How Technology Has Changed the Gambling Industry

online casino gaming industry

The mobile gambling industry is now worth billions and it’s grown exponentially over recent years, transforming the landscape of the gambling industry. Gambling as an activity and a form of entertainment dates back centuries but it is in the last few decades that it’s really changed as a result of innovations in technology. From unmanned betting shops with touch screens to mobile poker games, here are some of the main ways that technology has caused the gambling industry to evolve.

The Key Changes to the Industry 

The first innovations to gambling came in 1961 when the prices for races came transmitted through wire services from Extel and then vocalised by the bookkeeper. By 1986, the technology had moved on further when gambling legislation allowed shops to provide TVs to show the races as well as fruit machines or fixed odds betting terminals and computer-generated racing courses. When the internet was at its peak in the late 1990s, bookmaking firms realised the potential that online betting had and in 1998, exchanges such as Betdaq and Betfair opened online bingo and poker sites. The revenue from online gambling was in the billions by 2012 and today, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry.

The Changes from Mobile Betting and Apps 

One of the biggest innovations to hit the gambling industry has been the inclusion of mobile betting and apps that give free bets when you sign up. In fact, in today’s market, you’ll barely find a business that doesn’t have at least some form of digital footprint, with mobile gaming rising by incredible figures from 2012 onwards. By 2018, the industry accounted for 40% of the total online gambling market. Mobile gambling apps provide the same feeling that players get from betting at a brick and mortar casino or bookmakers but with additional features and far greater accessibility.

The convenience of online mobile gambling is one of the main reasons for its popularity, causing difficulty for traditional betting shops who struggle to match the convenience that online betting provides. As a result, many betting shops are now incorporating apps and technology into their stores so that gamblers can enjoy the social aspect while still benefitting from technology. For example, table kiosks to integrating devices to make scanning loyalty cards or cash acceptors, there are several ways in which bookmakers are switching over to a more technological approach.

No matter what technological innovations have been thrown at the gambling industry, it has always found ways to evolve and adapt to meet the demands of gamblers. Casinos, for example, have found ways to provide online gambling services as well as maintaining huge databases of customer information that can be used to target them specifically with new offers and free plays. Technology has allowed casinos to create a virtual world for their users but also to track its customers for future information which can be used for marketing or even to identify fraud. But, however revamped the casinos of today have become, online gambling apps have still taken precedent for their ease of use and accessibility.

About Neel Achary 18883 Articles
Neel Achary is the editor of Business News This Week. He has been covering all the business stories, economy, and corporate stories.