Exploring The Latest Developments In The Online Casino Sector
The gambling industry is massive, thanks in large part to the expansion of the online casino sector.
Over the last decade, the online casino has entered the mainstream and changed its image from a niche alternative to traditional casinos to a new form of gaming that happens to offer casino games and is open to players of all types.
One of the reasons why online casinos are able to remain so competitive is that they are continuously innovating and embracing new technologies and trends. We are living in an era in which technology is central to our lives, and the speed of technological change is seen as a positive feature (even when keeping up with the latest gadgets gets exhausting!). As a culture, we respond well to seeing innovation from companies, and online casinos play into that love of the new.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the latest developments in the online casino sector. Some of these are tech-based, while others are related to how online casinos function as a whole.
Sweepstakes casinos
Sweepstakes casinos have been rapidly growing in popularity in the United States and Canada over the last five years. They are an alternative to regular online casinos, without the requirement to spend real money. The top alternative casinos provide a casino-style gaming experience that is equivalent to that of regular online casinos.
For those who are unfamiliar with sweepstakes casinos, here is a brief explanation of how they work. Instead of using real money, players at sweepstakes casinos play with two in-game currencies – Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. Neither have any real value but Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for cash prizes. Sweepstakes casinos are also known as social casinos because they add a social element to the online casino platform. In terms of games, sweepstakes casinos and regular online casinos offer essentially the same things.
Both the social element and the fact players don’t have to make a deposit to play are factors in why they have become so popular. This popularity is why an increasing number of companies are choosing to launch sweepstakes casinos.
In addition, sweepstakes casinos are likely to remain a vibrant part of the industry because they aren’t regulated in the same way as regular online casinos. Sweepstakes casinos fall under the designation of sweepstakes, not casinos. This means they can operate legally in nearly every state – even in states where online casinos are banned. A few states have moved to legislate against sweepstakes casinos but for the most part, these casinos increase the accessibility of casino-style gaming.
Live dealer games
Live dealer games have been growing in popularity over the last few years and this trend shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, the most interesting development in live dealer games is the move towards new, more creative games.
Live dealer games allow players to interact with a real dealer and the cards they are dealing. By using optical character recognition (OCR) technology coupled with streaming systems, the cards on the dealer’s table are converted into data that the player can interact with on their device. These games are as close as players can get to a land-based casino experience.
The current trend in live dealer games is the development of games that blend elements of classic board games or game shows with casino games. These games are truly unique and bring a spark of innovation to an industry that can occasionally feel stale.
Augmented reality and virtual reality
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have been at the forefront of conversations about tech in multiple industries, from video games and the art world to smart tech for daily life and business. The VR fantasies of the 1980s have been replaced by more varied and less immersive visions of AR, and demonstrate how it can be used in our lives.
AR and VR for online casinos are being put into play in various ways. Live dealer games are the obvious area where AR has the most potential and is where a lot of the work is being done behind the scenes.
The move towards creating fully VR online casinos is one that has been discussed for a long time. Whether or not we’ll see casino lobbies that we can fully interact with in the next few years is hard to tell. One area where VR may be used soon is to recreate popular, real-life casino landscapes. VR is already being used to create walk-throughs of famous buildings and historical sites. For many people, resort casinos are dream destinations to visit, so it would make sense for the online casino arm of these brands to create VR walk-throughs of their home casinos.
Blockchain gaming
Cryptocurrency remains a controversial topic in the financial world. The blockchain technology that makes cryptocurrency possible, however, is increasingly accepted thanks to the ever-expanding number of uses it has. One of these uses is creating blockchain casino games.
Crypto casinos that operate solely on blockchain technology want to be able to offer games that are also on-chain. Currently, blockchain gaming is fairly limited. The nature of the blockchain has a lot of positives in terms of durability, stability and security, but there are also negatives in terms of scalability and development.
Blockchain gaming has been growing very slowly due to how the blockchain works and the amount of demand for these games. However, as cryptocurrency continues to generate widespread public interest, crypto casinos attract new players, which in turn leads to greater desire for on-chain gaming.
Final thoughts
Online casino gaming is an industry that moves quickly and thrives on innovation. The current trends embrace new technologies and are finding uses for emerging tech. They also provide ways for online casino players to engage in a community. In the coming years, we’ll likely see an increased emphasis on tech and tools that help the online casino experience more closely mimic the traditional casino environment.
