Gambling has flourished online. It is an activity that has developed into a form of entertainment that has swept the globe. In recent years, it has become increasingly more popular. It looks well set to rival – and eventually overtake – more traditional forms of bookmaking and gaming.
Gambling has now become well aware of the power of the internet. It took a while to get there in most countries around the world. But today, tighter regulations and restrictions regarding online gambling are being relaxed in many places. This is seeing a heightened interest in how to grow the sector, and keep it evolving.
As technology develops still further, there is a lot of space for online gambling to grow.
Here are five trends that could be a big influence on the future of gambling online.
VR and AR Gambling
Virtual reality gambling is an exciting trend that could be a huge factor in the continued success of online gaming. In some ways, it expands on the idea of online activity as you could essentially visit a physical casino without leaving the couch.
Simply by donning a VR headset, a player can experience the sights and sounds of the casino in action. The fact that they don’t have to physically travel there ties in with the overall convenience of online gambling.
Forecasting the growth of virtual reality within gambling is not a new thing by any stretch. In 2016 big players such as Samsung and Facebook were boldly predicting that the new tech would be popular with consumers.
Augmented reality is another buzz-word friendly technology that has already shown huge potential for the gambling industry. Initially thought of as an add-on to the physical casino experience, there is new a concentrated look at opportunities for online use as well.
AR can work wherever the player is, from bricks and mortar casinos to home living rooms. Players are playing with technology in a real-world environment and the AR transforms elements visually and sonically. It’s possibly thought of best as a real-world special effects department to tap into.
Both VR and AR technologies have huge potential to transform the way we play and gamble online. The new tech will continue to offer an ever more immersive and thrilling experience.
Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency can interact with online gambling to great effect. Allowing players to use their Bitcoins, Ethereum and Binance coins draws crypto-savvy players to the games.
Gambling games that are popular across the world could benefit from drawing in crypto gamblers to the game, both the players and the sectors benefit.
Cryptocurrencies can make the process of deposits and withdrawals in a gambling account smoother. Using the altcoins can also influence the odds of a game or competition.
Use of cryptocurrencies in online gambling business also legitimises the currency. The more it is used, the more it becomes embedded in the public consciousness as a valid form of money.
Internet of Things and AI
The internet of things or (IoT) is the technology that allows different devices and platforms to communicate with each other. This has had a significant influence on the security of online gambling. Allowing all devices to be only accessible to their rightful users with the latest smarts is a strong factor in making online play safer.
Another huge feature of the IoT is its potential for data gathering. This is something of greater importance to online casinos and gambling companies rather than the players themselves. Online gambling groups can use data gathered via IoT to further personalize experiences.
Artificial intelligence or AI is ties in with this as well. Whether a computer can really think has endless ramifications for all sorts of areas. In online gambling, it could affect the odds and randomness of a computer deal. AI ‘dealers’ are a clear use of the technology that is already in use across online casinos.
Not long ago, an AI bot defeated a number of established poker players, prompting questions whether poker bots could soon dominate online poker such as 888poker.com, thankfully operators have measures in place to guard against poker bots, but if they were able to get involved, they would likely see plenty of success.
There will also be all sorts of consequences for competitions and games where AI ‘characters’ are allowed to play. AI has now become so good that it actually learns as it goes on.
In the past, computers were programmed to perform a set of tasks to instruction without ever breaking the coding.
Nowadays, AI allows computers and machines to break free from the coding and learn from experiences and mistakes as we do. This will make them better players, and much more competition for any possible human vs AI encounters.
Further Legalization
The state of play for online gambling differs widely from country to country. Nations such as the United Kingdom have experienced the business benefits of allowing gambling companies to trade online.
The situation in the USA is rapidly changing. Each state has different policies regarding how gambling is controlled. In the past, online activity was often not allowed. This meant only off-shore companies could trade in gambling activity.
Now state after state is making amendments to regulations and policies. This will continue to open up the gambling sector to playing online. This will have a significant impact on international play. Companies and players will be drawn to American based online casinos. Groups based in the USA will have the resources and influence needed to make a profound success.
As we can see, there are factors both technological, social, and political that will influence the course of online gambling in the coming years. But if one were to take a bet on the matter, the odds would be favourable indeed. The increased convenience, security and playability of online gambling does not look like going away any time soon.
