Technology surrounds us everywhere. In our houses we have new smartphones, TV’s and computers, even our fridge can display information on a screen. Outside we are attacked by advertisements on LCD screens, crowds of people in their phones scrolling, typing, listening to music or talking.
We can buy almost everything without moving from our sofa, and contact every person in the world also without leaving our flat. Technology impacts every market, and the gambling industry isn’t an exception. From betting and gambling written on paper to gambling without touching money, all by your bank account, gambling has come a long way to where it is now. How has it changed throughout the time? What will it look like in the Future?
Then
The gambling and betting industry started with stakes written on a piece of paper. It wasn’t sorted in any way. People just betted and noted how much and the odds were and then manually calculated the amount of money to pay to the winner. The first simplification was the calculator, to count the prize.
When TVs started to be popular, betting shops installed them to broadcast matches, races and games. These places began to be more social, and people spent some more time there. That is why bookmakers bought the first slot machines- “Fruit Machines”, and placed them inside their shops. It results in customers leaving even more money and staying longer, putting more bets.
Casino operators used technology to improve their gamblers experience. Automatic slot machines established their permanent place in every casino. Moreover, more and more games got their electronic versions such as roulette or apparatus used for Keno or Bingo.
Now
Almost every casino in the world has tens, hundreds or even thousands of slot machines that are more and more technologically advanced. Moreover, a significant part of them no longer require coins, so there is no more walking with a heavy bucket with pennies. Those in casinos accept chips, and those somewhere else can operate with your credit card if you want.
The computer era created a whole new gambling industry-an online kaszino. Gamblers no longer need to go to the actual casino if they want to play. They can switch on their computer and join their favourite games in online casinos.
Screens are everywhere, and countless apps designated for casino games make it possible to play online roulette, online poker, blackjack etc., on every device connected with the Internet.
The live casino experience is available as a stream when dealers lead the table game on a live camera, and gamblers can join the fun using their devices and play with others. It is an opportunity to check gambling skills against people all around the world.
VR technology is still new, and more and more industries are trying to find out the application for this solution in their business. Casinos are one of these industries. Imagine playing poker sitting at the table with a dealer and other players, but in fact, being in your living room with the VR set on the head. It is possible now, and it will only become more popular.
In Future
The growth opportunities are infinite. We shouldn’t assume that something is impossible because humanity often proved that potentially impossible things are doable and sometimes achieved even more than expected. The gambling industry should follow the new inventions and implement them in their business because they will fall out of circulation if they don’t.
I’ve mentioned VR technology in entering a single game. Another step in improving virtual reality is a full dive. Your whole neurological system will be connected with a device enabling you to enter a new world, feel it with your every sense and move through without any controller. In the gambling industry, it may be possible to enter a chosen casino even from the end of the world while sitting in your place. Sounds crazy? Wait a couple of years, and you will see that we are going this way.
Holograms are still sci-fi for us, but it is also a matter of time until they become the standard. Imagine a holographic table for craps, poker or holographic roulette, holograms of your cosplayers and holographic dealers. That can be a new reality in just a few years. Online casinos will add new possibilities to their service and earn even more money than they have in their income now.
Conclusion
We can’t limit our creativity and say that some innovations and inventions are impossible. A few years ago, people would say that gambling through the mobile phone was a fantasy, and yet here we are, just a few clicks separate us from entering an online casino and playing our favourite games. Virtual reality knocks on our doors with constant improvements. There are numerous ways to gamble and place bets now; real casinos, online ones, live streams, and new VR solutions are already there, and the possibilities will only grow.
