As 2023 nears, there's no doubt that online gambling and the entire world of iGaming are both sitting at an all-time high. As of the most recent statistics posted, the industry is now valued in the region of $17 billion per year, and that number is already likely out of date given how fast it's changing!
To a lot of people though, when you say gambling they think of Vegas, horse racing or even slot machines at the bar. The truth is, iGaming is one of the most technologically up-to-date industries out there, and it's rarely behind the latest big tech for long.
Most online gambling sites today are now mixtures of different game types, whereas in the past every bookie or casino had its niche. For example, businesses that traditionally dealt in only sports betting or bingo games have branched out and patrons can now play the latest slot games at Paddy Power, and in the opposite direction, it wouldn't be surprising to see any online casino listing football odds or odds for esports, a market growing alongside the gambling sector.
Across the last decade, developers, bookmakers and betting platforms have all been upping their game when it comes to tech. The biggest shift has been the move to make almost 100% of the slots and games mobile-friendly. There are around 6.5 billion smartphone users worldwide in 2022 according to analysis site Oberto, and in the US, around 81% of the population owns a smartphone, the highest percentage in the world.
Major slot developers have latched onto this idea quickly, and it's guaranteed that every one of their new games coming out is mobile-focused. It's become an industry standard; if a new slot game comes out these days that isn't mobile-friendly, it isn't expected to do very well. Given that the number of mobile users has already far outstripped the number of other platforms, this makes a lot of sense.
Another aspect that has also been pushed amongst developers of late is interactivity, especially within live game show titles. They have a reputation for being among the most engaging games, which often have live hosts, live chat, and take on a game show feel.
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They've embraced a whole range of the latest tech, including VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality). Features that only entered mainstream video gaming recently but rapidly, with the latest statistics from Earthweb showing their total value at nearly $22 billion. Recent games include Gonzo's Treasure Hunt, the live version of a slot staple which lets players use VR headsets to interact with a 360-degree game world, and projects AR characters alongside the host for the live stream.
So where does it go from here? As devices and interactivity are a big focus for developers right now, it's not a matter of 'if' something new comes in, but 'when'. With that said, it's nearly impossible to know exactly what's coming out next, as the 'next big thing' could be anything, but we'd expect that VR will be making a lot more appearances.