The online casino market today is a multi-billion dollar business, its growth driven by technology that has put digital roulette wheels and slots machines into our pockets. This has also made the casino more mainstream, no longer the reserve of hardcore gamblers.

Safety first

Technological advancements have positively impacted the industry by opening it to new customers, widening the demographic of users and making access instant and relatively simple. Smartphone gambling – and the digitalization of the platform – has increasingly become more secure too, alleviating concerns about risks and further advancing the online casino’s market rise.

Internet-based operators want to ensure their reputations are not harmed by security breaches, so employ the highest levels of encryption and money transfer protection measures. This makes the attraction of online gambling not just ease, availability and convenience but safety and security, too.

“ib2629.JPG” (CC BY 2.0) by Sangre-La.com

A natural development

The online gambling world saw poker and bingo become the quickest to draw attention, partly because they were easy to adapt to today’s technology. Enjoying a game of poker from the comfort of your home was already widely popular and heralded the era in which we now find ourselves, where smartphones allow instant access to gambling platforms. Becoming a digital medium has also made online casinos more adaptable to trends in addition to meeting demand for choice with regular updates and an abundance of new casino games to suit a variety of tastes.

The choice is endless

Indeed, this vast amount of choice can be daunting to first-timers but online operators are recognizing the opportunity to attract newcomers. Lists available, such as Oddschecker’s index of no-deposit free bets for new customers, showcase the compelling nature of the modern day’s “digital” casino, turning online gambling into an increasingly popular leisure activity for those who may not previously have indulged.

“the slots” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by supermattzor

A virtual future?

The way technology is progressing makes it difficult to predict how the online casino will develop in years to come but many believe the increasing use of virtual reality (and hardware that links VR headsets with smartphones) will impact the way we play.

It seems the development of the smartphone – as well as faster and faster internet speeds – has driven a two-fold effect on the online casino: it has given traditional customers increased access to their pastime while inviting new customers to “enter” the casino for the first time. It remains to be seen where casinos will go next.