How Technology Is Changing the Face Of The Gambling Industry

The gambling industry has gone through somewhat of a revolution over the last decade or so. Fuelled by the tech revolution itself, the gambling industry has piggybacked off the leaps made by the tech giants as much, if not more, than pretty much every other industry on the planet. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody, but there are multiple reasons as to why the gambling industry has acclimatized so well to the new digital landscape, some of which are obvious, and others less so.

An unparalleled range on offer

Firstly, many online casinos are no longer restricted by the size of premises that brick and mortar casinos are. There are only so many tables and games you can fit into any given physical footprint, whereas online the scope and variety of games can be dizzying. Sites such as Hopa offer a huge range of games, from the old casino classics to new online-only modern twists on the household names. Being able to offer patrons such variety can make the digital casinos more alluring than the physical ones. Not only is the range of games so large, but the often-intimidating atmosphere of real-world casinos is rendered null and void when playing from home, or anywhere you can get an internet connection.

For those looking to get as close to reality as possible when it comes to gambling, the technology sector again comes to the rescue, with some services being offered that allow customers to use video chat around a poker table, bringing the social feel of being at a casino into the home, and for those that wish to go a step further, new VR applications are allowing patrons to feel like they are actually sitting at a card table, roulette wheel, or slot machine like never before. In this respect, online casinos have every base covered. From those who just want a quick go on the slots while riding the train home from work, to seasoned professionals who want the most realistic experience possible, without actually having to leave their living room.

Shifting security foundations

The security aspect of gambling online has also been a slight hurdle for many over the early years of the digital casino. Some potential customers would baulk at the idea of putting money down on a virtual table, not knowing whether their money or financial information was safe, and whether the bet they were about to make was even fairly carried out. While trepidation was natural a decade or so ago, the security surrounding monetary transactions online has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, and now in the gambling industry there has been a rather interesting development thanks to the help of blockchain technology, the technological underpinnings of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

Whereas most betting sites run on a centralized platform, some online casinos are moving to decentralized platforms where there are no central servers or deposits ever made. Instead, all bets are run entirely through a ledger on the blockchain, which is also where customer information is stored; at low-level, and at multiple locations. This makes it remarkably difficult for the information to be hacked and stolen. While the vast majority of high profile betting companies have robust security around their services, it is still an interesting development in betting, that blockchain technology is now being used in this way, and could possibly be a sign of things to come in the future.

With all of this taken into account, it will be interesting to see how technology changes the face of gambling and online casinos, in general, going forward. With the ability to reach such a vast number of people with differing needs, we can expect to see this particular industry continue to branch out in its approach, both going for the ‘quick fix’ type of customer, alongside improvements to services provided for the player who wants total immersion, and a true casino feel. It is an exciting time for online gaming, and gambling is part of that. There has never been a better time for the gambling industry to spread its digital wings, and experiment in the way it sells its wares.