2020’s Top 6 Successful Global Trends in Online Gambling

The virtual gambling market has been rapidly developing over recent years. According to H2 Gambling Capital, the global online gambling income has grown from €17 billion to €45 billion between 2009 and 2018.

The opportunity to gain high profit encourages entrepreneurs to establish new gambling companies. It leads to severe competition in the industry. To make online casinos evolve and generate revenues, business owners constantly advance their services and integrate trend solutions.

What will be relevant in the gambling industry in 2020? What successful trends should gambling operators focus on in order to remain competitive? These issues are revealed in the article.

Mobile gambling and website
adaptability to mobile devices

The number of players visiting online casinos using mobile devices increases year by year. According to the study published on the Rub90 portal, the share of gamblers preferring smartphones to participate in gambling grew by 117% between 2012 and 2018. Meanwhile, FavBet estimated that more than half of its customers entered the betting platform using portable gadgets in 2018. Two years ago, the share of these players was only 10%.

Such figures are caused by the fact that mobile devices become increasingly available and functional. At the same time, we can mention the improvement of communication standards and the expansion of high-speed mobile Internet coverage. Currently, you do not have to attend computer clubs to play video slots or bet on sports events. A smartphone is enough for this purpose. Besides, you can obtain access to a gambling platform at any convenient place.

To satisfy all user demands, gambling market leaders develop individual website versions for desktop and portable devices. Therefore, gamblers can enjoy their favorite entertainment on PCs, smartphones, or tablets. Some casinos launch their own mobile apps. Similar programs make online gambling even more accessible.

Mobile gambling will stay up to date in 2020. Gambling business owners will keep adapting casino websites to portable devices.

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain
in online casinos

The application of blockchain in gambling businesses is not just a tribute to fashion. This technology allows operators to provide the highest level of transaction security. It enhances users’ confidence in a platform and attracts new clients.

Core advantages of blockchain in online gambling:

• the system automatically records all operations conducted within the game. Thus, settlements between players and casinos are completely transparent;
• it is virtually impossible to hack blockchain systems. They allow to protect online platforms from swindlers and unfair gamblers;
• it is impossible to change data stored in the distributed ledger.

More and more virtual casinos offer their customers to carry out cryptocurrency payments. Given below are the main advantages of digital money in online gambling.

• Security. Users do not have to give their personal data during deposits. It ensures that gamblers’ private information will be protected from third parties.
• Benefit. A fee of cryptocurrency payment transactions is either absent or substantially lower than in fiat money transactions.
• Rapidness. Deposit replenishment and withdrawals require much less time than conventional payments.
• Anonymity. Replenishing casino accounts using cryptocurrencies, players can conduct all transactions anonymously.

Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO at PartnerMatrix, believes that blockchain and cryptocurrencies will be one of the top trends in the gambling industry over the next five years. Moreover, he holds that some major gambling operators will eventually deal only with digital money and use blockchain to store sensitive data, e.g. rules agreements and conditions of participation in games.

Adoption of new technologies

To remain competitive in 2020, gambling operators will continue to integrate their online platforms with cutting-edge technologies. Artificial intelligence systems and VR solutions are the primary successful areas.

Nowadays, AI programs allow online casinos to solve the following tasks.

• Development of customized offers. An algorithm integrated into the platform examines the user behavior on the website and predicts what types of entertainment they will like based on collected data. Afterwards, it provides gamblers with definite recommendations.
• Fight against gambling addiction and swindlers.
• Tracking and exploration of player activity, prediction of the probability of their attrition. This information can be used when designing customer retention campaigns.
• Automation of the client communication process. In this regard, casino platforms integrate chatbots.
• Advancement of the gaming process. Modern AI systems can be full-fledged poker players.

VR solutions help to acquire and retain customers. Some gambling venues and games on the online market support virtual reality technologies. They allow players to wrap up in the gaming process and immerse themselves into the casino atmosphere.

Virtual technology devices become more functional and accessible every year. Thereby, more and more gamblers can utilize them. However, VR solutions have not yet become a widespread phenomenon in the gambling sector.

Looking ahead, the integration of virtual reality technologies into online gambling will not only expand the amount of customers but also improve brand awareness.

Gambling business regulation

In 2019, some countries tended to legalize gambling businesses, while others took measures to toughen gambling regulation.

For example, Belarus has legalized online casinos since 2019. Russia has simplified the identification procedure for betting shop clients.

In autumn 2019, Ukraine introduced the bill on gambling business legalization. This document assumes that both land-based and virtual gambling platforms will be able to operate officially in the country. Experts suggest that the new law aimed at gambling activity development in Ukraine can be adopted in early 2020.

In the meantime, the UK accepted the obligatory requirements for online casino customer identification. Armenia adopted the law restricting gambling advertising.

It is expected that in 2020 online gambling legalization in different countries will provide operators with more opportunities for business growth.

Live games

Games of chance with live dealers are one of the latest gambling trends. According to the estimates of H2 Gaming Capital, 25% of the online casino income accounts for this kind of entertainment. They generate revenues amounting to $1.2 billion per year.

Experts stress that the popularity of live games has grown due to the expansion of mobile communications. Players feel comfortable about joining such solutions because of the better quality of video broadcasting and bigger smartphone displays.

Live games have rapidly earned gamblers’ confidence, as they allow not only to enjoy gambling but also to talk to real dealers and other visitors. Such games allow them to dip into the atmosphere of land-based casinos without leaving home.

Games with live dealers will be popular in 2020. Casinos providing similar services will evolve. For instance, they can broaden the range of live games or increase the number of languages of their broadcasting.

Networking

The top list of successful online gambling trends ends with networking. In 2020, negotiations with industry representatives will allow entrepreneurs to find new clients, business partners, or investors.

Specialized events are platforms for efficient networks in the gambling sector. They are held in different corners of the world, bringing together industry leaders as well as the best experts in gambling development and promotion.

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Ukraine also arranges field-specific events. Kyiv will host Ukrainian Gaming Week on April 15-16, 2020. The major exhibition will involve local and foreign companies offering breakthrough solutions for the gambling industry. Furthermore, the event will feature a conference allowing experts to discuss the advantages and prospects of gambling business legalization in Ukraine.

Event details and program ►►►