There is little doubt that iGaming is the future of casino experience, but there are question marks over how the industry will continue to develop and find ways to engage consumers. While their ease of access and staggering variety of games give them the edge over land-based casinos, online casinos and game developers are faced with the challenge of finding new ways to innovate. From virtual reality to cryptocurrency, iGaming looks set to enjoy a successful and groundbreaking year in 2019.
Land-based casinos pay the price
Land-based casinos have been left all at sea by the rising popularity of their online counterparts. The benefits of online casinos used to be their accessibility and their wide range of games available. The former is made possible by players being able to connect to their favourite games on their smartphone with their only restriction being an internet connection (and whether or not the state allows online gambling). Players can access an everchanging selection of themed slot games that reflect current popular trends. Casino Reports have detailed how the revenue of Atlantic City casinos has declined by 5.1% in recent months while the industry of online gambling has seen revenues rise by 15.3%, with players’ requirements from their casino experience changing with developments in technology.
More options than ever before
It is not just variety that sets apart the virtual from the physical, with online casinos now able to offer games that cannot be found anywhere else. Dream Catcher Live is available at the online casino from Betway and marries the old and the new, with its wheel-based game a traditional format but its inclusion of a live host and real-time updates giving players the same thrill of a land-based casino but with the accessibility of an online casino. This type of game is likely to become increasingly prominent and popular in 2019, and may become the default casino experience in years to come. In the same way that HQ Trivia has revolutionized online quizzing due to the presence of a live host and the chance to win big, online casinos will continue to explore ways to make players feel even more connected to the gaming experience while able to play at their own convenience.
Cryptocurrency to take over
The use of cryptocurrency is set to dominate iGaming in the coming years. Decta suggest that the use of currencies such as Bitcoin will continue to swell due to its ease and speed, noting how the Satoshi 300k Rewards Program successfully incentivizes the use of cryptocurrency in iGaming. Over 70% of global investors participating in a report by Huobi indicated they expected a significant rise in the cryptocurrency markets in the second half of 2018, and these trends look set to continue into 2019. Something that seemed disconcerting and perplexing just a few years ago may become the normalized payment experience in iGaming.
Virtual reality to lead the way
With gaming consoles and smartphones having reached some sort of plateau in their development in current form, it is virtual reality that has become a major thrust for tech companies. Virtual reality gaming systems are readily available and will become increasingly popular as their mechanisms are fine-tuned, while business consultants Gartner estimate that by 2020, 100 million consumers will shop using augmented reality technology. The iGaming industry is no different, with advances made in providing an immersive experience for gamers. Net Entertainment are one of the leading providers of gaming solutions to online casinos, with their global reach supporting over 170 casino operators with over 200 games. Jack and the Beanstalk is one of their most iconic interpretations of a classic slot game, with its rich 3D world making it perfect for virtual reality exploration. NetEnt celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2016 by showcasing the slot as a VR experience at the ICE Totally Gaming conference in London, and as virtual reality continues to develop, it is likely that NetEnt will be at the forefront of its progress. 2019 could be the year that iGaming becomes more immersive and interactive than ever before.
Time for smartwatches to change iGaming experience
It is not just virtual reality that may revolutionize iGaming; the advent of smartwatches has turned a commonplace piece of tech into something that can usurp smartphones as the most accessible and convenient means to complete activities. One such activity could be iGaming, with players set to have an increasing range of online games at their fingertips. With the smartwatch industry predicted to reach a global worth of $32.9 billion by 2020, smartwatches are clearly not a passing fad. Microgaming showed the world that iGaming on a smartwatch was possible in 2015 when they pioneered their Dark Knight Rises slot for a Samsung smartwatch. As wearable technology becomes more popular and intuitive, expect game developers to find ways to seamlessly integrate a number of classic casino games into smartwatches.
