The Hustler's Digest StaffGambling is an activity that has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years and is one of the most popular past times to enjoy with friends. The introduction of slot machines to the already well-known games such as poker, blackjack and roulette was a big hit and since, innovation within all of these game types have rocketed the industry into one of the worlds biggest.
The technological innovation within slots has been astronomical, with games now having an immense sense of depth to them, along with the introductions of hundreds of unique features and possibilities. With titles like Agent Valkyrie, Animal Wilds, and All for One, slot games have hung onto top spot in terms of games played for decades. This can be loosely due to the potential of features, themes, and volatility, which traditional table games aren’t able to compete with.
In truth, people flock to the slot machines due to there being no skill gap within them. Table games all require an intervention from the player, such as hitting a blackjack hand and choosing to call in poker. When spinning on a slot machine, you either win, or lose and this is a good thing for many. Relying on pure luck applies no pressure to the player whatsoever.
Knowing your customers
For online casinos, one of the largest grey areas is customer verification and this is a subject which is of high importance under many different regulators. For almost a decade, casinos would have to comply with verifying their users within the time-scales or deposit thresholds set out by the regulating body.
Before the introduction of specified Know Your Customer (KYC) technology, mainly handled by third parties, the casino would have to request specific documents from customers in order to allow them to continue playing, depositing and being able to withdraw from the sites. This would often be manual and required dedicated and trained teams to approve documentation.
This quickly changed thanks to technology, casinos were able to integrate systems that could electronically identify documents, tagging them as approved or deny and flag documents, making the process much smoother for both the user and the operator.
Loyalty programs
One of the most recognisable themes within casino operators were the welcome bonuses and loyalty programs that follow. What once began as a manually applied system upon request quickly changed to an automated tier-based system, where playing for more would ultimately award more in terms of bonuses received.
What is common to see these days is a level-based system, where wagering within any vertical would award experience towards the next level and typically the levels would span from 1-99 and each level achieved would grant a reward, those being free spins, cash prizes, free bets and more.
Getting help has never been easier
With technology, casino operators can identify the needs of their customers and much of this surrounds the matter of customer service. With vital introductions such as live chat, help centres and things such as ‘robo assistants’ you’re able to get assistance or have a question answered in seconds.
It’s been decades since the initial launch of online casinos and throughout this time, the data gathered for customer queries have ultimately led to the streamlining of the most common queries and requests and have allowed operators to introduce initiatives that essentially resolve or advise on the most asked questions. For example, bonus requests can now be automatically reviewed by using the game-play on a players account.
Advertising now reaches a much wider audience
Gambling as a whole is not only extremely popular but is socially accepted and it’s much more common to meet someone who casually bets than someone who doesn’t. The advertising surrounding online casinos is what draws the most attention and with time, operators have been able to identify which type of advertising works best and which would reach their target audience.
This in short, explains the number of gambling adverts you’d see when watching sports on TV. The billboards surrounding football matches are always full of gambling adverts, as this is the main demographic for those who are likely to see the advert and begin the signup process. In fact, throughout the English football leagues, the majority of shirt sponsors are casino and sportsbook operators.
The innovation has just begun
What’s for certain is that the iGaming industry has only really just begun and has quickly grown to be one of the most profitable industries worldwide. Advertising and affiliation are only two of many innovations within that all but guarantee a continued rise in interest in gambling online, despite concerns that regulators will continue to reduce the power of online operators.
The iGaming industry is quick to adapt to regulatory amendments that would be considered as damaging to the industry, but with the help of technology, the implementation of changes have become far easier and it won’t come as a surprise that operators will continue to innovate in ways that will allow them to run more efficiently while remaining compliant to any regulatory framework within the region.
