Online Casinos in 2021: What trends will be big?
Every new year presents the chance to reflect on the previous one and predict what might emerge from the year ahead. In the rapid-moving world of online entertainment and technology, there are always exciting trends sprouting.
The online casino industry is ever-developing and 2021 will be no different. With key changes in the way people are gambling and some exciting tech advances on the way, the best online casino providers must stay ahead of the curve to keep players satisfied.
This article explores some of the trends you can look forward to seeing throughout the year in online casinos.
5 Online Casino Trends to Look for in 2021
Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
Blockchain and cryptocurrency have been the talk of the town in the early days of 2021 thanks to Bitcoin’s surging price rally. The original and most well-known cryptocurrency saw huge value gains throughout the first month of the year as it grew to over US$40,000 per Bitcoin.
There are many coins like Bitcoin that can be used as a form of currency for casinos such as Litecoin and Dash. The impressive potential gains for crypto mean more people will be using them and the pressure for businesses to accept them will increase.
As long as the prices and news surrounding these coins remain in the news, we will continue to see more online casinos adopt them as a payment method.
However, the world of crypto isn’t only interesting for casinos as an alternative form of payment. The technology behind cryptocurrencies, blockchain, has a much wider array of uses.
In simple terms, blockchain technology provides a secure method for recording data in such a way that it becomes virtually impossible to change or “hack” the data. This is achieved by copying and distributing all transactions that take place across an entire network instead of the traditional method of having a single, centralized database.
Blockchain technology presents many opportunities for online casinos from enhanced fraud prevention to proof of legitimacy and many more. I expect more online casino providers to explore the tech over the coming year and to begin finding inventive ways to make use of it.
Faster, More Accessible Mobile Casinos
Over a decade ago, 4G mobile internet technology was released and provided groundbreaking mobile browsing and gameplay speeds. For online casinos, it was a revelation that meant the apps could deliver a quicker, more visually-intense, and engaging experience for players.
Now, we have seen the release of the incredibly fast 5G network. As the 5G rollout sees support in more areas of the world, online casinos will be able to take advantage of this new technology.
The lightning-fast 5G is likely to provide the biggest boost for casinos that offer more demanding games such as live-dealer sessions and live-streamed multiplayer games like Poker tournaments.
All of these changes point to a much more mobile-focused and convenient way of playing in online casinos. Instead of using a laptop or desktop computer with a faster, wired internet connection, the 5G network can provide the same kinds of speeds direct to mobile devices.
Virtual Reality Casinos
Virtual reality is one of those intriguing technologies that seems to have been on the horizon for a while now without really taking off for the general public. However, that all seems set to change as companies work to make VR tech more accessible to everyone.
Many people feel the latest device from Oculus, the Quest 2, is the first real step in bringing virtual reality gaming to the home. The device doesn’t need a powerful computer to run and doesn’t require a huge web of wires and cable to be set up.
The increased accessibility will make VR more popular and more casino providers will need to take note of the trend. We’ve already seen some virtual reality casinos pop up and I imagine this number will only increase during 2021.
If you add in the fact that most of the world is likely to be spending much of this year under some form of restrictions due to the pandemic, the demand for a lifelike casino that can be accessed from home will be even greater.
Live Casino Experiences
This one follows on nicely from the previous point about the demand for more true-to-life casino experience. A happy middle-ground between visiting a real casino and playing on computer-generated games are live casinos.
Live casinos are essentially live-streamed games and are the closest thing you can get to playing at a real casino table over the internet. Players can take part in Roulette, Blackjack, Poker, and many of the popular traditional casino games with a live dealer online via a video link.
This is a huge plus for regular visitors to physical casinos as they get to see the games played with real decks of cards and real Roulette wheels. Despite there being regulations and laws in place to prevent it, some people still feel computer-generated games are easily rigged so prefer to play with the real equipment.
More Online Casinos than Ever Before
As you can tell from the exciting new trends we could be seeing this year, online casino gaming continues to be extremely popular and growing. According to research, the online gambling industry is set to grow to around US$127.3 Billion by the year 2027. 2020 predictions state the industry was worth around the region of US$50 Billion.
Such huge predicted growth is with-doubt going to attract the attention of investors and big business corporations. Gambling has always been an interesting sector and online gambling, due to the comparatively low barrier to entry, poses an even more inviting prospect.
The result should be a big influx of online casino websites and apps throughout 2021, which should only be good news for the players with more games and bonuses to tempt them.
