While most people cannot imagine a time when they couldn’t video call someone across the world, order a meal via an app and have it delivered within the hour, or play online casino games on the go, all these technological advancements are fairly recent. Before the mid-1990s, the only way to enjoy casino games was to drive to the nearest brick-and-mortar casino, making it a rare and special occasion for many.
Today, online casino technology allows you to experience a massive selection of high-quality gambling entertainment from the convenience of your mobile devices, with the casino industry at the forefront of the latest advancements in virtual technology.
Microgaming pioneered the digital casino industry, launching the Gaming Club Online in 1994, which offered just a few of the most popular casino games, like blackjack and roulette. At the time of its launch, many people didn’t own personal computers, let alone an internet connection. Still, the venture was massively successful, and technological advancements continue to grow the multi-billion-dollar industry.
We’ve come a long way since the early days. Playing casino games online is more popular than ever, thanks to their convenience, game diversity, bonuses, promotions, and more. Take a look at casino technology, online games, and some of the most pivotal developments in the virtual casino industry.
Recent Developments That Have Changed the Way People Gamble
Live Dealer
While virtual casinos offered a multitude of advantages over land-based casinos, many players still missed the atmosphere and social interaction that traditional casinos offered. Around 2007, however, casino software got to the point where the first live dealer casino games could be introduced to the market, paving the way for a live, interactive, and atmospheric casino experience from the comfort of your home. Now, players can enjoy the best of both worlds for a number of popular choices, such as table games, wheel games, and more.
These games take place in a studio and offer high-definition streaming with live webcams providing a variety of camera angles. Each table has its own game controller (GCU) and encoding feed from the table to the users to offer smooth interaction between the dealers and the players. The GCU works with optical character recognition (OCR) technology, which collects game data and overlays it on the screen. This technology records every detail of information in the gaming room, such as a spinning roulette wheel or shuffling cards, offering players a real-life experience.
Mobile Gambling
Recent developments have made it possible for players to play at an online casino for real money wherever they are and whenever they choose. When looking at how technology has changed the gambling industry, mobile technology is up there with the most pivotal. Modern virtual casinos have been fully optimized to serve a variety of devices so that players can enjoy high-quality games, whether they’re playing on their home computers or smartphones. These apps make it easy to switch between devices, too, ensuring a much greater level of ease and accessibility for regular players.
The “Gambling Statistics 2021: The Definitive Guide” on Time2Play states that:
“Across all age groups, smartphones are the most popular devices for online gambling, with 50% of gamblers expressing this preference. Laptops are next at 23%, but the only age group using tablets for gambling are the 35–44-year-olds. Around 75% of 21–24-year-olds use their smartphones and the remaining 25% their laptops.”
This shows that while new, mobile gambling has become a firm favorite among online gamers.
3D Animation
Slots have become a particularly popular casino option, whether at a land-based or digital casino since they don’t require the skill many table games do; they’re easy to learn and play. They also have a low buy-in with the potential for big wins. Online slot machines deliver colorful and exciting gameplay, providing a simple concept and classic design that has been adapted over a variety of themes, with modern slots incorporating a range of new features.
To really bring these games to life and make up for the lack of a buzzing casino environment in which to play, game developers have started making use of 3D animations and other graphics in these games, which provide a unique and engaging element. This is one of those casino industry trends that will only improve in the next few years, and you should expect to see developers taking game animation to new heights.
Blockchain Technology
As technology evolves, casino enthusiasts are now offered a variety of safe and fast payment gateways, such as online banking, PayPal, Apple Pay, and more. The newest technology allows users to initiate payment via cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and others. This blockchain technology allows for data transparency, anonymity of financial transactions, decentralization, and low transaction fees. While still fairly new, not all casinos have integrated cryptocurrencies into their systems, but this virtual currency will soon lessen the risk of identity theft and scams, making it an exciting development in the industry.
Data-Driven Gambling
While pop culture often depicts artificial intelligence (AI) as robots taking over the world, the casino industry has managed to integrate this technology in intelligent ways that have and will continue to make the online gambling experience an enjoyable and highly personalized one. AI is an advanced technology in casinos that has been used for several years and will become even more central in the near future.
Virtual casinos are leveraging AI-enabled data methods to gain insight into user behavior and patterns to adapt their offerings to customers’ needs, wants, and preferences. When playing casino games online, you may have noticed that after a few sessions, your feed is more personalized, displaying games that are likely to pique your interest based on what you’ve played before. This tailored experience will continue to expand in the future, with data analytics used to create a more engaging gaming experience.
Gamification
Online casinos have used technology in a variety of ways to create exciting and engaging gameplay, from HD graphics to bonuses and promotions. To give a competitive edge, these casinos have also introduced extra features to their clients, making leaderboards, tournaments, and more an option for players looking to take their skills to the next level. This kind of technology is influencing the way that people gamble and will continue to have an impact for the foreseeable future.
Exciting Developments in the Pipeline
VR and AI
As mentioned, AI is already showing up in virtual gambling in a number of interesting ways, and people expect to see more of this in the decades to come. Another exciting development on the horizon is the introduction of virtual reality (VR) in casino games, which, though still in its early years of development, will serve to create a highly lifelike, immersive experience for players who play from home. With the widened availability of virtual reality headsets, players can visit an actual casino, join via VR in casino games, have real conversations, and interact with games from wherever they are.
Augmented Reality
The Pokémon GO phenomenon woke the world up to the possibilities of AR, even though it was generating less fuss than VR at the time. Augmented reality casino games are on the horizon, and they will enable player-to-player interaction. Where VR takes the player elsewhere, AR superimposes things into reality. This could be used in casinos to add something akin to side quests on the casino floor, or they could transport more options for interactivity for those playing at home.
Gesture Control
While live dealer games immerse players in the casino atmosphere, gesture control is virtual gaming technology that will allow players the opportunity to interact in an even more natural and lifelike way. This sort of technology comes in the form of gloves that users put on, making it possible to forgo keyboards, mouses, and mobile phones used as controllers and instead interact exactly as they would if they were sitting at a live casino table or slot machine.
Security Technologies
Online casino technology is used to protect you already, but with increasing cyber threats, hacking, fraud, and more, there’s no doubt that this is an area that is going to continue to evolve at a rapid rate. Online casinos like BetMGM are committed to doing everything in their power to protect their customers, and this means that online casino security is evolving at a rapid rate.
Explore the Best Entertainment at Casinos Online
Discover the latest casino games, along with the most cutting-edge software, when you register with BetMGM. BetMGM’s casino offers an impressive range of online casino table games, slots, variety games, and more. Check out the blog to learn how to play casino games and get the latest news and insight on casino gaming.
