Over the last few years, the number of people gambling has increased significantly, particularly with online gambling. Due to this increase, the online gambling industry has grown exponentially and is expected to continue doing so within the coming years. But what does the future of online gambling look like? Let’s take a look!
New Video Slot Special Features
When online casinos first emerged around the late 90s and early 2000s, they generally focused on providing users with a large selection of video slots similar to those found at brick-and-mortar casinos. Since then, as more game developers have emerged, these video slots have become more advanced to include gorgeous visuals and animations as well as new gameplay mechanics and special features to make playing them and winning more fun and exciting.
Over the last ten years, we’ve seen slot developers launch brand new features to change how video slots play. Big Time Gaming launched its MegaWays engine which offers unpredictability. Many other studios began developing games with Cluster mechanics, doing away with the familiar payline system for something more modern and fun.
We’ll likely see more groundbreaking special features and gameplay mechanics like those above implemented into future games as developers try harder to retain customers or create the next big thing.
Regulation and Licensing
The regulations regarding gambling are always changing, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to discover that they’ll likely continue doing so within the coming years, particularly as more people express concern over problem gambling and protections. In fact, as we write this, the UK Government is reviewing its Gambling Act 2005 and is looking to implement some major changes to better protect consumers. This will lead to online casinos getting even better for players and for the UK to stay the frontrunner in online gambling.
Other gambling regulatory bodies from around the world like France’s ANJ and Switzerland’s Gespa plus many more have already announced plans on changing their rules or have already implemented changes to help them better regulate gambling activity within their respective countries.
This will continue in the coming years in countries that have legalized gambling and are looking to better protect consumers. What’s more, we may see some new markets open up or expand their activities such as the United States.
New Casino Game Experiences
While video slots remain some of the most popular casino games around, a very recent trend has seen more gamblers turn towards non-slot and traditional online casino games in favor of sports betting, live casino games featuring real dealers, and bingo too.
This has led many game developers to shift their focus from solely creating slots to developing and releasing games that focus on offering a new experience. More game developers are now running live casino games based on traditional casino titles like roulette and blackjack. Other studios like Evolution have created revolutionary live casino games such as their First Person series or have created completely new experiences like live slots and branded live games to mix things up.
A desire for new fresh content has even led people towards games like Slingo, a combination of slots and bingo, and we may see developers begin creating completely new experiences like this to appease long-term gamblers and offer something different.
Meanwhile, the advancement of technology will allow for more unique experiences. A few game developers such as NetEnt have begun working on VR (Virtual Reality) casino games that offer a more immersive experience. Over the next few years, we may see more developers jump on this VR trend as the technology becomes more available to consumers.
The online gambling industry has come a long way in the last few years, and there’s still a lot of growth potential. We can’t wait to see how it continues to grow in the coming years, particularly when it comes to online casino games and experiences. In the meantime, we’ll continue enjoying our favorite games and will patiently wait for the next big thing.
