1. Live Dealers
The ideal casino for new gamblers is probably a mobile application with the conveniences of a land-based facility. Software providers work in this area, and live dealers emerged as one of the solutions to bring the real-life experience to online gaming.Simply put, a live casino is a stream from a particular broadcasting studio with real croupiers and tables. Players can join the translation and make bets using the virtual interface. Modern technologies allow creating high-quality streams not for desktops only but also for smartphones and tablets. The most popular live dealer's games are blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and poker. Though not every live casino features a mobile version, it is a trend that is soon to be commonplace.
2. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
The increasing popularity of VR and AR is definitely a trend that represents the gamers’ interest in having a mind-blowing experience, the more graphics, the better. While augmented reality has a wider adoption in games and professional apps, virtual reality is welcomed by gamblers.Giants from the IT world like Google, Samsung, Sony, and HTC are working on various VR solutions. But for now, only a few casinos support such a level of immersion. We should wait a bit longer to see virtual casinos identical to real ones on their level of sounds, lights, moves, etc.
Among others, HTC Vive is a leader in the VR industry for gamblers, not least due to the cooperation with IGT.
3. Progressive Web Apps and Cloud-Based Apps
Let’s go deeper into the topic of the gambling experience. While live dealers and virtual reality solutions represent a high level of immersion, certain types of innovations define a high degree of convenience. The most recent idea of UI/UX improvement is progressive web apps or PWAs.These projects combine the best from native applications and web-based pages. PWAs exist like simple websites but can be installed on smartphones or tablets to offer a safer and faster experience. Cloud games are similar. They are located on cloud servers and can be shared on numerous devices without installation. This way, gamblers can save free space on their devices. But still, these projects are a bit unusual and not that much adopted by gambling.
Take a closer look at these projects: Google Developers that was the first to introduce progressive web apps; PWAStore that contains different apps, including casinos; IGT is a leader in cloud-based gambling innovations.
4. Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
Probably, this trend is the most notable right now. With the outstanding hype around digital coins and various blockchain-based projects, the gambling industry has realized that it can benefit from implementing these things.Blockchain systems allow online casinos to provide a more transparent and safe experience. Users can use their private crypto wallets without depositing fiat money. In blockchain casinos, gamblers are able to check the results of RNGs and be sure about the legit house edge. Additionally, blockchain and cryptocurrencies eliminate governmental monitoring, making gambling entirely anonymous. Overall, that’s a win-win scenario for gamblers and casinos.
Various blockchain-powered gambling projects are listed, for example, on CryptoSlate.
5. Social Gambling
Ultimately, there are two types of gambling. One is based on real money bets and is considered traditional. Another one is called social gambling. It allows players to bet using system tokens that have no value in the real world. For social gamers, the fact of betting and communicating with other users is more significant than possible earnings. Surely, such people can gamble for real money, but they apparently prefer social projects. According to several reports, the number of social gamers has increased in recent years.There are hundreds of social casinos online. If you need in-depth stats, check Technavio.
Gamblers Are Switching to Mobile Apps
To get the phenomenon of mobile gambling, it’s better to start with the online market in general. According to the Technavio research conducted in 2016, the industry is rising rapidly, not least due to the continuing legalisation – 85 countries allow their residents to gamble online. The same report claims that the total value of the industry will be more than $60 billion by 2020.Moving to mobile gambling individually, surveys show that users switch to smartphones and tablets from desktop versions more often. By several reports issued by the UK Gambling Commission, we can track the evolution of the market. In 2016, 43% of bets were placed using mobiles. In 2017, this number increased to 51%. We can say that gambling on the go becomes more popular all over the world. You can also check information from Google which started its mobile-first indexing initiative in 2016.
The conclusion is clear: software providers should focus on developing solutions for mobile platforms compatible with all devices.
