In iGaming, innovation is key. Offering players the same old, same old doesn’t cut it – they are constantly looking for something fresh that they can explore. This is one of the reasons why iGaming solutions developers are always looking for the next big thing to offer their players.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to predict what “the next big thing” might be. A few years ago, everyone was waiting for the first native VR-powered casinos to be launched, but it never went past the prototype stage. And a few months ago, everyone was banging their drums about “metaverse casinos” – but this, too, fizzled out pretty quickly. Now, let’s try to be realistic about the future of iGaming in 2024 and look at what innovations we can expect the industry to put forward.
Social elements
Depending on its variation, gambling can be a lonely form of entertainment – but it is known to build communities. Social networks have large betting and casino communities bragging about their wins and sharing their experience with various casinos and games. Influencers in the industry are streaming their games live, allowing others to follow them and comment on their activity. Casinos will try to bring some of this social experience into casinos.
Livespins, one of the innovators in this area, combines real-money gambling and game streaming. On the one hand, streamers play casino games live on the platform. On the other hand, followers can not only watch their streams but also bet behind them.
Casino games like video games
For more than a century, slot machines have barely changed. Elements were added – extra reels, side games – and new formats were introduced, but their basics remained the same. Today, in turn, we have players who grew up with consoles and controllers in their hands, and they want more than what slot machines can offer.
Some game development studios have started experimenting with new game formats. As a result, we now have “cluster” slot machines that work similarly to “match-3” games like “Candy Crush Saga” and other games that completely do away with the basic slot machine format. Find out more about them at playcasino.co.za.
One of the most notable innovators in this area is Evoplay, the studio that has successfully created not just a real-money dungeon crawler but also a real-money third-person shooter game.
AI-powered iGaming
There’s one area where the hype will certainly translate into innovative solutions in iGaming, and that’s AI. If there’s one industry that needs all the help it can get in analyzing data, it’s the online casino industry.
Online casinos have large player bases that have different preferences when it comes to games and promotions. AI will help operators analyze the information they leave behind and craft better game libraries and more attractive promotions.
AI will be able to help betting companies create more effective specials and more. Behind the scenes, it will help bookmakers better predict the outcome of sporting events through quantitative analysis of historical data and taking into account every variable. This will make iGaming faster, more efficient, and more precise at the same time.
Speaking of VR and AR casinos is far-fetched at this time, and the mobile-first approach and the usage of cryptocurrency that others speak of is already old news. Realistically, social elements, video game-like casino games, and the usage of AI in iGaming are the innovations we expect to see in the industry in 2024.
