As soon as the Internet became available to the mass consumer, gambling appeared online, very quickly becoming the largest developing segment of the market. Since the online gambling sphere is related to high technologies, changes occur very quickly, providing users with more and more opportunities for interesting leisure. It is absolutely true: the COVID-19 pandemic has had a very serious impact on all areas of our lives. Gambling, in turn, received a powerful impetus for development. Online gambling is one of the few areas of life that not only has not suffered, but has also received new trends for further development.
Some interesting facts and figures
Today, online casinos and gaming halls are incredibly popular. In just 8 years (from 2012 to 2020), the share of online gambling in the gambling industry has grown from 8% to 14%. Experts expect this market to grow to 95 billion US dollars by 2024. In fact, from 2017, when it was about 46 billion dollars, to today, virtual gambling will increase more than 2 times.
What is the reason for such rapid growth rates? Most modern gamers are confident that virtual clubs can provide higher quality and more interesting services compared to land-based casinos. At the same time, the convenience of playing online and offline is not even worth comparing. In the first case, players can launch machines on a PC at any time of the day, without leaving their home or using smartphones, which is even more convenient for some. There is no need to waste time on a trip to the casino, money for gas or public transport. At the same time, the choice of games on modern online platforms is not comparable even with the largest land-based casinos. The main advantages of playing online are as follows:
- availability of a huge range of gambling games;
- the ability to play in different casinos in a short period of time;
- a bonus program that allows you to minimize expenses;
- convenient ways to withdraw winnings;
- the opportunity to hit the jackpot in the form of a progressive jackpot;
- high level of security.
At the same time, like any business in modern society, online gambling is in constant motion. Mergers and acquisitions are taking place. Small operators are being "crushed" by larger ones, their business is being bought out.
What to expect in the coming years
There is no doubt that online gambling will develop even faster in the coming decades. Most likely, the share of mobile games will become predominant very soon. In 2019, more than three billion people used smartphones. Every year their number is growing. Naturally, among the inhabitants of the Earth who are gradually abandoning PCs and completely switching to mobile gadgets, the share of gambling users is high. In just two years, from 2019 to 2021, the total amount of funds spent on the development of gaming applications increased by almost 15 billion dollars and amounted to more than 106 billion.
Considering that more than half of the world's population does not yet have smartphones, we can conclude that the potential is huge. In the coming years, mobile games are expected to grow rapidly, including due to new users who will purchase pocket devices for the first time. The development of mobile games is also due to other factors. For example, graphics and music are significantly improving, and the functions available to gamers are expanding. It is absolutely certain that most large online casinos will try to interest users with their mobile versions and applications.
By the way, it was the pandemic and the restrictions adopted around the world that served as a powerful impetus for the development of mobile games. This format is much safer than going to a land-based gambling establishment. Even after the complete lifting of prohibitive measures, the former revival in land-based casinos should not be expected. Players have already become accustomed to having fun online. Considering that many online platforms allow you to play with cryptocurrency, you can confidently expect further development of virtual gambling. Many users are satisfied with the fact that they will play incognito. To summarize all of the above, we can safely say: online casino games will develop very quickly in the coming years. Many factors contribute to this.
