Competition among online casinos means that each one is looking for an edge, whether that’s with great gaming suites, generous bonuses, or being the quickest to take advantage of the latest technological advances.
Here are some trends to watch out for in 2023.
Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is on the march in a couple of ways with online casinos, at traditional and new metaverse sites.
At most traditional casinos, if cryptocurrency is supported then it is one of many banking methods and simply joins the list of tried and true financial systems such as credit and debit cards as well as leading e-wallets, popular pre-paid cards, and nationally specific methods of payment (Interac for Canada, or NeoSurf for Australia, for example).
The rising use by players, and support from casinos, for cryptocurrency is merely a reflection of rising uptake among the general population.
Most such casinos support Bitcoin, though many also have Litecoin or Dogecoin payments enabled too.
It’s worth noting that some countries are wary of crypto for gambling (the United Kingdom is one, despite being generally very pro-betting).
Ethereum was conspicuous by its absence from the previous list, and it’s rare to find it at a traditional casino, but in the metaverse both Ethereum specifically and crypto generally are far more commonplace.
In fact, these nascent online worlds employ cryptocurrency as the main financial system.
Just how popular the metaverse, with its focus on virtual and augmented reality, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and cryptocurrency, will become remains very much to be seen.
Big business is keen on it flourishing and there are already some metaverse casinos, but whether this becomes the next step in internet evolution or the metaverse sits alongside the regular internet is not yet certain.
NFTs are also typically bought with cryptocurrency, and in the metaverse there’s already a market in NFTs for virtual real state and wearable items such as sneakers.
However, these wearables can also act as entry tickets to play at a metaverse casino (rather than the usual approach of simply using crypto as another payment system, as per a traditional online casino).
Will this take off in a massive way?
Only time will tell, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on.
Finding the Best Online Casino
One long-term trend that shows no sign of abating is the rising popularity of online casinos.
This presents a curious conundrum, especially for first time players, when it comes to trying to find the best online casinos Canada.
If you want to get a head start then check out this top list of the best casino platforms for players from Canada.
Save hours trawling the internet by using the list to find leading online casinos that offer a compelling combination of great games, generous bonuses for players newly registered and long term, and a convenient array of banking methods to suit every player’s personal preference.
Reality, now Augmented and Virtual
Another aspect of online casino gaming that may become widespread or remain more niche is virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) gaming.
The online casino sector learned from the mobile revolution how important it was to make games accessible on a broad range of devices, as failing to do so unnecessarily limits your potential player base.
Nowadays, games are always designed to work on both desktops and mobile devices.
But there is a third potential way to play and one that already has a (very limited) set of games – VR headsets.
In recent years VR finally made the breakthrough to widespread popularity and accessibility in the video game world, and it’s now knocking on the online casino sector’s door.
Nothing is more immersive than playing with a VR headset (although currently the potential player base is on the small side).
Another advantage of casino gaming over video games (and one that neatly evades one of the main problems for video gamers) is that moving about is not necessary in casino games, as the player is either sat at a virtual slot machine or a table, playing roulette, blackjack, poker, etc.
Naturally, these table games provide an ideal way to enjoy an even more atmospheric gaming session from the convenience and comfort of one’s own home and, coupled with the increasingly popular live casino category, VR is highly likely to grow in use over the coming years.
And, just as many believe AR will actually end up being more critical to the metaverse’s success than VR, wearable AR tech could also end up playing a substantial role in future casino games and other aspects of the internet too.
eSports
Technically this is online gambling but in the sports rather than casino sense.
However, a very large proportion of online casinos also provide sports betting opportunities, and eSports is one of the most interesting categories to watch out for.
This new type of sport, putting together video games, live streaming, and a competitive element, has been growing in popularity for years as both video games and live streaming have become ever bigger factors in day-to-day entertainment.
It was also the only type of sport to relatively benefit from the pandemic, as almost every other format was subject to schedule disruptions, cancellations, and curtailed seasons due to the lockdowns.
But eSports is largely designed to be remotely playable (although many events do occur in person this is not strictly necessary).
And ticket sales from large stadium audiences do not form the core of the revenue system.
It’s not only from the eSports’ angle that things went well, though.
When millions were left languishing at home, they had time to kill but most sports were off the entertainment menu.
Not so eSports, which gained an increased public profile and huge numbers of new followers who tuned in for the first time in 2020.
Even now that dark year is behind us, many have stuck with eSports, and both video games and live streaming are more popular than ever.
This means more markets for betting, and plenty of scope to combine a love of eSports with a passion for betting.
Virtual Sports
At first glance, this might sound identical to eSports but virtual sports could not be any more different.
This is a new and growing category of casino games that run virtual sporting contests upon which players can bet.
In this way, virtual sports put together the positive sides of both sports and casino betting, offering sporting entertainment that is always accessible (no off-season or gaps between fixtures/races).
Many virtual sports are a variety of races, including horses, greyhounds, and motorsport, while soccer and basketball are also available.
This is a relatively new casino gaming sector but one that especially flourished during the pandemic and continues to rise in popularity.
And that concludes our look at some of the top trends to watch out for in the world of online casinos in 2023, as betting sites vie to provide the best possible offering to their players.