industry, this tendency also has advantages for other professional areas. Online casinos often serve as testing grounds for some concepts and ideas. Once proven, other industries can then proceed to use them in their respective fields with much more confidence.
All in all, it is clear there are many exciting things waiting for us in the future. The casino industry is always changing for the better. If things continue down the current path, we definitely have a lot to look forward too and get excited about!
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