No form of entertainment has swept the world like iGaming over the past couple of decades. Predictions say that by 2024, the industry will be worth $100 billion.
With new sites popping up daily and a variety of gaming options to choose from, more and more people are discovering iGaming. Many major iGaming providers also typically offer promotions to attract new players.
One of the most common offers by casino providers in New Zealand are no deposit bonuses, which allow players to play without depositing their own money, meaning they can try a site and games first. These types of offers have allowed the industry to grow.
What is iGaming?
Put simply, iGaming is any form of the game that’s played online. The term is short for ‘interactive gaming’ and mostly applies to online games such as:
- Casino games such as poker, blackjack, roulette
- Bingo
- Sports betting
- Fantasy sports
- Lottery games
Of course, without the internet and its expansion, iGaming wouldn’t exist. This was the main technological development that allowed iGaming to grow.
Multiplayer online gaming began in 1999, allowing users to chat and interact while playing. However, things really got interesting in 2010, and people began wagering through their phones.
In the first few years of people iGaming on their mobile devices, they spent $10 billion.
With 5.25 billion people worldwide online, there is the potential for them to play online. However, different people have different things that they want from online games, whether its brain training or even learning.
That’s why developers behind these games are utilizing and developing new technology to deliver.
Some of the different things that people look for in their iGaming experience include:
- Great design and cutting-edge graphics
- High-quality soundtracks
- 3D Animation
- Excellent story-telling
New levels of immersion are sought after to give the best quality iGaming experience to players.
Without the internet and the advent of mobile devices, iGaming wouldn’t exist. So, what will be the big changes in the future that bring this industry even further?
Let’s look at the innovations in technology that will impact iGaming in the future.
New technology trending in iGaming
With the iGaming industry valued so highly and money pumping in quickly, there is always one eye on the future.
Virtual reality and augmented reality (VR and AR)
By this point, most people familiar with iGaming are familiar with virtual and augmented reality concepts. However, it hasn’t yet been made widespread.
The technology behind it is incredible but complex. The main challenge for operators and developers is to get it to a price point where the mainstream takes it up.
At the moment, headsets can retail as low as $40, but most people want models that cost around $400. There is no doubt that VR games offer a superior level of gameplay.
With AR, where a computer-generated image is superimposed on the user’s real world view, the immersion is brilliant.
The headsets are currently quite bulky, and the Virtuverse needs to develop so users can be safe. When these advances are made, the market will likely explode.
Although technological developments happen every few months, we’re probably still a few years away from widespread use.
Mobile Gaming
Arguably, advances in mobile technology have had the greatest impact on iGaming in the past decade.
In 2020, 2.7 billion people worldwide took part in mobile gaming. That’s about a third of the world’s population.
The basic gameplay on early mobile phones has progressed rapidly. Now players can download and play sophisticated games in seconds.
Free-to-play games are the most utilized on mobile phones, but players are happy to make in-game purchases. However, there are so many different types of games:
- Horse-racing
- Card games
- Puzzle games
- Themed games
- Strategy games
One only has to visit the App Store or Google Play Store to find thousands of games encompassing every genre.
It’s hard to believe, but mobile gaming has still not reached its full potential. Developers strive for even more realistic graphics, improved story-telling, and easier gameplay.
Personalization is a big area that will move mobile gaming forward.
Game improvements in online casino
Something that has been growing in popularity over the past few years is live casino games. Many people who preferred bricks and mortar establishments have been drawn in by playing with a live dealer.
Now, playing at a real land-based casino from the comfort of your living room is possible. Live streaming technology has made this feasible.
Online slots are also under constant development. Once just a game of chance, skill-based online slots are now possible.
AI (artificial intelligence) is being used more frequently in these games. Learning about the player’s:
- Likes
- Dislikes
- Preferred time to play
- What makes a player keep playing longer
- How much they like to spend
- Their style of play
- Favorite games
Thematic gameplay is becoming more personalized too. Now you can control the game mechanics and manage:
- Quest progression
- Missions
- Hunts
- Story fulfillment
This level of control makes it more exciting for the player.
Players have the opportunity to gather power-ups and do additional side missions to gain rewards. With AI, operators can discover which ones players respond to and keep them enticed by tailoring to their preferences.
To stay ahead, game developers will need to employ AI more and more. They will also need to keep their graphic game strong, and game function as easy as possible.
Cryptocurrency
Over the past five years, cryptocurrency has been a hot topic. Mostly people talk about buying and trading it, so how will it impact iGaming?
Online casinos have begun accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment. In fact some sites go as far only to accept cryptocurrency, thus creating a new marketplace.
Proponents of cryptocurrency prefer the ownership they have over their digital assets. They will see the online casinos that use crypto as like-minded and thus choose to play on their platform.
The benefit of using crypto is that it’s one of the fastest forms of payment. Players should expect to see it used more often as it’s widely considered that its potential is untapped.
The iGaming industry is constantly innovating, so huge changes are expected over the next decade. Other things to look out for include:
- NFTs (non-fungible token)
- The Metaverse – a digital world
As online security grows even tighter and players feel safer, this will attract more people looking for light entertainment.
The Five Biggest Gaming Technology Trends In 2022
- Cloud gaming
- P2E Games
- Virtual Reality
- eSports
- Metaverse Games
- Artificial Intelligence
- NFT Games
- The Internet of Things
- Face recognition
- Virtual Avatars
1. Virtual Reality
2. Machine Learning
3. Cryptocurrency
4. Metaverse Games
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