How is Technology Shaping the Future of Casinos?
Over the last year or so, the online gambling industry has enjoyed something of a boost in revenue and new player sign-ups. This was partly to do with people searching for new forms of entertainment and new ways to make money. As bookmakers and casinos closed their doors due to Covid, more and more people reached for their smartphones to sign up for casinos like kasyno online.
There is also a second reason why internet casinos and online gambling, in general, have seen a surge in business, and that is their use of technology. Some of the best innovations for online casinos have emerged in the last year or so. It is this use of technology that has helped online casinos gain so many new customers.
What is the technology they are using and how will it shape casinos in the future?
Convenient payment methods
Traditional casinos are mostly restricted to cash at the moment. There is one casino in Cyprus that accepts bitcoin and a few of the casino hotels in Las Vegas have bitcoin ATMs but when it comes to gambling, cash is still king.
This is somewhat inconvenient for gamblers, especially high-rollers. There is some talk that regulations may change in the future to allow land-based casinos to accept other forms of payment including cryptocurrency but for now, it is the online gambling industry that is forging ahead.
Online casinos can offer a variety of safe payment methods. When processing data, online casinos use digital encryption to make sure a player’s money is always secure. Many online casinos use PayPal and Stripe which are proven, stable payment processors. There are also options for cryptocurrency, other e-wallets, debit & credit cards, wire transfers, and local payment methods depending on where the casino is based.
Virtual reality may be the way forward
The use of virtual reality, or VR, in digital gaming sites offers a bridge between land-based casinos and online versions. Although 2020 was a bad year for Las Vegas and other traditional gambling destinations, the figures from the year before show just how popular casinos are.
In 2019, 44% of adult Americans visited a casino. This is quite a staggering percentage and can help explain why so many people joined digital casinos during the lockdown. The pandemic may also be partly responsible for VR casinos being the future.
It is unlikely that traditional casinos will see the same footfall in the near future that they have enjoyed in the past. Firstly, many people are now concerned about social distancing and traveling. Secondly, players have discovered the convenience of playing online.
This is where VR comes in. It can bridge the gap of enjoying being in a real-world casino and playing on a smartphone. 3D representations of casinos allow the player to explore the gaming floor, play slots, talk to the other players and the dealers.
Live dealers in digital casinos
One other way that is helping to bridge the gap between brick-and-mortar casinos and digital versions is the use of real croupiers. Not everyone wants to don a VR headset to play slot machines but they might still prefer to have some human interaction.
Live dealers, or live casinos as they are sometimes known, don’t give the same immersive experience that VR does but they do still add human elements into the games. Camera technology is used to show the game unfolding as the croupier deals the cards or spins the roulette wheel. This new method allows some interaction between the player and the dealer while remaining anonymous.
Most live casinos do not allow interaction between players but some are starting to allow this also so that the experience feels closer to a real-life game of poker at a card table.
Esports adding a new area to gamble on
Most online casinos have a sportsbook section where members can gamble on various sporting events including boxing, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball. Now they have a new market to add more interest for gamblers, eSports.
These video game competitions are attracting vast audiences and involve games such as Fortnite, Dota2, and CS: GO. The total pool prize for The International in 2021 is going to be over $40 million which is a world record for eSports.
How much this affects online casino revenues will remain to be seen but land-based establishments are already seeing eSports as part of the future and some have made purpose-built eSport arenas ready to host international audiences.
Virtual horse racing is available at any time
As governments ordered lockdowns across the globe, many sporting events were suspended or canceled. One of these was horse racing. Bookmakers have long been aware of the possibilities of making money from virtual games and in the UK dog racing and horse racing are both offered in virtual form.
This initially came from videoed races that would be shown at private gatherings for people to bet on and win prizes. Then technology advanced and high street bookmakers started to take bets on virtual races after the day’s events had finished.
Now, however, there is far more advanced, 3D virtual horse racing available in a casinó and online. Businesses are making use of this combined with Zoom to allow people to host their own race nights. Traditional and online casinos also employ systems with high-quality animation and AI to display virtual horse racing for their members.
The internet
The biggest use of technology and one which is powering the casino industry forward is the internet. The way that the gambling industry has embraced the net has allowed them to introduce casinos to many people who would never have entered a brick-and-mortar establishment.
Whereas a land-based casino may change its slot machines once a year, online casino sites can introduce new games as often as they like. They are free to include a variety of games that a normal casino may not have including bingo, a variety of card games such as poker, baccarat, blackjack, and also craps, roulette, and other casino entertainment.
Summary
Traditional and online casinos have a range of technology ready to be used to push their businesses forward. The ones most likely to become more popular soon due to advances in technology are virtual reality and live casinos. AI will be used more and other technology such as NFC and RFID will be used in casino resorts to improve the guest’s experience.
