Since it first began in the 1990s, online gambling has become one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, with a total value well into the trillions. Massive international organisations run the online casino scene, and it has never been more popular with a fan-base that is comprised of many millions. Casino games are an extremely lucrative business, and should remain so for the next few years at the very least – but what is the future of online gambling and what changes can we expect to see in the coming years?

1. The Mobile Industry

This is currently where most of the focus is on for casinos and software developers. Mobile gaming has quickly become one of the highest-paying industries on the planet, and much of it can be traced back to the various casino games that are offered on modern mobile devices. Games like slots, poker, blackjack, and roulette have been refined and customised for the touch screen, and more and more people are turning away from both physical and online desktop casinos for the apps and clients on their devices. For the foreseeable future, most development will be in the mobile industry.

2. Virtual Reality

Not far behind is virtual reality, more commonly known as VR. Plenty of software developers are hoping to start offering advanced VR tech to their players, allowing to interact with their games on a much more in-depth level. Some examples would be joining an online poker tournament, and actually being in a virtual poker hall in real time with other players. Another could be virtual casinos, where players are transported to a casino complete with real slots NZ, table games, and even live interaction with other people. The possibilities of virtual reality are potentially endless, but the hardware behind the technology will need to be refined over the next few years, as it tends to be too expensive for the average person right now.

3. Augmented Reality

Very similar to the previous entry, but different in its own way, AR is expected to make a big entrance in the casino scene once the technology has been refined and released for public usage. Here, instead of being transported to a virtual world, players will instead have their current reality augmented. This means that when you’re playing a game on your phone or on your computer, or even at a casino, there will be information readily available to you all the time. This can extend to interaction, too, where hand gestures can allow you to play the game without any physical controllers.

AR and VR are the future of the gambling world, but it will be at least another 5 years before we see real breakthroughs from both types, but in the meantime, a surge in 3D technology means better quality and more interactive games, and a glimpse into the exciting future for all players around the world.