Considering the current situation, with all the social distancing and most of our daily life moving online, it’s not strange that the gambling industry is also making some changes. Online sports betting and casino games are not necessarily a new thing, they’ve been around for some time now, however, its significant rise in popularity given the current situation is fuelling some major changes and possible improvements in the near or somewhat distant future.
1. A lot more games online
Aside from the obvious global health situation, recent technological advancements have made a lot of impact on the gambling industry on its own. Most of the games that are available in casinos, such as slots or poker machines, are nothing more than software inside a hard shell. It’s easy to make that game accessible through an app or a website. So, you can expect a lot of people switching over to playing on their smartphones instead of going to the establishment itself. It’s easy, fast and can be done from the couch. Aside from convenience, it offers a lot of privacy for players as well.
2. Changes in marketing
Throughout the years, casinos and rest of the gambling industry have usually tended solely to the male population. It’s not uncommon or sexist, it’s just that the males were far more attracted to what the industry had to offer. But in recent years, there has been significant growth in the popularity of games between the females, so some changes are to be made accordingly. This has a lot to do with the availability of games online and through apps, therefore, there are some significant changes to come as far as advertising goes.
3. Introduction of the cryptocurrency
In the late 2010s, there has been a global awakening of sorts, as many people have learned about the cryptocurrencies after the BitCoin price spike in late 2017. As of 2019, several casinos have embraced the use of cryptocurrencies as a valid currency and that trend has continued and it’s expected to grow. What this allows players is absolute privacy, which is very important for some. Aside from that, security for cryptocurrency transactions is on a very high level, so that’s something you don’t have to worry about.
4. Virtual simulation games
In the past few months, there has been a significant lack of sports, so the sports betting industry took a hit. What this brought on, was a form of a simulation game, where you would put two teams head to head and simulate the match. Complex algorithms and data are used to make sure that the games are as much real as they could be and to eliminate the factor of randomness as much as possible, but still keep it there in the right amount. These only tend to develop in the future.
5. Mobile apps
A great way to keep the players playing even if they can’t be physically present in the casino is to provide them with a mobile app. Many online casinos such as ufa.bet have a mobile app, with loads of different games you could play. This area of online betting is sure to grow a lot in the near future, simply because the phones are the thing we use the most on a daily basis. Having a reliable app on your phone that allows you to play whenever and wherever you want is the ultimate goal. There are many desktop versions, also accessible through the phone via web browser and most of them are very well optimized for the mobile experience, but the apps will just offer a faster, cleaner experience.
6. VR/AR
Now, let’s talk about some plans for the not so near future. There are some VR/AR apps you can use now, but in the future, that seems to be the thing that will take over. First of all, let’s just make a quick distinction between the two. AR or augmented reality is basically a 3D experience from a screen, while the VR or virtual reality is the immersive, 360-degree experience. This means you could enjoy a wholesome casino experience with your VR headset from the comfort of your home. You could walk through a virtual casino, interact with other players, play the games without touching your screen but the by just moving your hands in this simulated reality. It’s a futuristic concept to grasp, but there are VR games at the moment, so what’s to say that the gambling industry won’t take the same approach in the near future? Many world’s leading technology companies are already battling as to who will be the pioneer of the first major VR/AR thing, so it’s safe to say that there will be a gambling experience of that sort.
7. Live games online
What this would allow you to do is to play games such as roulette or poker with the live dealer, not a machine. With only a stable internet connection, you would be able to join a roulette table with the croupier at the table and you would be able to bet on it. Same goes for poker, you’d sit at a table with other players, the dealer would deal the cards and you would play just as you would if you were sitting at an actual poker table at a casino. This seems like the change that might come sooner rather than later considering it doesn’t require that much innovation, unlike the previously mentioned VR. Only time will tell, but this certainly seems like a thing that will be easiest to achieve.
8. Security and anti-cheating measurements
Security is a very important factor in the gambling industry in general, not just the online branch. People will always try to cheat, trick or steal and it’s up to the gambling industry to stop them. Many people might worry about their money being secure during online transactions, but many obstacles are set in place to stop potential hackers from stealing yours or casinos money and they’re constantly being updated. Same goes for cheaters and new techniques, casinos manage to stay on top with the use of previous knowledge and as of lately with the help of AI monitoring systems.
As much as the future seems unpredictable and scary, people usually tend to adapt very well to all the changes and that is true for everything. Technology is developing and evolving daily and everyone is trying to adapt and make the most of it.
