Last year – when the world stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we had to stay inside to comply with social distancing measures and new health protocols while cities went under lockdowns – several businesses were forced to close doors and shut down physical operations. This also affected the gambling industry, one of the favorite pastimes in India, as land-based gambling facilities had to close down.
However, several industry reports concluded that the iGaming market, or online gambling, was able to thrive during this period, with significant revenue increases and a surge in the number of players. Specialists cite as one of the reasons for this quick growth the constant push iGaming operators make towards technology improvements and innovations.
iGaming is certainly one of the industries that benefit the most from hi tech advancements, and in recent years, has undergone complete transformations thanks to new tech trends, devices, and specialized software. An important market in this industry, online casinos are constantly adapting to these new trends, to provide unique gaming experiences with an authentic casino atmosphere.
With significant improvements in services and platforms in the past decade, the iGaming industry became one of the most important sectors in the entertainment industry, especially if we take into consideration the fact that around 41 percent of the world’s population indulges in some form of gambling every year, from lotteries and scratch cards to sports betting and casino games.
When online gambling was first introduced, back in the 1990s following the Internet boom, there weren’t many alternatives or even reliable operators, so these platforms and websites were frowned upon by most people, who feared being scammed, defrauded, or hacked while playing. As technology evolved, these websites became much more reliable, and last year turned out to be safe alternatives for bettors playing from home.
Today, the selection of trustworthy operators is almost endless, and players can choose from a wide variety of websites, featuring the most popular casino games in the world, including roulette, blackjack, and poker. There are even great tools like casinohelp.in, in which punters can find trusted operators, game reviews, and even special bonuses to play their favorite casino games.
But let’s take a look at some of the tech innovations that revamped the iGaming industry in recent years.
Mobile gaming
Smartphones have become an essential part of our lives, and we use them for the majority of our internet activity. From grocery shopping to watching movies and live sports, we can do almost everything in the palm of our hands. Therefore, the quick growth of smartphone usage was an important milestone for the iGaming industry.
The emergence of the HTML5 language allowed developers to create new platforms that could be used across multiple platforms, making it possible for iGaming operators to offer their services on mobile devices.
Today, most operators provide mobile-friendly websites and even mobile apps, with punters being able to play their favorite casino games and place wagers on major sports events around the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Streaming technologies
The opportunity to play online games with live dealers is currently one of the most appealing features of online casinos. Live dealers games, unlike traditional online casino games that depend entirely on random number generators, are managed and controlled by professional croupiers and broadcast to players from land-based casinos or luxurious studios.
This was largely facilitated by the development, popularization, and subsequent widespread use of streaming technologies and services in the early 2010s. Live dealer games revolutionized the way we play casino games online, and we may now participate in live games, and communicate with dealers and other players, rather than merely watching automated gameplay.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality casinos were originally introduced in the mid-2010s, although only a few online casinos offered these experiences. This would quickly change, as VR devices became more affordable, and today, there are a wide variety of operators providing virtual environments in which to play casino games.
Basically, VR casinos are virtual versions of traditional land-based facilities, in which players can enjoy classic casino games, interact with other players using VR avatars, and even visit bars and restaurants within these environments, in an authentic, immersive, and interactive gaming experience.
All players need is a VR headset, which are easily accessible nowadays in a variety of price ranges. Samsung Gear, PlayStation VR, and Oculus Rift have recently been among the most popular devices.
