Whether it’s a few dollars on your favorite NFL team to make the playoffs or trying your luck with some spins on a slot game, millions of us like to place a bet from time to time. The rapid evolution of online casinos and sports betting sites has coincided with legal and regulatory reforms around the world to make online gambling accessible to more people than ever, and the industry generates tens of millions in annual revenue.
While gambling as a pastime is as old as human civilization, betting online is still relatively new. Plenty of those dollars are being fed back into development, so we can expect the online gambling sector to be a hotbed of innovation over the course of 2023. Here are some of the top trends to look out for over the year ahead.
The rise and rise of crypto
Five years ago, crypto casinos could best be described as a niche curiosity. Today, Bitcoin is a mainstream payment method, and is particularly popular among gamblers in the USA. Expect this trend to continue, but for crypto’s influence to become even stronger. Altcoins, and specifically Ethereum, will have a growing role to play, especially when the Ethereum 2.0 merge completes in early 2023.
Crypto sports betting is also likely to truly come of age over the coming months. Industry experts predict that the World Cup in Qatar will play a significant role and that around one in ten of the billions of wagers placed will use crypto.
Betting will get even more mobile
Mobile casinos and sports betting sites are already firmly established. Reviewers such as Legit Gambling Sites prioritize the mobile experience when reviewing and rating online casino sites because that is what matters to the majority of gamblers.
Over the next 12 months, many of the top casino and sports betting brands will redefine mobile beyond smartphones to wearables. Smartwatch gambling is already possible, but has had limited uptake due to the size of the screens. As wearables become more commonplace, expect more platforms to dedicate time and effort to optimizing their gambling services for this new format.
VR and AR
Every year, the media says this will be the moment that VR and AR gaming truly hits the mainstream. It still hasn’t quite happened, but 2023 could be the year we see some serious investment into developing this niche.
Casino games are relatively simple, and the physics of a turning card or a spinning reel are ideally suited to the VR environment. It will only take one VR casino to really take off and the floodgates will surely open.
Safer gambling
Finally, a trend that is vitally important to everyone. Gambling as a fun pastime is all about betting what you can afford to lose. More than 99 percent of casino players do just that and treat their hobby as an expense.
However, we must acknowledge that problem gambling exists. Expect to see the industry taking an increasingly responsible role in providing protection and support. After all, keeping gambling safe and fun is in everybody’s interest.