The Creativity Of The Online Gambling Industry
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Following the development of the modern World Wide Web in the early 1990’s, seeking entertainment on the internet has become a pastime for many. Online gaming has rapidly grown in popularity over the years as technology has quickly become more accessible and games more advanced.
One type of gaming that offers players a sense of excitement and adventure is gambling. By the mid 1990’s very primitive casino game began to pop up on the web.
In 1994 the first online casino went live and by 1997 there were over 200 casino sites for internet users. These websites usually hosted very basic arcade style games. Online sports betting also started to gather pace at this time.
It wasn’t until 1998 that the very first online poker game was released. At this point, the industry was already worth almost $830 million dollars and tech savvy entrepreneurs were beginning to see the real value in the industry.
By the turn of the 21st century, interest in the online gambling industry had exploded. With increased investment, technology and legislative changes, highly creative and interactive games were being pushed into development.
Today the global online gambling industry is worth over $50 billion dollars and by 2024 it is estimated to be worth a whopping $88 billion dollars. Over the years popularity trends for different games and themes have emerged and competition amongst casino operators has become fierce.
What online casino games have achieved the highest popularity?
Game trends change over time, however online slot games have remained one of the most popular over the last couple of decades. Slot games can be found on both dedicated sites such as Wink Slots and on more general casino sites that host all types of games. Their popularity stems from the fact they are easy to play, fun and have exciting themes and colourful graphics. They are a game of chance and so require no skill or experience to play.
Blackjack was another one of the first games to reach the online gambling market. The game accounts for around 31 percent of all online table games played on the internet. Blackjack is a little more complex than slots, it has a number of different variants and requires some skill development.
Closely following blackjack in popularity is roulette. Roulette accounts for almost one quarter of casino table games played online. Players are drawn to this game by its simplicity and the opportunity for high pay-outs. There are a number of different varieties of roulette, with players from different parts of the world being familiar with different variants. There are also an array of betting options to choose from.
These games all exist in a highly competitive market. When playing in a land based casino, customers are likely to stay at one venue during that gaming session. However, when playing online it is easy for players to quickly switch between sites.
There are many factors that influence a player’s decision to choose one particular game or game operator. One major influencer is how much the game excites the player at first glance. Online casinos and developers have responded to this challenge by becoming more creative than ever.
Users of an online casino may switch between sites, therefore gambling providers must be creative and remain competitive to keep their customers.
Many games now have creative themes…
Slot games are particularly well known for their extra creative themes. Slots based on players’ favourite TV shows, celebrities, sports teams, mythical creatures and even historical events are often featured.
Themes are not just used for slot games, they also feature in poker, blackjack, roulette and bingo games. One of the most popular types of themes used are movies. These movies are usually timeless classics such as Tomb Raider and Cleopatra, or new Hollywood releases that prove themselves to be a box office hit.
These themes are portrayed in a number of creative ways. They feature main characters, similar graphics and soundtracks and audio snippets that are reminiscent of the actual film. This method is effective as players often have a preference for things that are familiar to them. If a casino game reminds them of the joy they experienced when watching the film, TV show or sport that it originates from, then they will associate the game with these same positive feelings.
How else are online casino operators able to stand out from the crowd?
Creativity isn’t just reserved for game themes; online casinos often use other creative methods to attract and retain customers. Sign up bonuses and no-deposit bonuses are a popular way of enticing new players. Wagering requirements are used to encourage players that use these offers to stay on their site.
The availability of choice is another important factor. Not only do online casinos have a huge variety of game choices, many also try to give players as many payment method options as possible. Some casinos even allow customers to use cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to place bets.
Cybersecurity through the encryption of customer personal details is also something that prospective players look out for. These players also want good customer service and therefore online casinos are striving to find creative ways of delivering this. Many sites give customers the opportunity to get in contact with them in a number of different ways, with some offering Live Chat features and responsive social media messaging.
Security of an online gambling site is a feature that players will look for in a provider to make sure their payments are secure.
What’s next in online casino innovation?
It is clear that online gambling is a fast paced and highly creative industry. Online casinos will continue to innovate and reimage their sites over the next decade.
With the very recent development of the 5G network, we can expect that mobile gaming apps will become more sophisticated. As this technology provides faster loading times, they will be able to host much more complex and exciting features. Also, as cryptocurrency becomes more widely recognised as a reputable payment method, there will be more crypto-only casinos appearing on the market.
