By Catherine Waddell 
Online casinos have long been trailblazers when it comes to the latest technology. With the industry worth billions upon billions, brands are always keen to explore new opportunities and get ahead of the competition with the latest games, variations and new security methods to create a better space for their players.
The beginning of a year is always exciting, as we wait and see what the next variation of live casino will look like, or what new variants of slots are going to arrive in casino lobbies. Many experts have already made their predictions, and here’s what we anticipate seeing over the coming months and years…
Wider Adoption of Virtual Reality
Virtual reality has been the next big thing to come out of gaming for a couple of years now and that is still the case. We’ve seen a few early adopters, particularly outside of casino and in spaces such as video gaming. However, there have been a few casinos and casino games developers that are making a move in the space.
It’s yet to fully take off, but as VR headsets become more accessible, we’ll likely see more casino games hit the market. The likes of roulette, poker and blackjack are tailor made for VR, transporting players to casino floors and even popular resorts such as the Bellagio or Casino de Monte Carlo could be on the horizon.
Augmented reality is also going to be a strong possibility in the coming 12 months, with AR expected to be of huge benefit to players who can’t access physical, brick and mortar casinos.
Cryptocurrency
Crypto is continuing to gain pace and there are a number of online casinos that are already accepting it as a method of payment. Those that are, are still well and truly in the minority, but eventually we will see more start to accept it.
There are a number of advantages to the likes of Bitcoin, the anonymity of it being one of the main perks for players, and as soon as casinos can establish a watertight, safe and secure way of accepting it, then it will undoubtedly become commonplace.
The gambling industry is often among the first to adopt new technology when it comes to payment methods. It was with eWallets, and it will certainly be the same, with the likes of retail, and other forms of eCommerce following suit.
Casino in the Metaverse
Like with cryptocurrency, there are already a number of casinos operating within the Metaverse, and that will grow over the next 12 months, in line with the blockchain payment method.
The aim is to make it a more immersive space and accessible to players, and it’s only a matter of time before many of the top gaming developers enter the space with their variations of slots, poker and more.
It’ll allow players to play as if they were sat at a real table, with communication with dealers and other players becoming second nature. It’s undoubtedly the future, and will only enhance what is already a blossoming industry.