The online gambling market is on track to be worth $73.45 billion by 2024 and most of the credit goes to technological advancements that opened bigger doors for online gambling, especially when it comes to attracting a wider audience and reaching more countries despite legal issues facing the industry.
Experts are also predicting that more states in the US and other countries will start legalizing gambling this year adding to a boost in its market.
With things looking good for the industry, here’s what we can expect in online gambling technology for 2019:
1. Online Gambling Goes Mobile
According to surveys, 62.9% of the world’s population will own a phone this year, which means good news for online gambling operators who are taking their business on mobile phones. Aside from browsing through tricks on blackjack for example, gamblers can now enjoy the ease of placing their bets or playing in casinos on their mobile phone. Mobile gambling apps have emerged in the last few years and almost every major bookmaker and online casino already as a mobile app available for all devices.
Sports betting ranks first for mobile consumers, especially in the United Kingdom where most adults have placed a bet at least once in their lives. Last year, we’ve seen many operators invest large sums of money on advancing online casinos on mobile platforms, and with more apps no longer charging players to get a membership, we’ll surely see a huge increase in casino users taking their games on their smartphones.
2. Online Gambling Evolves With Technology
Online casinos have come a long way since the first games with basic 2D graphics were introduced in the 90s. Today, casinos and the best online betting sites already feature state-of-the-art 3D graphics and some have already started adapting virtual and augmented reality last year. This trend will continue to grow this year, especially with more gamblers looking for a more immersive experience when playing their favorite games.
3. Online Gambling Embraces Cryptocurrency
While Bitcoin suffered from a devastating crash last year, the use of cryptocurrency is still growing in online gambling. More online casinos are embracing cryptocurrency as a form of payment due to an increasing number of online gamblers preferring cryptocurrency as their form of money.
Security is one of the biggest reasons for players using cryptocurrency since block technology is not connected to any bank account and will not require players to provide financial details when transacting with cryptocurrency. Most online gamblers also enjoy anonymity when playing online, which makes cryptocurrency very lucrative for them.
4. Online Gambling Goes Social
There was a time when introverts would never want to go to a casino to gamble because they will need to socialize with other players. But these days, anyone can enjoy a good time at the casino without being socially awkward. Friends can play together or compete against each other in table games, which means that there is no need to mingle with strangers.
Social and multiplayer gaming options are increasing rapidly in online casinos and it will continue to grow further in the coming years. A lot of online casinos are also introducing real-time gaming and interactions where players can communicate with other players or with dealers in a live game.
Facebook and other social media platforms are also introducing more online games this year, which will make the industry more interesting to a lot of gamblers.
5. Online Gambling Becomes More Secured
While security has always been one of the biggest challenges for online gambling, 2019 will see more developments in technology that will help increase security in online gambling sites. Login features like voice recognition and fingerprint, for instance, will be used in mobile apps to allow players easy access to their accounts.
Finally, sports betting will increase its presence this year. As of 2018, sports betting already take up 30% of the entire online gambling industry and we will see this number increase in 2019, especially with more US operators set to offer online sports betting service with the legalization of online gambling in at least five US states. States like New York, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Mississippi, New Jersey and Delaware will also be making headlines in legalizing sports betting in 2019, so we will be looking forward to more operators in the country this year.
The online gambling industry has definitely come a long way since its inception in the 1990s. And 2019 will surely bring more technological advancements that will contribute to the continued growth of the online gambling market.
