The Future Of Gambling: What Does The Future Hold?

Flick of the digital dice

Play games of chance for money; a bet." We tend to associate the word 'gamble' with those classic Western movies – featuring their cowboy-hat-clad and cigar-smoking heroes, stage-coach escapades and fiesty women with swirling skirts and unexpected gun skills. While the term has been around for many thousands of years, the labour-intensive dice games and bingo halls of the past have now moved on, along with most other pastimes, into the fast-paced online space.

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When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the former clientele of casinos and bookmakers were soon found logged onto their smartphones and tablets, which saw global gambling revenue grow as much as 13 percent from US$59 billion in 2019 to US$67 billion in 2020. And, according to a recent report, the "Online Gambling Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth and Change to 2030", it is expected to reach around US$72,02 billion by the end of this year – and to surpass US$112,08 billion by 2023. Health and physical safety have, of course, been key factors in these individuals' switch to online gaming – plus it's great fun to play poker, black jack or the slots in a virtual casino located, at all times, only a click, or two, away. You can even play for fun, in demo mode, if that is your budgetary preference.

The report focuses quite extensively on the role of tech in the future of gaming. As a result of virtual reality (VR), for example, it is now possible to enter a virtual casino and to play all the games on offer without having to cough up for train, air, fuel or other travel expenses (not to mention the accommodation you're likely to require when travelling out of town). Then there's blockchain, which insists on transparency among online casinos and other gambling sites so that fraudulent activities and any form of cheating are unable to see the light of day.

Burgeoning smartphone adoption is another factor driving growth in the online gambling scene. According to Statistica, global smartphone user numbers increased from 3 668 million in 2016 to 6 378 million this year, with the countries with the highest number of users being China, India and the US. Perhaps it's the flexibility offered by being able to play on the go that suits most individuals who rank this pastime; mobile users typically account for 80 percent of all online gamers in most countries, reveals the report.

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If the developers behind an online casino app have thought predominantly of their desktop players, they'll now have their work cut out for them to restructure and reposition their software package so that it's as mobile friendly as can be. Ways to achieve this include the following:

1. Dual functionality: Allowing you to start a gaming session on a fixed device (such as your desktop PC or Mac), and to continue with it after heading out – say in the Tube, train, bus or during your lift-club commute to work (assuming you, of course, aren't that day's designated driver). To avoid the irritation levels of getting into a game only to discover the app you're on does not cater sufficiently for mobile players, test this functionality from the outset.
2. Ease of use: Games should load without a hitch, once the app has been downloaded from the relevant play store. Payments, whether crediting you to play games in advance or giving you credits to use within a game, should be just as easily – and securely – made. Any queries for customer service? You should be able to reach their team and ask your questions at the touch of a button. So be sure to check out these concerns before getting stuck into a lengthy game of – say – poker.
3. Special bonuses and loyalty rewards: Sports-betting apps offer these readily, but if you find a mobile casino that does the same, they're progressive – stick with them and score!

Mobile players can look forward to push notifications, alerting them to the start of a fresh game or deal; can browse articles that review the top 10, or most popular, online casinos in a particular region or that offer a particular game; and are likely to choose to play, increasingly, where the experience is seamless across handheld and desktop devices. Other emerging trends include a preference for live dealing and betting for the realistic and thrilling online experience it provides; the ability to use cryptos such as Bitcoin, Doge and Cardano to transact in the online space; and the increasing possibility of being able to play or place a bet via a wearable, such as a smartwatch, in the very near future.

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Think that's as far as things will ever go in the gaming world of the future? Perhaps it's time to refresh your memory of the scene in Star Wars: The Last of the Jedi, where colourful aliens in elaborate costumes play slot machines called "Galactic Streak" or "Stars Awakening"; and in the extreme sports-betting vibe of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, where onlookers could bet on which gladiator they predicted would win his fight and make it out of the alive. Just combine these mind-blowing scenes with our current race towards the fourth industrial revolution – and you'll agree that nothing is impossible.

Samuel Daniel

Update 25 June 2021