The future of online casino websites in 2023

Looking at online casinos today and their early iterations back in the mid-1900s, several changes have been made thanks to the advancement of technology. Due to this, new features and games were introduced to casino players, making online casinos some of the top sites worldwide. With endless possibilities for future improvements, the online casino industry looks bright for 2023 and beyond. Here at QWERTYLABS, we’ll provide insights into what you can expect from this booming industry over the coming years. Let’s get started!

How did online casinos start?

The mid-1990s saw the rise of the internet, and people quickly realised how convenient it was. With this newfound technology, several entities began to use it to their advantage by creating an online presence, and one of the industries that took note of this emerging trend was the casino business.

Since then, the online casino industry has had its ups and downs, more specifically with its legality in different parts of the world. Despite these, online casinos didn’t stop reaching a broader audience and as technology continued to evolve, so did they. Fast forward to today, gamblers now have thousands of casinos to choose from on the internet.

Expected trends in online casino websites

Seeing the drastic changes in online casinos leaves us excited to see what’s in store for the future of this booming industry. Discover what 2023 and beyond has to offer when you check out the future of online casino sites with QWERTYLABS down below:

Crypto is set to play a bigger role

One of the most recent notable innovations in online casinos is the introduction of cryptocurrencies as a payment method. Cryptocurrency is already advanced with its sophisticated blockchain technology and high-level cryptography. These advanced pieces of technology allow its users to deposit and withdraw funds to and from their accounts seamlessly and securely.

Adding cryptocurrencies in online casinos gave users anonymity, security and speed that traditional banks can’t provide. Getting more detail regarding its security, blockchain technology allows transactions using these digital currencies to be tamperproof. This type of sophisticated security relieves its users from any fear they may have from online transactions. This is why more online casinos are adopting this mode of payment, leading experts to believe that these virtual currencies will play a more prominent role in the industry sometime in the future.

Restrictions will be a thing of the past

At the time of writing, online gambling is still restricted in some countries. However, restrictions are starting to become a thing of the past with the rise of virtual private networks (VPNs) and the aforementioned digital currency, cryptocurrencies. 

VPNs allow you to access websites normally inaccessible from your region by connecting you to servers from other countries. Meanwhile, the anonymity of cryptocurrencies lets you deposit and withdraw funds to and from your account anonymously and free from any restrictions since they can’t be traced back to their users.

Additionally, you don’t have to provide personal information, allowing you to use them for online gambling, regardless of your location. These two advanced technologies clearly show that restrictions will soon be removed entirely from online casino websites.

More live dealer titles

Players prefer live dealer titles over other online casino games due to the added realism and sense of urgency instead of playing alone. Additionally, the lively personality of the dealers adds another layer of entertainment to an already fun gameplay. With this kind of interactivity, players will feel like they’re in an actual brick-and-mortar casino, playing alongside real players and dealers. 

According to shared data from H2 Gaming Capital, the live dealer category alone generates over a billion dollars annually. With this type of attention garnered from the player base, various online casinos will start doubling down on their live dealer titles. So, expect to see more and improved live dealer games in the future.

Rise of virtual reality games

Just when you thought immersion had peaked with live dealer games, virtual reality gaming was introduced as one of the most famous web development trends for online casinos. This technology has been integrated into various PC and console games and online casinos, specifically live dealer games. However, the problem with VR today is that the peripherals used are not that accessible. Fortunately, accessories are becoming more readily available to the general public, leaving the future of VR gambling bright and hopeful.

One of the companies that jumped onto the VR craze is Net Entertainment (NetEnt). This gaming provider has been around since 1996 and has provided various quality casino games. Recently, they showcased their talent in the VR department during the 2016 ICE Totally Gaming event, where they showcased their Jack and the Beanstalk demo. Here, they invited players to virtually enter the world of this classic fairy tale through VR and provided a more immersive slot gaming experience. This brief but impactful demo provided a glimpse into the future of slots.

More free-to-play casino games

The past couple of years saw the introduction of free-to-play type titles in the gaming scene, specifically in the mobile gaming industry. With the rise of mobile gaming, experts predict that free-to-play titles will soon start making their way to online casinos.

The idea behind the free-to-play framework is that although the game doesn’t require you to pay upfront, it will have certain features locked behind a paywall. These features often improve the overall experience, which would otherwise be unavailable from the get-go.

Increased focus on mobile gaming

The popularity of mobile gaming can be attributed to the powerful smartphones being developed today, including the convenience of playing games on the go. Of course, the casino industry was one of the first to take notice of this, leading to the availability of casino games on mobile phones. 

Nowadays, several players prefer playing on the small screens of their mobile devices as opposed to sitting in front of a computer/laptop monitor. This type of accessibility and the continuous improvement of mobile phones means we will see a more improved experience on mobile gambling in 2023 and beyond.

Bigger player base

Considering the popularity of online casinos in recent years, it only makes sense that this industry will have a bigger player base in the coming years. Online gambling is accessible on almost every device, allowing players to start playing their favourite casino games from the comfort of their homes. Moreover, mobile gaming allows players to access online casinos almost anywhere and anytime.

Better-looking and sounding games

Technology will only get more advanced, which means that games will see significant improvements in their visual and audio departments in the future. This has happened before, with slots featuring more advanced graphics and smooth animations compared to what they looked like several years ago. 

The same goes for live dealer games. Online providers will continue to use the most sophisticated technology to record and stream their sessions in real time. Lastly, players will expect more from their favourite games as the years go on, making it sense that developers continue upgrading their offerings to satisfy players.

More gamification

The term gamification was coined in 2002 to describe the process of making a mundane task feel more like a game, making it more engaging and interactive for players. It has been used in various cases, such as in education, marketing, advertising, etc. A great example of this is the task given to Nick Pelling, the British programmer who coined the term and was ordered to create a game-like interface for ATMs and vending machines.

With this in mind, gamification is predicted to be more evident in the future of online casinos, which means that players will experience more interactivity with their favourite sites even when they’re not playing. Gamification can be integrated into emails, the website interface, web widgets, esports betting and more.

Use of 5G

2019 saw the introduction of 5G mobile networks to the general public. This new and improved connection made way for low latency and speedy loading times. With the rollout of modern devices and the availability of this network in countries worldwide, it won’t be long until most gamblers use 5G for their online gambling needs.

This connectivity comes in handy when you consider how many times a game will load during your gambling session. Who would want to wait for long periods before playing their favourite games?

Development of wearable-tech gaming

A new trend that we’ve seen lately is the availability of online gambling through smartwatches. Although this concept was unveiled in 2014, it only picked up traction in the past few years due to the improving designs of these smart devices that allowed it to adopt casino gaming.

In 2023 and beyond, it is predicted that this trend will continue to grow until it reaches its prime to provide gamblers with a more accessible way to play their favourite online casino games wherever they are.

Reinforced security measures

You should know that online casinos will always keep up with new technology to upgrade their security measures continuously. A recent example is the introduction of blockchain technology which came with using cryptocurrencies as a payment method when playing games. We can only look forward to the improvement in security developers will come up with to further give players an immersive experience while playing. Additionally, expect your online casinos to constantly obey all the policies established in all the countries they operate.

Growth of esports betting

A lot of online casinos today now offer esports. With how things are going with the esports leagues, more online casinos will also start offering esports betting on their websites. 

After all, people enjoy watching their favourite teams battle it out in exciting matches of different multiplayer games, so why not add betting into the mix, right? By adding this feature, esports enthusiasts who aren’t necessarily fans of online casinos will be drawn towards these sites and become players.

Upgraded slot games

Slot games take up a huge chunk of an online casino’s catalogue, so providers double down on these and make an effort to upgrade players’ experience. Developers create games that will make their slot titles look better than before, like featuring dynamic animations in the background of slot machines and adding new bonuses. These make the games feel alive, impacting players’ experience while playing.

What the future beholds for online casinos

The future of online casinos is bright, based on facts that are evident in the industry today. For starters, their non-stop soaring popularity among players worldwide, along with restrictions slowly being dismissed, means that the player base will only grow in the future. This will result in casino game providers producing high-quality titles like slots, live dealers and table games to keep players entertained.

Lastly, the proposed increased convenience and accessibility of online gambling leave experts to believe that brick-and-mortar casinos will experience a decline in their player base, maybe not today or next year but in the future.

If you want your online casino to keep up with the latest trends in the industry, feel free to contact us here at QWERTYLABS. We’ll ensure your site will remain on top for many years through our world-class services.