The gambling industry took a massive leap forward with online gambling. Online casinos and betting sites have greatly changed the way we wager money.
You can get an idea about the technology being used when you compare the best NZ casinos. This short guide will help to give you a clearer idea about the topic, taking a look at the gradual change of online gambling from its earliest days to where it is now.
Early Days of iGaming
In the earliest days, it wasn’t about how the games looked as functionality had the most priority – so if the game was working as intended, that was enough. This is the reason why game developers of the time didn’t put much thought into the themes or music of the games.
The easiest example of this is the classic three-reel slot machines as it only had the option to toggle between different coin wagers and a button to spin the reels. Other than that, everything was just a placeholder and there was nothing much in the way of graphics.
This basic style of games was unable to deliver a performance that was similar to land-based casinos. It was a sign that there was room for improvement with these casino games.
Technological Advancements in Graphics and Design
To create an experience that was on par or even better than traditional casinos all game developers started improving their games by moving from pixelated visuals to colorful 2D graphics and the software providers started experimenting with different designs.
As GPUs became more efficient and capable of displaying more colors and better visuals, the games saw a massive improvement as they could now have different particle effects when a player hit a win or won a massive jackpot.
The end results were games that were stunning to look at and able to capture the essence and thrill of sitting in front of an actual slot machine.
The Rise of Mobile iGaming
The online gambling industry took another massive turn when mobile gambling became a thing as players kept asking for a way to enjoy their favorite games from anywhere and as mobile phones started getting more advanced, operators saw the perfect opportunity.
After the gambling platforms were optimized for mobile users they started becoming the go-to for a lot of players and the ability to carry the casino in their pockets furthermore boosted the popularity of online casinos.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence
Although AI is still not used to make games, on gaming platforms there are different uses for it. As personalization is a big part of the user experience, casino sites will use AI algorithms to understand a player’s tastes and preferences. Based on these, it will recommend new games that the player might find interesting.
It’s not limited to games, however, as casinos will also offer personalized bonuses to players that love slots or any other casino game.
Gamification Elements in Loyalty Programs
Gamification is a proven strategy for customer retention. You can feel it in online casinos as well through the way of VIP programs. Oftentimes, these loyalty programs will come in different tiers that the player needs to progress through.
By playing more games on the platform, players can level up to get even more amazing rewards. This simple concept does wonders for keeping loyal players engaged and playing. When the users have something to work towards, they automatically will come back for it.
Live Dealer Experiences
One of the other reasons why iGaming has been a hit with the players is because of live dealer games. These variants of traditional casino games feature an actual human dealer that engages with the players joining from home.
All of this interaction happens in real time. This is as authentic of a casino experience that you can enjoy while joining with your mobile. There’s an element of thrill and excitement that you can only get from playing live dealer games, even on your smartphone.
Mobile Apps vs. Browser-Based Platforms
You can enjoy mobile gambling in two different ways: you can either use the mobile website version or you can opt to go for the mobile apps. While you get essentially a similar experience with both platforms, there are subtle differences.
That’s why it depends on the player which option they want to go with, for example, with a mobile app you get slightly better loading times than a mobile site but both games run on the same platform so the experience will be identical in the end.
Wrapping Up
iGaming has come a long way, from simple pixels to colorful games that cover different themes and designs and as time went on, new technologies were incorporated into these games to make them even better.
At the current pace, iGaming will continue to evolve and as it does and new emerging technologies come up we’ll just have to wait to see what we can expect from the slot and casino games of the future.