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May 29, 2020

The ever-growing casino industry: technologies and trends that are reshaping the market



The global gambling market, which covers casinos, sports betting, lotteries and other forms of gambling, is expected to reach $565.4 billion by 2022, growing at an annual rate of 5.9%.



While the popularity of brick-and-mortar casinos is indisputable, there is another form of gaming that seems to attract more enthusiasts than ever before: online gambling. The online gambling industry has grown tremendously in just a few years, and it’s all thanks to the emergence of new technologies that allowed online casinos to really step up their game. Gaming platforms, such as those found on CrushingCasinos.com, are growing in popularity, as casino enthusiasts start discovering how comfortable it is to do everything from their home.

Virtual reality, artificial intelligence, big data, and blockchain technology have the potential to reshape the casino industry as we know it, and they are already doing so. We chose a few of these technologies and analyzed them to see how they are impacting the casino industry both in the online and offline environments.

Online platforms

Online gaming platforms are booming right now, as people find it much more convenient to play from home, rather than going to a brick-and-mortar casino. Players can have the same experience of a casino night, only they can do it from wherever and whenever they want to. It’s like being able to teleport to a casino at any moment.

Casino platforms have gone out of their way to create a variety of games for players to enjoy. Slot machines, poker tables, blackjack, and even roulette, everything is available on an online platform. In addition, players are often greeted with a variety of first-time prizes and bonuses for opening an account, something that is rarely happening in traditional casinos.

Reputable platforms are user-friendly and provide players with the means to learn everything they can about the gambling industry. Players can create game rooms, play against friends, or enter private sessions, just as they would in a traditional casino. 

Hybrid games and VR

Hybrid games are, as the name suggests, a combination of online and land-based casino games that see, to attract more and more fans lately. They combine the experience of online slot machines and games, with the presence of a live dealer on hand. This is as close as it can get to a real casino experience, which is why players are so hyped about it.

To increase players’ engagement, online casinos have started integrating virtual reality and augmented reality into their games. These provide gamers with a unique experience, being able to actually be in the same (virtual) room with those they are playing against, or enjoy a realistic slot machine experience.

Integrating virtual reality, together with hybrid games, into the online casino world means players are one step closer to fully submerse into a unique casino experience.

Artificial intelligence

AI is present in all industries, and casinos should be no exception. Regular video games are using AI on a daily basis to make the computer think for itself and interact with the player. This is something online casinos can use as well, to boost user experience and bring it as close to reality as possible.

An integrated AI assistant can suggest games to players, analyze their evolution and give advice, remind them of important tournaments or deals happening on the platform, or simply serve as a companion throughout their casino experience.

What’s more, AI can help prevent fraud by tracking the eligibility of players and prevent fraudulent activities. Powerful AI software can recognize someone even if they have altered their appearance, by using a variety of sensors. This can be used both in online and traditional casinos and operators can be alerted in case of suspicious activity.

Alternative payment options

In both traditional and online casinos, players use fiat currencies to pay and play, but what if there could also be alternative options for this? And what if that option involves better transparency and could improve trust in online casinos?

Blockchain technology is known for being very difficult to tamper with, which is why many online casino platforms are encouraging their clients to use digital currencies to place deposits. Bitcoin, being the oldest cryptocurrency available, seems to be the preferred one for both the players and the house. Bitcoin deposits are much more reliable and less likely to be frauded, improving the safety and reliability of online casinos. Even though the number of online platforms accepting crypto deposits is still small, more and more operators are considering this option.

Big data analytics

Big data is probably one of the most important technological advancements. Being able to gather massive loads of information, analyze it, and extract only what is relevant has tremendous potential for businesses, regardless of their size or field of activity.

Online casinos can leverage big data to gather important information about player habits and improve their activity by personalizing the interaction with each player. Each player has unique skills and favors a certain type of game, so knowing all that information and using it could help casinos form a closer relationship with clients.

What’s more, big data could help monitor games activity and inform online platforms which games get played more often, and which ones need improvement.

Cybersecurity

Cyberattacks happen more often than ever before, and for online casinos that can be a huge problem. Clients are investing money in their accounts and they share personal information, two of the things that seem to interest hackers most.

Fortunately, cybersecurity is just as advanced as cyberattacks, which means online casinos have all they need to fight against hackers, provided that they invest in it.

The casino industry was and will be for a while now, greatly influenced by technology. We went from playing in a brick-and-mortar casino to playing online from anywhere in the world, games got more intuitive than ever and online casinos have more tailored experiences for each player. All of these changes led to the gaming industry we know now, and will only continue to reshape it.



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