Since the advent of online casinos, casino gaming has seen an incredible rise in popularity on a global level. Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas have all experienced steady growth over the last decade with its accessibility expanding year-on-year.
It is so popular in fact that experts are anticipating the market to grow by over $82 billion in the next three years. There have been several different factors that have contributed to this surge, especially advancements in technology.
The ever-increasing pool of digital casinos means that competition is stiffer than ever. This means that casino gaming is constantly evolving and new trends are changing the market and the way you play.
Lets take a look at the changes that will form digital casinos and gaming over the next few years.
The Rise of Cryptocurrency
Whilst experiencing plenty of doubt and even ridicule in the past, cryptocurrency is loud, proud and here to stay in 2021. With bitcoin now over a decade old, the first ever digital currency has broken and re-broken their price record numerous times over the last couple of years.
There are plenty of online casinos and online slots that accept bitcoin deposits and it was one of the first major industries to offer the service. It has even become the preferred method for plenty of gamers.
What is even more extraordinary is that we are now seeing entire online bitcoin casinos. Whilst they operate similarly to their traditional counterparts, the difference lies in ease of transfer, zero transaction fees and anonymity for the customer.
Perhaps the biggest draw for customers though, is that all profits and losses in bitcoin casinos are not inherently taxable.
Whilst this trend continues its upwards slope, you can expect more casinos to start offering the service. Traditional payments will remain an option but it is reasonable to assume that customers will blanketly use crypto as their preferred method of service in the not so distant future.
Ease of Accessibility
As we are now firmly into the digital age, the way people game has changed. When it comes to accessibility, it can be broken down into a few key areas.
Internet
Obviously without the internet, digital casino does not exist. But without the availability of good internet, customers are less likely to have a user-friendly experience.
The near global rollout of high-speed broadband has been the online casino industries best friend. It has allowed its userbase access faster and created a smooth playing experience.
As the quality of broadband continues to rapidly improve across the world, so will the number of people drawn to online casino.
Smartphones
Most online casinos are focusing on their mobile platforms, with over half of their traffic coming from mobile devices. When looking at the numbers, it is clear to see why their efforts are so heavily geared towards mobile gaming as over 85% of people in the US now own a smartphone.
Due to its portability, owning a smartphone means you can access online gaming at home and on the move as long as you have an internet/data connection. The use of apps as opposed to websites makes it even easier, all available at the click of a button.
This is one of the main changes that is and will continue to affect digital casino. As more of them develop high quality apps, the customer experience will improve thus creating more value to them.
Interactivity
As land-based bookmakers decline and classic pub slots become sparser, customers are looking for different experiences when gaming.
The popularity of video games and eSports has aided casino gamers hunger for a more interactive experience. Whilst most online providers are already creating this for their userbase, it has now spread to larger land-based casinos.
Thanks to rapid advancement in technology, users can access entertaining and engaging online games in different setting to what we have seen previously. Touch screen games and tables and more variety in games is enhancing the live casino experience.
The popularity of video gaming is starting to merge with casino gaming and the crossover will demand better aesthetics and audio visuals to create an altogether immersive event when using both live and digital casinos.
Competition
As discussed previously, the world of online casino is already extremely competitive and there is nothing to indicate that this will stop any time soon. The inexistence of a monopoly on both digital and live casinos will be great news for customers.
Casinos are increasingly willing to part way with potential profits in the form of welcome/loyalty offers to entice users. More often we are seeing casinos placing some of their most popular games in welcome bonuses.
This is likely to not just carry on but get even bigger. Some casinos are already offering huge free spin bonuses to new customers in the hopes of keeping them playing.
Essentially, this will still benefit all parties. Users get to play some of the best, most interactive games available complete with bonuses and casinos give way to miniscule losses in place of higher profit further down the line.
We are already seeing most of the trends and changes discussed be implemented and countered on by the online casino industry. However, the scale of which we are seeing them are sure to become even larger.
As the user base increases and becomes more accessible, the industry will adapt to create the best possible experience. After a huge year so far in 2021, it looks like 2022 could be even bigger.