Online casino trends for 2018

We are going towards the end of 2017 and what a year it has been. But instead of looking back, we prefer to look forward and look at what 2018 has in store for the online casino market. Of course we will continue to improve our offering of trustworthy online casinos and we will relentlessly kick out online casinos that make unfair changes for players or mess up on other subjects even if they are currently listed as trusted.

Let’s have a look at three developments we will be watching closely next year.

1. Virtual Reality Gaming

Obviously we will start with the growing commercial application of virtual reality (VR) software. The Facebook-owned Oculus and the Valve Corporation’s Steam digital platform are both releasing games that utilise VR technology. And if we look beyond 2018 mobile AR technology is set to drive the now $108 billion VR market by 2021. The ICE Totally Gaming conference even featured developers revealing the VR they planned to roll out by year-end, which looks set to massively take off into 2018. The price of an Oculus Rift headset dropped dramatically in the summer of this year to an affordable $399, which is bringing VR technology more and more within reach of the masses.

Virtual reality gaming on casino would no doubt further enhance the experience to be extremely immersive and reflect that of an actual casino. The technology would enable multiple players to play and affect what one another experiences. Leading casino game developers have already invested in this technology, with Microgaming showcasing its VR roulette demo in ICE Totally Gaming 2016.

2. Live Gaming

One of the biggest digital platforms for gaming is without a doubt Twitch. On a monthly basis around 45 million people tune in to either play games or spectate others’ games. Facebook is also expanding its Facebook Live platform with an increase of 330% of search queries since 2016, and with a reported $50 million being paid to celebrities to perform marketing tasks using the platform. Live technology has increased – and will continue to do so in 2018. For online casinos, this means that the current trend of live dealers is not only going strong but also new techniques and possibilities are being explored. For instance, Dream Catcher live is already available online and readily to play available at casino sites, utilizing the streaming technology to have the Wheel of Fortune-like game presented by a real live host.

Exhibitors at 2018’s ICE Totally Gaming are likely to be unveiling the advancements on the current live technology available through online casino. New ideas will help bring trends to market quicker and provide consumers with a varied range of the highest quality innovations on gaming and online casinos.

3. Skills-Based Casino Gaming

While most slot games are based primarily on the luck of the draw, casinos are seeing a rise in games that require more strategy. We all know playing poker takes more than the cooperation of Lady Luck to get anywhere, but other types of games are on the rise too. The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2017 showed some pretty interesting examples of new skill-based games. This new type of game combines the standard play with an additional bit of strategizing and/or knowledge. These will specifically be targeting a new generation of online gamers who will value more of a challenge in their gaming, as opposed to casino players who are less used to playing other kinds of games that force the player to think as much and make more strategic decisions.

While 2018 promises to advance how online casino can be played, a lot of the changes came from developments from 2017. As with many things, continual improvements ensure the industry remains fresh and the existing fans and possible new fans are given something interesting that they will enjoy.