Online casinos have evolved tremendously since the first gambling website was launched in 1995. Today, online casinos offer impressive features to their users, from mobile casino solutions optimised for smartphone and tablet users to platforms with VR compatibility.
There’s more than one factor that contributed to the growth and development of these sites. Of course, technology is one of these factors that, in our opinion, had the most significant impact. Technology has affected this sector in several ways, which will be analysed in our blog post below.
Early Days of Online Casinos
Even though experts have not yet agreed on when the first online casino was established, most claim that Playtech, the world-renowned software provider, made the first step in this industry when it launched its first casino in 1995.
In any case, these sites have been around for around three decades, allowing us to analyse their growth and evolution. Still, online casinos faced many challenges in the early days that prevented them from growing rapidly.
For instance, most Internet users had dial-up connections that were pretty slow and unstable. Imagine a situation in which you are spinning the reels in slot games or checking your opponents’ cards when all of a sudden, the connection drops. This was common in the 1990s.
Also, the servers where these casinos were hosted could not handle a sudden increase in the number of users, which often resulted in crashes. On the other hand, the visuals were adjusted to the capabilities of computers and devices of that era. The same goes for the audio. We have many examples of games from this era that look totally outdated today. That’s why online casinos don’t offer games from this period.
Technological Advancements and their Impact
Like in many other industries, the early 2000s sped up things in the online gambling industry. With several technological advancements in the first decade of the 21st century, online casinos made a quantum leap.
First, we should mention the introduction of broadband internet, which gradually replaced dial-up connections in the early 2000s. Players finally got the chance to play their favourite casino games without interruptions.
It goes without saying that the servers became more powerful, allowing online casinos to serve thousands of players at once without any hassles. Furthermore, more powerful computers became available on the market enabling software providers to develop more complex games featuring advanced graphics and music. These things made casino sites more attractive to ordinary people.
The role of technology in the evolution of online casinos can also be seen in the emergence of mobile casinos. They, too, became available in the 2000s for the first time. Players were attracted to online casinos because they could play from their homes at any time of the day. With the mobile subcategory, casino games became available on the go.
While discussing the impact of mobile technology, we should note that in the first few years, operators were focused on upgrading their sites by introducing responsive designs. Simply put, the sites were upgraded and refreshed so they could be used on mobile devices without problems related to screen size and navigation. However, after smartphones became popular worldwide in the early 2010s, we saw another trend that took online casinos to another level.
Namely, some casinos started creating native mobile apps for their Android, Windows, and iPhone users. Thanks to the applications, mobile users got an immersive experience, and the popularity of online casinos skyrocketed.
Another thing that we should mention here is the live dealer games. They have existed for a long time, but the technological advancement that made HD streams available was a real game-changer. The powerful fibre-optic Internet streams in high-definition were no longer challenging to arrange for most casinos and providers. This concept made the lack of social interaction and the thrill of land-based casinos that some online players were missing less visible.
The Latest Technological Innovations and their Contribution to Online Casino Popularity
As some people like to say, “The future is now”. Many people predicted the things we are witnessing today. In some cases, we are already entering a new era without being aware of it.
For instance, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are no longer just theoretical. Several online casinos have embraced them and implemented these technologies into their work with some success. To be honest, there’s still room for improvement in the VR and AR sectors, but the fact is that these things affect the evolution of gambling.
Also, cryptocurrency has made online casinos more popular and attractive to a broader audience. If you look closely at the current situation, you will see that many crypto-exclusive casinos would not exist if it wasn’t for blockchain technology.
All in all, technology had a significant role in the evolution of online casinos and still affects and shapes this industry. Only brands that are ready to use the latest technological advancements can prosper.
