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The casino industry is seeing exceptional growth due to legalization activities taking place across the United States, in addition to the general expansion of the experience economy being seen worldwide. Globally, the casino and online gambling sector as a whole has now reached more than $260 US dollars in market size.
Worldwide events including the pandemic have brought challenges for traditional land based casinos in recent years, however as more people spend time at home and seek in-home entertainment, this has allowed the online industry to flourish. Playing online casino real money games is an increasingly popular pastime and technological advancements are quickly improving and creating new experiences for gamers.
So, what are some of the ways in which technology and technological developments are impacting the casino industry?
Table of Contents
Accessibility and convenience
Just a couple of decades ago, most people looking to enjoy casino games would need to visit a bricks and mortar venue in their area. While online casino games have been around since the roll out of the World Wide Web in the 1990s, these games were very basic by today’s standards and computer ownership in the United States was still only at 35 percent by the latter half of the decade.
By contrast, in the digital era nearly everyone has access to a high-speed device they can game on at a moment’s notice – whether this be a smartphone, tablet or laptop. There are thousands of top casino games like poker, blackjack and roulette specifically developed for online and in-app play.
This enables players to fit casino gaming into their busy lifestyle, no longer do they have to plan out and find time for a visit to a physical venue. Instead, they can log on to their favorite casino sites from the comfort of their sofa or commute to work.
While bricks and mortar casinos still have their place and are great for nights out and special occasions, the development of the online experience has made casino gaming highly accessible and convenient for many players.
Enhanced graphics
Two dimensional graphics were once the norm for internet based casino games, in the early days of their development these games had rudimentary graphics that compared with basic video console games. However, the transition to newer three dimensional graphics has revolutionized the visual experience that players have.
These two dimensional graphics, while they did the job they were created for, lacked realism and depth. Pixelation and the lack of creative animation prevented the user from fully immersing themselves in the game.
With the creation of three dimensional graphics, gaming software developers have been able to add much more intricate details to their games. Bright and brilliant visual effects and more realistic animations help to replicate the feeling and grandeur that comes with the in-person casino experience.
Other innovations have followed on from 3D development, games now have more cinematic intro and outro sequences, more interactive features and bonus mini-games, as well as creative themes and captivating soundtracks. Basic games have been replaced by those with in-depth storylines and adventure.
Recent technological developments impacting the casino industry
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The development of AI technology has been fundamental in improving the online casino experience and has many applications for these sites. Improved customer service is one benefit of AI, with many sites now using AI run chatbots to answer customer enquiries and provide 24/7 support.
AI is also used to analyze players’ behaviors and preferences, this allows the casino to offer personalized promotional offers and bonuses. This improves enjoyment and relevance for the player while also helping to increase casino user numbers and profits.
The technology also improves the security of online casino sites. AI technologies involved in SSL encryption help to protect player’s financial details and prevent fraudulent activity that could damage the casino’s reputation and ability to hold the appropriate gambling licenses.
Virtual Reality (VR) casino experiences and Augmented Reality (AR)
More recently, casino game developers have begun to experiment with how VR and AR technologies could create more immersive games, with experiences more akin to the in-person casino experience. While augmented reality allows aspects of the digital world to be overlaid onto the real world, virtual reality puts the player into a completely new virtual environment.
For example, using AR the player could play on a virtual slot machine that is placed into their environment through their smartphone’s camera. Or, by wearing a VR headset another player could enter a completely virtual casino environment and interact with other gamers also wearing VR headset in the digital space.
As technologies like AI, AR and VR continue to reach new phases of advancement, it is exciting to see how game developers will utilize these within the casino industry. No doubt casino gaming will become even more immersive and interactive in the years ahead.
