When people think of gambling, thoughts of huge casinos and smoke-filled poker rooms often come to mind. From the early ’90s, gaming has had a radical facelift. Technological advancements have allowed players to access online casino games from home.
Easily accessible and often with low entry barriers, the internet has converted the gambling image from one of serious poker-faced men to a more fun, leisurely pastime. The original online games launched were a little clumsy, but as advances were made in hardware and software development, the games improved over time.
We have come to accept online games as a little bit of fun on the side, with an opportunity to make some money if lady luck is on our side. But how far has the online gambling industry come? We explore the latest technological advancements in online gambling and how it affects the players and the operators.
Graphics And Animation
Online gamblers are always hungry for new and exciting games to play, including slots or free video poker games, believes our expert Kevin N. Cochran. Keeping a player interested and occupied for a significant amount of time is becoming more challenging. Casinos need to keep up with the ever-evolving advancements in graphic design and animations if they hope to keep attracting players.
So, in turn, the operators demand better looking and sounding games from the developers. Many development companies such as Evolution games online specialize in developing online casino games. They make sure to make the games dynamic and immersive. Long gone are the days of pixelated images and awkward movements. 3D animation is becoming more and more in demand for online gamers.
Virtual Reality
Everyone has heard of it, and we know it’s the next big thing when it comes to online gaming. Virtual Reality is set to transform gaming completely. It’s a small step to take for players to don a headset and be transported to a whole new environment. It tantalizes all their senses without even leaving the comfort of their chairs.
Imagine for a moment being inside the casino. Hearing the background buzz, seeing the decor, a waitress walks past, and you feel the slight wind as she passes by. Sitting at the poker table, you pick up the hand that was just dealt, and feel the cards between your fingers. They move as you rub your fingers together. The dealer looks at you and smiles, the game begins. The Reality is, you’re sitting at home on your couch, wearing a VR headset linking to the online casino of your choice.
Developers have been working on improving this technology for years and improving on the experience it can deliver to users. Online casinos will not have a choice of whether they’ll offer this feature to players; it will be demand-driven by the players themselves. With people being subjected to so many external stimuli, online gambling technology will have to take the next step toward VR if they want to remain relevant in the market.
Mobility
The entire world is mobile. This statement might seem a little bland, but it’s a fact that developers need to consider the moment they start developing online games. Populations are no longer physically bound to an office or a city or even a country. Where the people go, the technology must follow. Online gambling needs to be mobile, whether it’s in the form of an app, special downloadable software, or an optimized website.
More people around the world own mobile devices than desktop computers, considering that many smart devices are in themselves mini computers. Online gaming operators have to embrace mobile technology if they don’t want to cut off a large portion of the market.
Blockchain Technology
At the mention of blockchain, thoughts of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency come first to mind. It’s what has made the possibility of P2P transfer of cryptocurrency possible. It seems that the gambling industry has already embraced this technology fully.
Blockchain has allowed for increased security and faster transactions, which can be automated and are anonymous. There’s no need for gamblers to hand over identity documents to the casinos. This goes a long way in protecting the individual but could cause some legal issues in the future for casinos who are trying to keep to regulations.
Business Analysis
Using predictive analytics, casinos can get a better idea of what their players want. Using this data, casinos can streamline their products and services to fall in line with the demands of the player. It will also help casinos decide on what new games and products to offer. By improving the customer experience, it will ensure that the casino has repeat business.
Networking
One of the thrills of online gaming is the ability of players to be able to connect and play a game online. The gambling industry has followed suit whereby you can now join other like-minded players in a game of poker online. It makes gambling a bit more social and offers a more immersive experience.
Social Marketing
A challenge many online casinos face is getting players to their virtual door. To reach their customers, online casinos must use the technological benefits of social marketing. Just an advert describing their current gambling deals will not do much in reaching the masses.
The social platforms have, over the years, improved with many statistical technological features now available to help online casinos in targeting the correct people. Google, Facebook, and Twitter have tools that, when used correctly, can make an operator stand out from the rest of the market.
Artificial Intelligence
The sheer number of players that go online to gamble has preempted the use of some AI technology in coping with customer communication. Chatbots are a prime example of AI in action. They are coded with auto-response messages according to specific keywords and lines.
This reduces the need for human interaction for some standard questions. For example, ‘how do I open an account?’ can be answered by the chatbot. AI is also used in the game development process for the games where players choose to play against the machine instead of other players.
Wearable Devices
Online game developers must keep an ear to the ground with regards to the development of wearable tech. Even though many already offer a mobile option for standard smart devices such as phones and tablets, more technology is emerging, such as 3D virtual hologram screens. It will only be a matter of time before any new technology like that filters through to online games.
The Bottom Line
We are sure to see more technological changes to come in the near future. Developers must prepare for these inevitable changes if they want to remain competitive.
