Digital technology has changed the way we engage with all forms of entertainment. Most laptops nowadays don’t have CD players, because engineers understand that streaming has made that feature obsolete. Music, films, even television have all gone digital. But, certainly the medium that has most benefited from digitization is video games.
Video games were once seen as children’s toys. They were something for younger kids to do together, while their parents were busy with household work. However, over the years the art form became a lot more sophisticated. Today, games exist for people of any age. As an example, we need look no further than the iGaming industry, which is tailor made for an older, more mature audience.
The Rise of Online Casinos
In the late 1990s, the internet was first unveiled to a broader public. This was the decade when fans could openly purchase a connection to the world wide web, and it was also a time when casinos were attracting a lot of players. So, it only made sense that savvy entrepreneurs would try to merge the two. Unsurprisingly, online casinos turned out to be a huge success.
It all began with simple slot games. Unsurprising, considering the slot machine had been dominating casinos throughout the 20th century. Even today, these games are the main draw of most gambling establishments, online or offline. However, as the tech improved, online casinos became a lot more sophisticated. They began offering promotional bonuses and integrating new games.
A key change was the addition of a bonus that does not require fans to wager. You can learn more about such bonuses by checking Casinofy. The casino portal can help many new gamblers get their foot through the door in the industry. They cover all aspects of gambling, including live casinos, and how livestream technology became widely available. The website has a an entire page dedicated to no wagering bonus options, as well. The integration of live casinos was a huge step for iGaming, which is what we are going to look into next.
The Integration of Live Casinos
During the 2010s, online casinos were enjoying steady success. Certainly, it was nothing major, but it was enough to see that there is a market for online gamblers. By the decade’s end, the industry had exploded in popularity. The reason for its major rise to prominence was one that many anime fans know well; streaming.
Online casino operators had got their hands on livestream technology, and had found a brilliant way to integrate it into online gambling. Living human dealers would broadcast themselves to a global audience, and launch a game of blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, or any other popular casino classic that you can imagine.
Needless to say, live casinos were a huge success. They are not only convenient and accessible, like their online predecessors, but they also bring the immersion and social interaction of land-based casinos that many gamblers found lacking online. In other words, live casinos were the whole package. To this day, there are plenty of fans who visit live gambling sites and happily participate in the games they offer.
The Future of iGaming
Many are curious about the future of the online gambling market. What innovations could possibly take place that will shift the steady course the industry is on? Obviously, none of us can tell what will happen in the future. But, we certainly do have some ideas or predictions about the tech that is going to take over the gambling market.
For example, many gamblers have noticed a trend in online casinos to include original games. All of your favorite casino classics are present, to be sure. But, now you can also try some original titles, inspired by classic retro games from gaming’s history. Considering the success of these specialty games, we might just see more of them in the future. Some might even be fully original, rather than based on a previous IP.
Artificial intelligence is already being used by companies the world over. Not just in iGaming but in finance, education, and more. So, it isn’t hard to imagine that casino operators will find better ways to integrate machine learning software into the industry. With AI, we can expect to see better game recommendations, a heightened focus on responsible gambling, and even curated and personalized lists of games for each individual player.
