Statista estimates the worldwide online gambling market will be worth $66.7 billion in 2020. This value will rise to $92.9 billion by 2023. To capitalize on this development and expand their market share, gaming enterprises and online casinos must ensure their goods reflect new online gambling site trends.
But identifying true trends is difficult. A fast internet search may lead you to assume that VR and blockchain are about to revolutionize the business. However, the reality is far more convoluted. Furthermore, many descriptions neglect the most important trends by focusing on the flashy, new, or high-tech developments. Safer gaming may not seem as thrilling as crypto, but it is. IDNSPORT
Table of Contents
1. Cryptocurrency
Blockchain technology allows for the creation of digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. However, online merchants should consider a few factors before accepting bitcoin payments.
Crypto transactions are untraceable (or at least extremely difficult to track), making them perfect for individuals desiring to remain anonymous online. While this is a positive move for data security, it is a negative step for online gaming. Online casinos and sportsbooks must gather some information about consumers to protect them and prevent fraud. This need is incompatible with cryptocurrency anonymity.
Moreover, although cryptocurrencies are gaining popularity, they are still far from mainstream. Currently, adding bitcoin payment options to online casinos and betting shops is not financially feasible. So, for now, gaming businesses don’t have to worry about cryptocurrencies’ anonymity.
2. Virtual/augmented reality
Ten years ago, most users were glad mobile gambling existed. Since then, both digital expectations and the quality of available online casino and sportsbook applications have increased dramatically.
Since Facebook/Meta announced Metaverse, VR/AR has gained more attention and continues to improve gaming immersion. Already, PokerStars Sport offers VR items. With VR’s motion mimicry, 3D avatars, and live interactions, the digital poker experience now closely matches the actual thing.
Despite this, clients must purchase pricey VR/AR headsets in order to use these functionalities. As a result, VR/AR remains a slow-burning online gaming fad.
3. E-sports Betting
Esports betting allows for new data-driven client experiences, more accurate betting, and more in-game betting options. Applause just issued a full review of esports betting potential for bookies.
While esports betting was a big trend last year, Joos and Pilgrim doubt it will continue to expand in 2022. Betting on online games like FIFA was popular during the epidemic, but not on DOTA 2. For Joos and Pilgrim, this shows esports betting was only ever a lockdown substitute.
Napoleon Games & Casino survey found that bettors are wary of esports betting because to concerns about the legitimacy of computer-based games. This may alter as technical knowledge develops. In fact, esports betting is more trustworthy than regular sports betting, which has had its share of scandals.
4. Wearables
Smartwatches are becoming more popular for fitness monitoring, chatting, and gaming. They’re also becoming more strong. So it’s no surprise that gambling companies like Playtech are already producing slot machine applications for Apple Watches.
The benefits to operators are clear. A smartwatch is more visible than a smartphone, thus users are more inclined to play games on a whim (like whilst standing in a queue). As a result, players are less distracted by unnecessary buttons and information on existing wearables than on mobile devices.
Gaming applications for smart watches are a limited market and customers prefer to access online casinos and betting sites through desktop or mobile. It’s also tough for gambling operators to plan for all options with so many proprietary operating systems available. Even versions from the same manufacturer range greatly: some have circular displays, while others feature angular or mechanical/digital display components.
5. Social Betting
Bettors enjoy to talk about their picks and share stories. This has evolved to a number of online community betting features:
- Sky Betting’s “Request a Bet” option enables clients to put up a group bet by pooling money.
- Superbet Group provides a popular community platform where users challenge and comment on friends’ wagers.
- Betbull is a platform where users may post bets openly for others to wager on (Pilgrim dubs this model “betting with the herd”)
Social betting has had comparable success in other markets, but has been reluctant to catch on in the UK. Before entering new countries, online betting companies should do a country study to gauge local interest in various social betting models.
6. Micro-betting
Sports betting used to be all about big wins. Which team will win? So, what are the odds? How many goals will be scored in a match? A player scoring the next goal, taking the next corner, or getting a red card is a micro bet.
It’s difficult to manually record all results due to the magnitude of micro bets. In order to disperse results, several online betting organizations utilize AI, making tiny bets pricey. If online sportsbooks want to fully gain from this trend, they must choose which events to accept bets on and which to exclude.
7. Superior mobile applications
One of the most significant yet underestimated online gambling trends is better applications. Users choose online gambling applications based on app quality. Check out Applause’s guide to designing customer-loving gambling applications for professional design tips. Recommended:
- Expect legal developments and going above basic criteria.
- Use a modular tech stack to enable/disable functionality.
- Make it simple for new users to join up.
- Improve discoverability of relevant bets/games
Localization is crucial, say Joos and Pilgrim. An app’s success in one area doesn’t mean it will be popular elsewhere. Offering a worldwide betting or online casino portfolio requires more than just translation: it requires localization.
8. Safer Gambling
New safer gaming legislation continue to be implemented, which have an impact on the way online gambling experiences are designed. Gaming operators are increasingly adopting an active approach in incorporating safer gambling into all phases of the product development process, rather than just waiting for new legislation to be published and retrofitting goods to comply with them.
When it comes to safer gaming in 2022, just checking the appropriate boxes will not enough. Operators who are conscious of their responsibilities should go above and above the legal standards. Online casinos already provide pop-up windows that alert customers when they have been playing for a lengthy amount of time, while some allow gamblers to establish their own deposit limitations.
9. Gambling offerings from the core entertainment companies
One online gambling trend that is gaining popularity is the introduction of gaming products from well-known entertainment corporations. Netflix has previously published games based on its television shows and movies, which might indicate that the company is considering launching online casino games in the future.
Disney is considering forming a partnership with a third party in order to seek sports betting agreements. Considering that Amazon has lately begun selling live football streaming, it is possible that the company may follow suit and begin taking bets on those streams as well.
10. USA betting
Is it possible that internet gaming will acquire traction in the United States by 2022? Betting is becoming legal in more states throughout the nation, expanding the market for betting operators in the process.
Until recently, fantasy games served as a substitute for gambling in the United States, providing Americans with a more palatable method to wager. These clients are highly convertible because they have previously showed a propensity to pay for games analogous to poker, in which participants contribute money to a pool and the winner receives the whole pool.
Ending Notes
When a new online gambling trend arises at online casinos, it is critical to seize the opportunity to profit from it. This entails determining precisely how each trend may be converted into features in a manner that makes the most sense for end users, as well as evaluating new features to ensure that they are not just functional but also actually valuable.
