Over the past few years, the iGaming industry has gained quite a bit of traction. Ever since this industry started to rise in popularity, it continually delivered great results. The industry’s revenue has been on a consistent rise for quite some time now, and the consumer base is also following suit.
As a matter of fact, the remote gambling and betting options only became even more popular during last year’s COVID-19 pandemic, where gamblers and betters alike were suddenly forced to enjoy their favorite activities from their homes.
But due to the way in which this industry handled the sudden increased influx of new customers, it’s more than safe to say that we can only expect to see it continue going strong in the future.
That’s why we present you with a short list of various technology trends that are expected to have a huge impact on the iGaming industry in the year to come.
The line between video games and iGaming is more blurred than ever
Even though it is quite obvious that iGaming will never be able to replace video games and vice versa, the lines between the two are nowadays vaguer than they ever were. What we mean to say is that many iGaming providers realize the aesthetic appeal of various video games.
That’s why they have begun working hard on implementing some of the video game elements in casino games. Traditional casino games, for instance, have now basically become a rarity on the market and are rapidly being replaced with various RPG-themed versions instead. This trend will only continue to grow in 2022, as the ever-improving visuals and amazing graphics continue to lure more gamblers in.
Virtual reality and augmented reality are going strong
VR and AR casinos have already been present on the market for some time now. However, the fact of the matter is that both of these are still a very rare occurrences. Not many online casinos offer this type of gambling, which is a huge miss. Additionally, the VR and AR game selection is not as opulent as many players would hope it to be.
For that reason, online casinos that wish to retain their relevance and popularity in the year to come to need to look for ways to include this type of gaming experience into their offer. Adding a wide selection of both VR and AR games will not only bring in more players, but it will also have a positive effect on the overall user satisfaction and experience. And since in the entertainment industry, customer experience plays a vital role, there really are no more excuses for online casinos to continue to sleep on such opportunities.
More cryptocurrency, less anonymity
Crypto and bitcoin gambling are becoming more and more popular each day. This fast, cheap, and anonymous way of transferring money has already become a preference of many online gamblers. However, due to the fact that online casinos will need to improve their legal obligations (more on this later), the anonymity that’s promised by using cryptocurrency for gambling will probably no longer be an option.
This will at least be true when it comes to gambling with huge amounts of money, as such a system can easily be taken advantage of. Instead, players will need to provide some sort of identification verification in order to prevent any potential fraudulent behavior.
New and more precise regulations
Needless to say, with such a huge popularity comes great responsibility. This is particularly true considering the fact that gambling often includes real money. That’s when the responsibility of operators and regulators becomes much greater.
That’s why it’s safe to expect new and more precise – and even stricter – rules to be introduced. The fact of the matter is that lackluster regulations don’t really work in anyone’s favor, which is why we can expect to see some serious improvements in this area of the iGaming industry.
Legalization becomes more crucial than ever
Along the same lines, the legalization of online casinos will become more crucial than ever. The days of shady, scammy online casinos need to become a thing of the past. Luckily, we’ve already seen some serious improvements in this field. Today, there are dozens of institutions and bodies responsible for regulating gambling platforms and issuing licenses, which once wasn’t really the case.
Aside from the licensing part, many of these regulatory bodies also check if the operator has tampered with the game algorithm. Needless to say, in case any misconduct is discovered, the operators are most commonly fined and required to correct their mistakes. So, in the year to come, it will no longer be optional to get a license, but it will actually become mandatory.
Live dealer games will continue to rise in popularity
What last year’s pandemic and lockdown taught us is that, although gambling from the comfort of your home is great, people still heavily enjoy social interaction. That’s why online casinos that made live dealer games possible really experienced an influx of visitors.
Being able to enjoy casino games remotely while still having the opportunity to interact with a real live-person dealer proved to be far more interesting than anyone could have imagined. That’s why we can expect to see more and more online casinos embrace this trend which will certainly have quite a positive effect.
Final thoughts
When the iGaming industry first appeared on the market, it was nothing more than a new concept that was full of flaws. Luckily, nowadays, it has grown to become one of the biggest and most lucrative industries in the world. That being said, it’s safe to assume that it will only continue on the upward path in the years to come.
Photo credit: The feature image has been done by Mario Gómez Hernández.
