iGaming Trends & The Future of iGaming
The iGaming industry is fast growing and forever evolving. Online casinos operate under the guidance of regulatory bodies and the rules are changing all the time. Meanwhile, new technological advancements and iGaming trends open the door for a more secure and personalized experience.
A few years ago, it was widely believed that virtual reality would be the next big iGaming trend, but VR’s adoption has been a slow process. Instead, it is AI that is making waves, especially in the last couple of years.
AI can be used by sites to meet regulations, encourage responsible gaming, combat fraud, and personalize the online casino experience.
Many of 2024’s iGaming trends are influenced by AI. At the same time, regulatory policy opens doors yet changes the rules around what online gaming sites offer.
Here are the top iGaming trends to keep an eye on in 2024.
Legal Landscape
The legal landscape surrounding iGaming is often murky and difficult to navigate. Increasingly though, states and countries around the world have been swaying towards the legalization and regulation of online casinos and betting sites, pulling money away from shady operators and welcoming legitimate industry brands.
CafeCasino is among those that operate legally in the USA for gambling online, allowing players across several states access to the latest digital versions of roulette, blackjack, slots, and more. As of the start of 2024, online casinos are legal in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, and Connecticut, with sports betting more widely available.
This year, pushes are being made for bills to go through in Maine, New York, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, with California looking at sports betting. It’s unclear whether these bills will become law, but if they do the US market will grow exponentially.
Provinces within Latin America are also opening up to the idea of legalized online casinos and could prove to have the most potential for growth in 2024.
Regulations in mature markets
Elsewhere, where online gaming has been legal for much longer and the industry is well-established, the markets are maturing. With this, comes a greater amount of regulatory policy which demands a more responsible approach from site operators.
Responsible gaming is going to become even more of an important concept in 2024. Regulations around protecting players will affect everything from advertising to the safety tools that are available on the site, including limit setting and self-exclusion.
Sites that do not conform to regulations can expect hefty fines.
To combat the ever-changing rules and regs, companies may make use of AI as a way to scan for erratic and potentially unhealthy behavior in players.
The rise and fall of bots
Bots and digital fraud have long been a concern in the world of online gambling. Cyber hackers can use technology for all sorts of nefarious activities, from gaining information and funds to cheating in the games.
Legitimate online casinos dedicate an immense amount of time and effort to combatting any kind of cybercrime. As technology improves, so too must the solutions used to tackle the problems.
As AI improves, so does the risk of fraudulent activity such as affiliate fraud, bonus scheme abuse, money laundering, chip dumping, and account takeover.
But AI also offers the defence. Sites can use AI to identify legitimate (and illegitimate) players, monitor new accounts for fraud, and oversee the entire pool of players during daily operations in order to flag suspicious activity.
Personalization
When it comes to the player experience, personalization is the main trend to look out for. Many of the top online casino sites have similar offerings in terms of games, often bringing together titles from leading developers in the space.
Bonus schemes used to be the factor that operators used to gain an edge over competitors, but bonuses have now become a very common feature in iGaming. Most sites offer bonuses that are in line with the industry standard.
Personalization is likely to be one of the factors that sets online casinos apart in the near future. Again, this is powered by AI. Machine learning models are used to gather huge amounts of data on user interactions.
This data can then be transformed into a personalized experience of the site, which could include a custom homepage with a selection of games that a particular player is likely to enjoy.
Personalization could also impact the content a user sees, very much like a YouTube algorithm suggesting videos. Offers and promotions can also be completely unique to the player.
As well as analyzing the interactions of individuals, AI could also analyze data on the player base as a whole to gain feedback on trends, events, and new offerings.
This is one of the iGaming trends that the players themselves will notice the most. Many of the other trends here have to do with the operator and how they will grow and manage their business. Personalization is what the player will notice in 2024 and beyond.
