5 Tech Trends That Will Define iGaming in the 2020s

It’s hard to believe that we are trundling towards a new decade, and just how fast that new tech has poured out over the last 10 years. Consider that a decade ago, nobody had really heard about things like Uber, Snapchat, Instagram, Airbnb, IWatch and, of course, Bitcoin. Moreover, general trends like the internet of things, artificial intelligence and virtual reality have really come to the fore.

For the iGaming industry, a broad term for the online casino and betting industries, the past decade has also seen hugely significant changes. For instance, the first live dealer games hit online casinos a few years ago, transforming the industry in the process. But real excitement is still bubbling at the developer level, where huge amounts of money and time are being poured into creating new experiences that will compete with other forms of media. Below we look at five areas that are in development, and will possibly define the industry over the new decade:

Unfolding Gaming Worlds

Can you imagine casino games based on fantasy worlds with updates being added like you would see with games like GTA 5 or Call of Duty? Well, Playtech, whose best online casino games you can view by clicking here, have fired the first shots in that area by creating Kingdoms Rise. This is a series of four games, which are interconnected across a fantasy world (looks a bit like Warcraft or GOT). You can earn coins in one game, and spend them in another to launch special features etc. It feels like the start of something very important.

Bigger Jackpots

Sometimes the best innovations come from incredibly simple solutions. How do you get bigger jackpots without getting players to place larger stakes? Simple, you connect games through what is called a progressive network. Basically, if you link games across different casinos and countries, you can use tiny amounts from each wager to create multi-million-euro jackpots in a very short space of time. More and more games are becoming linked, creating an economy of scales situation. In the last few years, we have seen several low stakes casino prizes of €20 million-plus, and it’s going to grow in the coming years.

Virtual Reality

Online casinos are going in for VR, as well as AR and MR, in a big way. In fact, almost all of the huge iGaming conventions will at least showcase some sort of new game or development in this area. The dilemma, as such, is where to go with it? Is it enough to create VR experiences where you will be playing poker or blackjack? One would argue that that’s not enough. Developers seem to understand that and are working on harnessing the technology to create more adventure games.

Skill-Based Games

Perhaps inspired by the millions of millennials playing Fortnite and watching eSports, there is a feeling among casino operators that they must bring competitive video gaming to casinos in the coming years. Several software companies have come up with workable prototypes, including a casino Pac-Man game. More ambitious projects seem to be in the works, led by companies like Synergy Blue.

Cryptocurrency

A really interesting one. Casinos are usually at the forefront of accepting innovative payment methods. At the moment, major online casinos shy away from crypto. Why? For a number of reasons, but the top of the bill is the fact that gaming regulatory bodies do not like the anonymity that crypto offers. But you can expect that casino operators around the world are looking at the likes of Libra from Facebook, and hoping that the mainstreaming of crypto means there will be softening of attitudes by the authorities. The market will inevitably demand, so expect cryptocurrency to be ubiquitously accepted over the coming decade.