Predicting the Future of Online Gambling

Author: Skyla Burrell

What will online casino gambling be like in 20 years? Will online casino games even be recognizable? The estimated online gambling revenue for 2020 is $66.59 billion, in another 20 years, that figure will easily top $100 billion. With big bucks comes the demand for the latest and greatest. So, how will online gambling meet the needs of the future gambler? How will online casinos of the future keep the interest of a generation of gamblers with absolutely zero idea of what life was like pre-cell phone and who have only known an era of instant access to everything?

Augmented Reality Technology

The simple definition of Augmented Reality is an online environment that combines computer-generated and real worlds. AR will change how the next generation gambles with augmented eye-wear and a 360-degree camera, letting players step into the casino and feel a real, land-based casino experience like never before. Online casinos stand to benefit by converting social gamers to real cash players using AR technology, which has been in development for years.

Improvement of Mobile Platforms

What will your smartphone look like in 20 years? 20 years ago we were all flipping our cell phones, thinking how cool we were. Smartphones are capable of so much right now, it’s hard to imagine the future, but a safe bet is increasing battery life will play a large part in more players gambling via their smartphones. The invention of nanobatteries is already leading us down the right path here. Have you heard the one about the folding smartphone? The same technology that currently allows the flexibility of round and curved edges on our flat screens is expected to vastly improve, making it not out of the realm of possibility to take your phone, bend it in half and put it in your pocket. Longer battery life, access to faster networks and the ability to recharge our phones instantly are all sure to play a part in the future of mobile casino gambling.

Rise of Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin was established in 2009 and is generally credited as the world’s first cryptocurrency. Currently, over 4,000 altcoins (variations of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies) have been introduced. The watered-down version of cryptocurrency is a digital and global money system that allows people to send and receive money over the internet. A recent survey of college kids in the USA found that 18% use some type of bitcoin variant, 2 times the rate of us older folks. The results suggest good things for gambling online with cryptocurrency in the future, as college kids are great indicators of future technological standards (think Facebook). The journey of cryptocurrency to becoming more main-stream will only help the future online gamblers, eliminating the many regulations and restrictions currently placed on traditional currencies and truly making gambling online a global experience.