I can remember my first trip to a casino. I was 22, and me and some friends headed to a small, local outlet in the centre of Birmingham. Suffice to say I had a great time, although one thing that struck me was how rustic the experience was and the fundamental lack of accessible technology throughout the casino.
Of course, this was more than a decade ago, and long before technological advancement and innovation took the gambling market by the scruff of its neck. With mobile gambling industry now worth in excess of $100 billion by itself, technology has clearly had a huge effect on the market as a whole, changing the way in which we access and play casino games beyond all recognition.
3 ways in which Technology has truly impacted on the Casino Market
With this in mind, it is worth asking exactly how technology and innovation have altered the course of the casino industry. Here are three prominent examples: –
The Introduction of Kiosks and the Modernisation of Land-based Casinos
Before we even get onto the standalone concept of online gambling, it is important to consider how technology has changed the slew of land-based casinos and betting shops across the globe. From the incorporation of digital currency such as Bitcoin to the deployment of touch-screen betting kiosks in high street bookmakers, offline gambling has never been more accessible or easier to comprehend.
Such innovations have also created a more convenient consumer experience, while bridging the seemingly insurmountable gap between off and online platforms.
The Rise of Mobile Gaming
We have already touched on the rise of mobile gaming, which if current trends are sustained will become the primary channel for virtual casino gameplay in the next decade. With popular, online casino outlets such as royalvegascasino.com already boasting their own mobile app, it is only a matter of time before this medium supersedes traditional PC and laptop gaming.
The evolution of mobile devices is also underpinning this evolution, particularly since dedicated gaming tablets have begun to enter the consumer mainstream. Intriguingly, tablet gaming revenues are set to exceed $13 billion across the globe by 2019, meaning that the platform will have doubled its output in just five years and outstripped the performance of smartphones.
Clearly, this is a niche to watch with interest over the coming years.
Online and Three-Dimensional Gaming
Of course, the mobile gaming drive began with the concept of online gameplay, which has itself benefitted from numerous innovations over the course of the last decade. Take the development of three-dimensional gameplay, for example, which helped traditional players to make the transition online and enjoy a more authentic gaming experience. This has been developed further in recent times with the rise of live, virtual gaming, where online players can play for genuine cash in thrilling, real-time tournaments.
With virtual and most crucially augmented reality hardware set to become mainstream gaming accessories during the next 18 months, online gaming may be about to take its final steps into the corporeal world. This will create even more realistic and immersive platforms, while potentially sounding the death knell for smaller scale bricks-and-mortar casinos around the world.
