No gambling establishment can escape what the future holds for it. The industry has one of the most rapid growth rates among older markets. It is constantly changing, and 2018 is the year that sees many new trends emerge and old ones become the staple of gambling as we know it. Online casinos in South Africa and around the world will be forced to follow or get out of business.
Read on to know what trends will define the future of iGaming, and what you can expect to see in the years to come.
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While vintage looking slots and classic slots are going to remain the backbone of any reputable casino, many people are tired of them. Recent recipients of top industry awards get them not for classic games, but for innovative ones.
It is true that some classic video slots are becoming best sellers in online casinos. However, the critical mass of games that challenge the common perception a slot is accumulating.
The changes are made in the mechanics of the game, the animation and the point of the game itself.
The easiest innovation to observe is The Valley of Gods by Yggdrasil. It looks and feels like a common slot, but it’s not. It changes between 3×3 and 5×5 slot, effectively growing in size if you get a win streak.
It gets harder with graphics. There are amazing 3D slots out there with cinematic cutscenes that look like something taken out of a blockbuster movie. Hanzo’s Dojo is a great example of a slot elevated to another level.
The interactive slots are what really challenges the nature of online gambling as we know it. They transform a slot into something more than a mere slot. There are games with storylines or even whole secondary gameplay to them.
Castle Builders, for instance, is not just a game where you spin the slot to win money. As you do that, you build castles across a huge kingdom. Different castles give you different perks and bonuses in the slot itself.
It is these kinds of games that are going to dominate the market soon.
Gambling on Mobile Devices
Statistics provided by the Gambling Commission states that the number of people in the UK gambling zone who play online is 35% and growing. This is reinforced by more general data about people using their smartphones to access the internet more.
Due to the increase in numbers and decrease in prices on smartphones, the web is quickly becoming mobile. All businesses that don’t want to be left on the wrong side of history are forced to become mobile-first.
Even one of the biggest and most beloved PC franchises is now developing a mobile game, Diablo Immortal. This reflects a major trend that spreads across all industries, gambling included.
With 35% of gamblers engaged in remote betting, land-based casinos become a place of luxury. They are suffering a decrease in growth because of that, even though the numbers remain comparatively high.
Cryptocurrencies in Online Casinos
Also one of the major trends on the web nowadays, crypto is making its way into gambling as well. There are three ways in which the world of crypto is mixing with the world of gambling.
The first one is the easiest one. Since the creation of Bitcoin back in 2009, there have been a lot of arguments about it. Some called it the future of currency, others, a Ponzi scheme. Despite the arguments still being held, many if not most casinos accept BTC as a payment method.
It is the definition of reliability if used correctly. It is anonymous and safe, which is a good perk for those living in countries where you can’t legally gamble. It is soon to become a global payment system.
Some casinos also accept Monero, Dash, Ethereum, and Litecoin, but most prefer to be on the safe side and only take payments in a cryptocurrency that proved to work, BTC.
The second way is casinos starting ICOs and offering to bet in their native cryptocurrency. There are few such casinos right now, but the number is going to grow. It is a great way to bet because all bets will be completely transparent.
This leads us to the next way crypto influences gambling. It is blockchain. This network used for all cryptocurrencies has found its way into online casinos.
The perks are immense. You know full well that the casino is providing fair services. Withdrawals are instant, as casinos don’t have to employ people to check whether you are a fraud or not. The smart contract does it for them.

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