The entertainment industry constantly sees many new ideas, products, and innovations land on its doorstep. Some come and go as if they were never there, some enjoy a fleeting period of success, and some go on to become a global phenomenon. In the past few decades, we have seen the Game Boy Micro barely make an impact on the gaming market, while the release of Pokémon was an instant hit and enjoys unprecedented success to the present day.

And then there are entertainment options that age like a fine wine. This can certainly be said of online casinos. One of the biggest recent crazes to make a statement on the entertainment market, online casinos actually date back to 1994, when the virtual doors of The Gaming Club were opened a couple of years before the release of Pokémon on the Game Boy (normal size) in 1996. While the two cannot be compared in terms of success, with Pokémon instantly becoming an all-encompassing presence in people’s lives, online casinos have bided their time and have picked the past couple of years to really accelerate their run into the entertainment mainstream.

The Power of Technology and Software

Online casinos have enjoyed their rapid rise to prominence because of equally rapid advancements made in technology and software. When The Gaming Club was released in 1994, the capabilities at that time were extremely limited, especially compared to what game developers and online casino operators can work with nowadays. In the past, games such as poker, roulette, blackjack, and slots could be replicated in the online space in considerably basic ways, essentially only displaying the necessary actions for a game.

This would be the invisible dealing of cards at a poker table with the same “swish” sound used on all online poker platforms. Those trying to make something of the online casino industry back in the day were working with poor hands. In the present day, the possibilities on the creation and development side seem endless. And this is represented by the millions of people around the world that have active accounts with online casinos and regularly play the 1000’s of online slots games on offer, or sit around virtual blackjack, and roulette tables.

More Awareness of the Dangers

With more people logging into online casino accounts and taking advantage of the online space and its capabilities, there is also more scope for undetected threats in the form of hackers or technical faults. The price to pay for success is more attention to how systems are operated and how people are interacting with a platform.

To counter potential issues, such as financial information being stolen, licenses awarded by regulators in countries all over the world now comes with strict obligations for the online casino operator. As well as being a deterrent for illegal market gambling, the regulation is set up for a couple of reasons:

• To ensure the most secure encryption and cybersecurity software is implemented on a website.
• To ensure fair practice and responsible operating of an online casino from the point of view of a provider.
• To protect players/users of an online casino platform, which includes any data/information they divulge to the provider.

Different countries and markets will have their own take on what constitutes proper operating of an online casino, but such has been the rise of the practice, the base expectations around the performance of an online casino platform have been raised to significantly higher levels.

Too many limits or not enough limits?

One of the biggest threats faced by those who play on online casinos is addiction. The convenience and speed of online processes makes it more practical to use services, and, easier to spend money. The United Kingdom, one of the market leaders in the online casino industry, is currently running tests set up by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), in partnership with the UK government and anti-addiction bodies such as Gamstop and GamCare on the effect introducing wagering limits on online slots games and “invisible financial checks” on players that incur large losses will have on the paying and playing public.

The decision is naturally split, with a section of the population thinking the new regulations are harsh and an invasion of privacy respectively, with another section of the opinion that not enough is being down to prevent harmful gambling. For those that are looking to play without limits, there are independent casinos at the Daily Star that can be accessed by players from the UK. It is a difficult balance for the regulators in the UK to find. Protecting citizens at the expense of freedom is the current line of thinking. When the results of the findings are published next March/April, there will undoubtedly be learnings for other markets to take.

A positive future ahead

With that being said, online casinos have a bright future ahead of them. Learnings from the tests currently being conducted in the UK can only make for a stronger framework for online casinos to work off and a safer environment for players. And with technology and software only expected to improve in the future, online casinos can only stand to benefit from the ability to create more interactive features, while also exciting users with new innovations such as virtual reality tech and AI.