The online gambling industry has evolved significantly since the likes of Microgaming and Playtech first gave people the ability to play for cash prizes via a computer. Today, from relatively humble beginnings, the industry is worth billions. Depending on the metrics analysed and the company producing a report, worldwide gross gaming revenue is in excess of £75 billion per year. In the UK alone, remote gambling has an annual yield in excess of £4 billion.
Growth Has Attracted New Types of Gamblers
The industry’s growth since the late nineties has been impressive but it’s not just on a financial level that things have changed. Becoming a multi-billion-pound behemoth requires people and not just people from a small cross-section of society. Although it might be too generous to say online gambling is mainstream, it’s certainly more popular with the masses today than it was 20 years ago. As such, the industry’s demographics have changed. Young men might still be the dominant demographic, but the market is more diverse than it once was.
UK Gambling Commission data shows that the number of women using online casinos, sportsbooks, poker and bingo sites increased by 8% from 2017 to 2021. Of all the people who gamble in the UK, 42% are women. Of that figure, the majority of women play lottery and bingo games online, with other casino games also being popular. We also know from the data that over 95% of people gamble at home, and the most popular mediums are mobile devices and computers. However, the data also shows that there’s a growing trend for gambling on other devices, including Smart TVs.
The evolving nature of the market has forced casino developers and operators to move with the times. We can see this in the games and bonuses available at the leading online casinos. For example, live dealer games were the new frontier 10 years ago. Combining RFID technology and webcams to create an interactive live gaming experience added another layer of entertainment to the industry. Developers such as Evolution initially focused on traditional casino games such as blackjack and roulette.
Clear Divides Appearing within the Market
However, as the market has changed, there’s been demand for so-called “casual” games. This has led to the creation of live game shows that feature elements of TV favourites such as Wheel of Fortune. These games cater to a broader audience who value fun as much as strategy and cash prizes.
The same is valid for bonuses. Today, there are more types of casino bonuses than ever before. A case in point is casino free spins no deposit bonus offers. It used to be the case that customers had to wager a certain amount to release any prize money they won from free spins. That’s no longer the case. Modern no-deposit free spins bonuses can have no post-win wagering requirements. For example, at Casimba, new customers must deposit £20 to release their bonus winnings. That’s because the free spin prizes are paid in cash. Removing certain bonus restrictions makes them easier to claim which, in turn, fits into the trend of making online gambling more accessible to recreational players. The question now is where will we be in another ten years?
There are almost certainly going to be more innovations aimed at recreational players, but we could also see new content aimed at those who prefer something a little more traditional. This could lead to a divide within the industry. We may end up with casinos that angle themselves towards recreational players and others that focus on conventional forms of gambling. What’s most interesting is that there are options. Online gambling is more diverse than it’s ever been, and this gives developers and operators the ability to be creative and find their own niches.