The world of gaming has experienced several major evolutionary periods throughout the last ten years, for example: video games have seen the Unreal Engine reach its fourth incarnation and finally scratch the surface of realistic virtual reality and casino gaming has experienced several similar evolutionary stages – we investigated the biggest advances that have changed the way we access casino gaming:
Smartphones
These powerful, pocket sized computers provide the perfect platform for casino gaming no matter where you might be. You could be at home or on a break at work or even travelling (with someone else driving of course) and you can still access the casino to scratch your gambling itch. A huge step was made for casino gaming with the advent of smartphones and the mobile apps that act as the portal in your pocket.
Rewarding Customers
Land based casinos have had a variety of rewards and complimentary services for many years to entice people to spend time in their buildings. Over the years these have included free hotels, flights, limo services and all manner of other incentives but the biggest reward advances have come to the online casinos. Free bonuses and other bonuses work in exactly the same way as the land based incentives – it encourages repeat trade and draws in new custom to maximise the casino’s customer base.
Poker Table Hole Cams
Poker today is a big deal, televised Poker tournaments have drawn viewers in for some time now but in 1999 there was an innovation that gave viewers a whole new insight on the game: hole cams. Essentially, the players are required to place their hands over a panel that hides the hole cam to allow the viewers to see their hand and understand the game in greater detail – the player might be bluffing their opponents and the viewer gets an insider view on how it’s done.
Video Slots
The traditional slot machine is still as popular as ever but the ‘one armed bandit’ is most commonly found in casinos and very rarely anywhere else. To introduce the concept of slots to a wider market; developers created video slot machines that are found in numerous places from bars to petrol stations. The games retain the original slot machine concept and users can play games with no need to download. Slots nowadays feature advanced graphics and a wide variety of stake amounts to make them accessible to a much wider audience.
Loyalty Cards
Even the high street bookmakers have joined the loyalty card revival and the system has proved itself to be beneficial to both the casino and the customer. The casinos can collate the data the loyalty cards capture such as frequency of betting and average stakes while the customer can access a plethora of benefits for their loyalty.
Progressive Jackpots
This system borrowed heavily from the standard levelling up process found in most video games and allows the gambler to access progressively greater jackpots the more they play or the more they stake. The odds of success may diminish slightly as the jackpots increase but the reward for persistence is so great that the customers rarely notice the reduced chances of winning.
Online Gambling
The feather in the cap of the casinos is undoubtedly Online Gambling. It allows customers to access their favourite games no matter where they are or what time it is in their part of the world. The massively multiplayer gambling opportunities Online Gambling offers is part and parcel of its appeal – real players from around the world competing to win big from the comfort of their own homes; convenience at its best.
Poker Tournaments
Years ago; Poker was restricted to casinos and dingy rooms on back alleys – if anything there was a taboo surrounding the game. Now, thanks to big money, televised tournaments; the customer base for Poker has increased exponentially and the success of the traditional card game shows no signs of slowing.