Online gambling is an ever-changing digital landscape. Every year, something new happens in this sector that shakes not only this specific section but the industry. It had drastically changed since its birth in the mid-1990s when credit/debit cards and wire transfers were the only payment methods available. And slots were the only gaming choices inhabiting the best real-money online casinos’ game lobbies.
Today, technological advancements have, naturally, played a massive role in this sphere’s rise. Yet, what has too substantially helped morph it into its current shape are legal changes, gamblers’ needs developing, and a call for operators to do their best in aiding players not overindulging in this pastime. What follows is a quick rundown of several popular trends influencing the progression of interactive gaming, molding this field into something previously inconceivable.
Attempts at Skill-Based Gambling
It is a fact that newer generations need to find classic casino games more entertaining because they grew up in an age where video games were an integral part of their childhoods. Given the high level of cultural integration video gaming has in pop culture, there is nothing unusual about new-age gamblers shying away from chance-based products and wanting to gamble on titles where their expertise plays a role in round outcomes. In 2015, Nevada’s passed laws allowing this. And in February 2016, New Jersey did the same concerning land-based venues. Online, skill-based gambling fish tables are the kings of this genre, but developers are exploring new options continuously.
Streaming Presenter Games
Even though live dealer games have been a thing since 2003, when Playtech soft-launched its Asia-based studio, it wasn’t until the early 2010s that this category took off. In 2017, Evolution decided to take it a step further by introducing a wheel option similar to the Big Six called Dream Catcher. It was this provider’s first foray into game show products, and since then, it and others have gone head-first, manufacturing novel gaming picks in this class. In the past years, they have gone all out by creating options that blend RNG action with presenter gameplay. Examples include Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt and Dead or Alive: Saloon.
Blockchain Integration
The first sets of blockchain casinos hit the Web in 2011. At first, these were primarily primitive, provably fair dice sites only. Around 2014, Curacao-based regulators began licensing these platforms, and they started featuring slots and live tables. Currently, the crypto casino section of this sector has gotten a massive foothold. That has largely happened thanks to these hubs offering thousands of games, unique promos like mystery chests, investing opportunities, and the notion that each one of these sites puts extra effort into building a sense of community among their player pools.
Instant-Play Platform
Yes, some gambling sites offer game-of-chance fun with no sign-up required. That is possible at Pay-n-Play casinos that implement Trustly’s patented payments system. It ties a gambler’s online banking account with a chosen gaming operator, facilitating real money betting action with no registration required. All players must do is allow their banking credentials to get shared with their selected site through Trustly’s encrypted methodology. Expect more transaction providers to invent similar apparatuses that permit instant play relatively soon.
Responsible Gaming Measures
The online gambling sector has always promoted responsible gambling. Nevertheless, post-2020, it has pushed drastically to ensure that gamblers spend only their allotted funds on this hobby. Casinos now participate in universal self-exclusion schemes like UK’s GamStop or Gemrnay’s Oasis, and they have incorporated wait times between slot spins and lower max bet limits. Many have also removed auto-play functions from reel spinners and RNG tables.
Mandatory KYC
Keeping in line with stringent responsible gaming measures, operators also want to stay clear of their users potentially getting involved in nefarious activities, such as money laundering. To stop this, they enforce Know Your Client identity verification procedures that help them verify that their gamblers are who they say they are. Moreover, rumors have begun circulating that gaming entities will soon take these practices a step further, demanding that their clientele provide proof of their source of funds. That will get done to improve cryptocurrency tax reporting and curb instances of people gambling with someone else’s money.
Metaverse Gambling
Betting fungible tokens inside virtual gaming establishments like those in metaverses such as Decentraland and the SandBox was all the rage in 2022. The fad will likely continue in 2023, as these digital worlds will boost their creative potential in the coming year, and more parties will enter their Ethereum-powered economies.
To Wrap Up
Internet gambling is flourishing at a rapid pace. Metaverse betting, instant play with further blockchain integration, and newer game genres are currently driving this sector. And these factors will likely have an even sizeable role in this industry’s expansion in 2023.
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