A New Look at Technology and Gambling

The gambling industry has always adapted to new technology quickly. Many technological advancements in the last fifty years have allowed for increased communication and interaction. This is perfect for the betting and casino industries. Today, there are several tech advents that are pushing the boundaries, namely the progressing smartphone market, advancing computer hardware specifications and virtual reality, which is currently storming onto the scene.

How is this technology affecting the gambling community?

The development of smartphones and app integration has made it simple and easy to gamble online. Apps can utilise push notifications and can run in the background, allowing for regular updates throughout the day. Mobile gambling also allowed for portability and greater player interconnectivity, they have made it far easier to play on the sofa, or with a couple of friends, instead of having to seek out brick and mortar stores.

While smartphones have been developing for a while, Google has only very recently lifted their ban on mobile gambling in their play store, which has given many app developers far easier access to the largest UK smartphone app-store. However, this does not mean there were no android gambling apps prior, as many online casinos instead featured downloadable apps available on each’s homepage instead.

Developing livestreaming capabilities have also contributed towards online gambling prior to and post the development of smartphones. Livestreaming led to the advent of ‘Live Dealer Casinos’, which are online casinos headed by a real dealer and table which interacts with the players through a computer interface. Now, many mobile phone apps feature ‘live betting’, where bets can be placed as an event unfolds, and to accommodate this, apps often now stream specific games so users can watch the event and play with the app’s betting overlay.

The increasing popularity of videogames have also had a great impact on gambling. With Esports expected to reach a whopping total market value of $1.5 Billion by 2020 a whole new betting market has opened for businesses to capitalise on. Increasingly, online gambling is becoming gamified with rich graphics and interactive interfaces to explore the new gaming market.

This gamification has led to gambling apps being developed for Virtual Reality (VR). VR is taking the world by storm; big companies such as Samsung and Facebook have all thrown significant weight behind the development of the technology, and as such affordable smartphone headset systems are now present as an affordable entrance point into VR. VR promises even greater social integration and an experience that can be entirely controlled. Sound effects, audio-tones, lighting changes, backing and the surrounding landscape can all be carefully crafted for the best possible experience and with VR gambling expected to grow by 800% by 2021, this crafted experience is proving to be incredibly popular.

Advancing technology has led to the creation of new ways to gamble. From brick and mortar stores to your phone in your pocket, new opportunities have constantly evolved at an astonishing rate and as such, online gambling and its communities are thriving. It will be interesting to see how popular VR becomes, and where the next big advancement will take gambling.