Casino gaming keeps on growing in popularity. According to data reported on the website of consumer and market data company Statista, the size of the market for the global casino and online gaming industry (meaning activities on which players can wager money) hit $231 billion in 2021. The legalization of sports betting in the US has been a considerable factor in this, with players in several US states now able to wager on sporting events without fear of reprisal from the law. One of the other reasons has been the plethora of developments in technology that have increased the appeal of online gaming and enhanced online gaming experiences for players. Advances in technology have enabled online gaming service operators such as Virgin Gamesto improve their websites and boost their offering so that players engage more with their games and receive as much value for money as possible. Below is a look at how technology is improving casino sites each year and at how players are noting the impact of these improvements. As online casinos have evolved, so has the use of fintech. Operators have incorporated more and more fintech into their websites so that players have more flexibility when it comes to paying to play.
The days of just entering credit card or debit card details are over, something which players have been reluctant to do. Now they don’t have to. Instead, they can link their online casino account with the operator to a digital wallet and use the wallet to make payments or to receive their winnings. This means they only have to provide a mere email address, rather than supply financial information.
Digital wallets aren’t the only option. Although acceptance isn’t widespread in the industry (yet), online casinos are beginning to accept Bitcoin or some other forms of cryptocurrency. The blockchain technology makes life incredibly difficult for hackers, so players who use cryptocurrency see it as a more secure method of payment.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an important part in how online casino operators serve their customers. This technology is helping the companies to collect information on the behavior of players, which they can use to develop or offer new games that might be of interest to players. Operators can also use this information to create promotions from which they feel the players would benefit and inform them about them.
Knowing that players don’t wish to be kept away from gaming for long, operators have also made use of AI to support their customer service operations. The most obvious implementation of this, of course, has been the use of chatbots in customer service. Now, some operators are expanding the use of AI into the realm of processing payments and withdrawals so that players can receive their winnings faster.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have lent a big hand in enhancing the experience for players. As a result, players have been able to enjoy a much more immersive, much more realistic experience. The fact that more players have VR headsets these days has given rise to the emergence of more virtual casinos. Players can put on the headset, enter the casino and feel as if they’re actually stepping into a true-life casino.
The creation of live casino has also added to players’ experience of casino gaming. Players who don’t want to play computer-operated casino games can choose live casino gaming, in which they play a casino game hosted in real time by a true-life dealer. The game takes place in a studio and the casino uses high-quality tech equipment so that the player can stream the game to their device and interact with the dealer, all from the comfort of their home or wherever they happen to be playing.
Online casinos are a juicy target for hackers, who are looking constantly for ways to break through the operators’ cybersecurity systems and access either the customers’ data or the huge sums of money that flow in and out of these businesses, or both. Solid cybersecurity is paramount and something operators take deadly seriously, understanding the damage it can do to their customers and to the business’s reputation.
Operators and cybersecurity experts have worked harder to ensure players’ data is safer than ever before. Cybersecuritycompanies are constantly working on online security to thwart cybercriminals and make breaking through the cyber-barriers of online casinos, banks and other businesses tougher and tougher. The rapid growth of mobile devices has made it crucial for online casino operators to move with the times. If not, they can get left behind very quickly and see competitors surge way out in front of them. Advances in technology have made it possible for software developers to create games suitable for mobile devices and enable players to game while they’re on the move, rather than have to sit behind a desktop computer to play games.
Another important innovation has been the development of the markup language HTML5. This coding language enables developers to personalize gamesso that they function on mobile platforms by making changes to the graphics and sites, allowing them to fit on the screens of mobile devices. Online casing gaming is growing more and more popular, with advances in technology helping to drive it from strength to strength. Players are enjoying more flexibility than ever before in terms of where they play and how they pay, are receiving more customized service and are able to play in much more safety.