A lot has changed since the early days of online casino games. Not long after the internet went mainstream in the 1990s, pixelated casino games appeared. There wasn’t much variety and the pickings were slim, but playing online was an extraordinary development in the evolution of video games overall.
Fast forward to the present day and you can place a wager with a bookmaker online or play your favorite casino games from your living room sofa. What was unimaginable in the 1990s is today’s reality as technological advances continue to change the gambling industry. So, now’s a good time to look at how all this happened.
The Internet
The worldwide web marked the biggest ever change to the casino industry. Casinos were forced to adapt or go out of business as the internet revolutionized every aspect of the sector. Gambling Meccas such as Las Vegas and Macau weren’t prepared for what was coming, and had to adapt to the new online world quickly.
Casinos in Our Pockets
We can trace the origins of gambling all the way back to Mesopotamia and, over time, gambling has evolved to become an organized affair. Casinos became the hallmark of modern gambling, with people gathering to play card and dice games and eventually video slots. Despite all of these advances, nobody could have imagined how the internet and smartphones would change the world of gambling. Today, we carry casinos with us on our smart devices and can play our favorite games whenever we want, but it seems like technology still has a lot more to offer.
Virtual and Augmented Reality Casino Gaming
Although still in their infancy, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) promise to usher in the biggest changes to the gambling industry since the advent of the internet. We can now use AR and VR on our smartphones, giving us an immersive gaming experience on the go.
Purchasing a mixed reality headset allows users to take the virtual casino gaming experience to another level. As online gaming moves into the metaverse, people are already playing poker in casinos in Decentraland and other parts of this new digital universe. Beyond the metaverse, online casinos are creating VR gameplay that mimics brick-and-mortar casinos, delivering an experience that rivals real-life environments.
Mobile Apps Have Changed Betting
Once upon a time, you had to call or visit a bookmaker to place a bet. With the proliferation of mobile apps, instant betting at the touch of a button has become the norm. Many people prefer to place bets or gamble on the go, and smartphones allow them to do just that by enabling them to bet remotely.
Mobile apps have also made betting more fun in several ways, including offers, incentives and exclusive rewards for repeat customers. Apps and mobile betting websites have streamlined gambling, making it easier to access.
Video Streaming
A quick look at the history of gambling shows how much the industry has changed over the years. One of the most significant leaps forward came when internet connections became fast enough to stream video without interruption. Video streaming has transformed the world of sports betting and casino games.
Live online dealer games have now become commonplace at online casinos across the web, which wasn’t possible before streaming. Players no longer have to travel to a land-based casino to play their favorite casino games; instead, they can use their phones or computer to connect with real dealers online.
We’ve witnessed similar changes in the world of sports betting. Today, many top sites let punters watch games via video stream, with commenters and match analysts adding updates on the action as it happens.