Online casinos are driven by technology; the birth of the industry itself was powered by the emergence of advanced technology that allowed operators to offer an exciting casino experience to players directly at home. The industry has been able to offer newer and better experiences to players because of the rapid pace at which the technology behind it is evolving as well.
There are a number of inventions and innovations that have powered the forward surge that the online casino industry has been experiencing since its emergence. Let us take a look at the 5 of them that have contributed hugely to an improved online gambling experience.
The Emergence of Flash Technology
In the early days the online casino was available only in download format. Any player wanting to play the games found online at their favorite casino had to download the software to their computer. That had its own positives and a few negatives as well – for instance downloading took time and there was always the threat of a virus or any other such element attaching itself to the download and infecting a system. The arrival of Flash changed all that.
Flash allowed operators to give players the choice of playing their favourite games directly from a web browser in what is now popularly called the instant play format. The need to download software was taken away, and that was a big improvement that worked for players who didn’t like the idea of downloading stuff to their machines. For the operators, it meant a bigger player base, a win-win for all.
Realistic Play with Live Dealer Gaming
One of the complaints about online casinos was the sanitized approach to gaming. The fact was that finally you were playing against a machine. Agreed that the use of technology like random number generators (RNG) went a long way in ensuring fair play, but the fact remained that you were up against a machine, not another human being. The arrival of the live dealer casino was therefore a massive innovation that changed things for many players across the world.
Live dealer casinos allowed players to get a feel of being at an actual casino because they got to play against a person, a real life dealer. They could see the dealer and converse with them through live chat.
Live dealer casinos aggregated different high-end technologies to offer a 360-degree experience to players. The dealers played out of the studios of the software provider, and some providers even had associations with actual land-based casinos so the action was shot at their tables. The action was shot using multiple full HD cameras to ensure players got multiple angles to view the game from. The footage was then streamed live over the Internet directly to the device of the player.
Taking Online Casino Gamble that Extra Yard with Mobile Casino Gambling
The invention that has possibly contributed the highest to improving the online gambling experience is the smartphone, and also the tablet. The online casino had its own limitations in that while the experience was delivered directly to the player’s home, he actually had to be there to experience it. He could not play at an online casino from anywhere else without the safety aspect creeping up.
That changed when the mobile device was first invented. The smartphone is an extremely high-end gadget that integrates various technological elements to offer an elevated experience. The software was advanced enough to allow players to play at their favourite casinos on the go from their smartphones or tablets. The graphics were of full HD quality and there were superb animations and sound effects to back them up. Now, you could play at a mobile casino as you were waiting for your commute to arrive.
For the operator this was a big improvement as it allowed them to work on a truly individualized form of delivery. It directly contributed to a substantial increase in the player base since a significant percentage of the population across the world used mobile phones. This was a direct contributor to increased revenue as well.
Mobile players are compatible with multiple mobile platforms including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry. Players get to play their favourite games directly from their smartphone or tablet and also use all the promotions that are generally available at the desktop casino. Casinos also offer special bonuses to attract mobile casino fans.
The Advent of Social Media Gambling
One of the biggest developments that has changed our lives is the advent of social media. People love being on social media, and it is a great avenue for business as well. The online gambling industry has naturally found its space in that area, and social media gambling is quite big these days.
Online casinos offer their games for play on that platform, and there are quite a few of them that offer rewards to players for accessing their social media sites and ‘liking’ the games available there.
Virtual Reality Gambling is Here, and Things are Changing
In terms of the online casino experience, one of the best moves forward is the arrival of virtual reality (VR) gambling. VR gambling is already here, with quite a few casino operators offering it to players. VR gambling simulates the environment of a physical casino in the virtual world and gives players the chance to enter that world and play as they would at an actual casino.
The experience is not limited to just sitting at a table and playing blackjack or strolling around and watching the action unfold. Players are able to do even simple tasks like buying a drink, for instance. The use of a VR headset guarantees a completely immersive experience.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Taking online casino gambling to a whole new level is another game concept that is set to hit the market – augmented reality (AR). AR changes the entire concept of casino gambling by taking away the dependency on a physical device like a computer, laptop, or smartphone. You could get started right away on the surface of a table, for instance.
To Conclude…
All of these things bode well for the online casino industry, as the direct impact is a much-improved online gambling experience compared to what you had may be a couple of decades back. With online casinos able to offer un unique bonuses, and history shows people love bonuses, growth continues to be exponential. There are other advancements as well, such as the use of wearable device technology – a good example of which is the availability of casino gambling on the Apple smartwatch.
Here is another thought that makes for interesting reading. We have already seen the use of fantastic hi-tech in video games, including Intel’s RealSense technology that allows for gesture control to control activities on the screen. Other hi-tech stuff you see there is the use of voice recognition, facial recognition, cloud-based gaming, gaming on-demand, and more. Imagine if all of these were to find their way to the online casino industry. The online gambling experience then would be elevated to levels we can only dream of now!
Main image Photo by Dylan Clifton on Unsplash
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