What is an online casinos? Well as you might expect from the name, it is a website that enables the experience of playing casino games for real money on an electronic device.
If you visit a top casino online, you will find a vast range of electronic slot and table games set within graphics that capture some of the look of a standard land based venue. The idea behind it is to simulate the real-world casino gambling experience as closely as possible while adding the additional benefits of convenience and 24/7 opening hours.
It has proven to be a successful idea too. The fantastic games choice and ultra-accessibility have made online casinos into entertainment power houses. That success is built on technology though, which never stands still. It means online casinos are an industry with one eye always on the future. This article will dig into what precisely that future might hold.
A Future Fuelled by Tech
That the future of the online casino industry will be determined by developments in technology is beyond dispute. It is those developments that have helped to make it a market leader, but casino providers have to harness them to ensure that they continue to improve the experience for users of the sites.
So what tech developments are likely to shape the casinos gaming future?
AI
Artificial intelligence – or AI for short – is one that the major casino providers are exploring the uses of. AI is sometimes portrayed in a rather sinister light, but there are plenty of possible benefits that it has to offer casino providers and customers.
One very positive AI effect could be an improvement in the data security of online casinos. These are sites that feature real-money gaming and that means customers must supply sensitive personal and banking data to use them.
AI is set to be deployed more and more to detect potential fraud and cyber-crime through the analysis of user data patterns. It has the potential to be a game-changer for online casino security, but that is not the only way that the sites could exploit the opportunities AI presents.
It can also be used to power chat bots that can deal with basic customer questions and to collate user data to enable sites to provide a more customized experience for each individual. That data collection sometimes alarms people, but they will gain from the results.
VR
In terms of actual casino games, virtual reality (VR) seems likely to play a big role in the future of online casinos. This technology has been simmering under for some time, but it is now hitting the mainstream and will be widely adopted by casino companies.
The fully immersive 3D digital world of virtual reality appears as ‘real’ to the user as the physical world. VR casino games could thus enable the player to feel as if they are actually in a casino rather than playing from home.
They could even replicate the experience of being in Las Vegas with total believability. Online casinos have always suffered slightly from the feeling that gambling at home is a bit less exciting and glamorous than going out to a casino, but VR is the tech that can solve that particular problem.
It is perhaps the most exciting casino development on the horizon.
AR
This stands for ‘augmented reality’. It is a technology that sees digital elements added to real world environments to create a mix of the virtual and the actual.
While it might not be quite as revolutionary a development as VR, it still has the potential to make casino games more compelling. Just imagine themed slot games where characters come to life in the world around you rather than staying on the game screen.
Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are already having an impact within the online casino world. There are specialist crypto casinos that only allow people to make transactions using these digital currencies, but the real splash will occur when the mainstream casinos adopt them.
That seems certain to happen because there are clear benefits to both the casino providers and the users. By eliminating the need to provide bank details and other personal information online, cryptocurrencies really reduce the risk of cyber-crime.
They also have the potential to free casino sites from the burden of storing and protecting that information. The speed of crypto transactions is another significant benefit, but users will have to be careful due to the lack of regulatory oversight within the crypto world.
All of these casino tech trends are just around the corner. Research has found that 53% of Generation Z and 34% of Millennials are interested in online casinos and the sites will look to adopt cutting edge technologies to keep them interested in playing.