We haven’t consulted our crystal ball, but we do think we could make some educated guesses about the future of online gambling. It’s heading in a certain direction now, and understanding how the industry has developed gives us some insight, too.
The last decade or so has shown us a few key changes, including the ability to play at a live casino online and the increase in mobile gambling. Apps, HD streaming and solid broadband connections have made these changes possible. They’ve also been prioritised by casino operators as ways to appeal to more customers, as the experience has been enhanced.
Let’s take a look at how technology and catering to customers will influence online casinos in the years to come.
Technology’s Influence
While we could dream big about what casinos could become, all of those changes need to be facilitated by technology. Online gambling is a competitive industry, which means operators are willing to innovate and use cutting-edge technology. Casinos will be looking at the current advances to see how they can be used to enhance their customers’ experience.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is getting more sophisticated, which means its uses will be even more diverse in the future. At the moment, AI is already in use at online gambling sites. It’s particularly handy for providing quick responses through live chat as a chatbot. These initial automated conversations will improve as the AI can answer more complex questions.
We can also expect artificial intelligence to play a role in other areas. Security seems like an obvious choice, as AI can check huge amounts of data at once, looking for patterns and flagging threats. Providing game suggestions based on most-played titles could be another benefit.
Virtual Reality and the Metaverse
In the foreseeable future, virtual reality could change the way we experience casino games. It’ll be the next step up from the live casino, which brings us closer to the traditional brick-and-mortar experience. Instead of watching an HD stream, we’ll feel like we’re really there with the sights and sounds of a roulette table.
Further ahead into the future, casinos could occupy space in the metaverse. A virtual world accessible from different devices where players are represented by avatars. The concept of the metaverse is in fairly early stages, but many tech companies are investing in exploring the capabilities.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology has already brought us crypto payments at casinos. They’re fast and secure, and the operator doesn’t charge a fee. There are several aspects of the technology that can be used in other areas.
Blockchain casinos can already be found online. They offer anonymity when registering, but they also offer different types of games. The majority are provably fair titles, where the player can enter a seed into the algorithm. After playing, they can check the result and see that it hasn’t been manipulated. We could expect this approach to become more mainstream and more uses found.
Customer Demand
Technology facilitates the changes, but operators aren’t picking up on any new advancement just for the sake of it. Any developments need to make the casino stand out and give the player a better experience. One way to find out how to do that is to listen to what the customer wants. Here are three potential demands that will be met in the near future.
Social Gaming
As much as you can immerse yourself in a casino game, the online version can often lack a vital ingredient that brick-and-mortar casinos offer. It’s a social aspect. Even if you’re not that interested in playing against other people, a community of players creates a different atmosphere.
If you can have fun with your friends or meet new people while you play, the experience will be even better. Casinos will likely integrate forums, player communities and game chats to boost social gaming. Integrating those functions with tournaments will give players a shared topic and a sense of competition.
Immersive Experience
Players will be impressed by virtual reality as playing at a casino is a great way to have fun and escape from daily stresses. There are other ways to kick the entertainment value up a notch and make playing more immersive.
We can expect to see slots and even table games with stronger narratives. Characters, animations, themes and soundtracks all improve the playing experience beyond the idea of winning or losing.
Safer Gambling
Players need to feel secure online. While protecting against hackers and enabling safe transactions is an excellent start, casinos will want to consider their responsible gambling efforts.
Many operators are already committed in this area, but improved technology and increased legality of gambling will call for a more joined-up and sophisticated approach. We should expect more intuitive limits and tools, better access to support and bigger campaigns to make the differences between responsible gambling and problem gambling clear.
