In the entertainment industry, trends come and go all the time. However, in recent years, no entry has made greater waves than the online gambling movement. iGaming, as it is also known, which includes online casino games and online sports betting, has proved extremely popular in markets all over the world, including the Canadian entertainment industry.
It was just over two and a half years ago that Ontario became the first province in Canada to legalize online gambling activity, providing it with a regulated framework to operate within. As soon as the decree passed, those residing in Ontario were instantly hit by a raft of online gambling providers who were looking to seize the opportunity to provide Ontarians with a completely new way of playing classic casino games.
Since April 2022, the popularity of online gambling in Ontario, and Canada as a whole, has exploded. It was reported at the end of 2024 that there were just over 19 million active gamblers in Canada, with 63% of men and 57% of women spending money on gambling each month. Coupled with the $2.4 billion revenue generated by the iGaming industry in 2024, these are numbers only a popular entertainment avenue can post. But out of all the options afforded to us nowadays, why is online gambling proving such a hit?
Keeping up with the times
The entertainment options that enjoy long-term success are those that remain relevant. The number of trends that have only proved a flash in the pan is endless. However, from the moment Canadians were able to do this online activity legally, many were initially impressed by the ease at which online casino games such as blackjack, roulette, slots, baccarat, and poker could be played. And to enable casino enthusiasts to assess online casino platforms so readily, technology has played a huge role in the establishment of online gambling as a sought-after pastime in Canada.
Riding the digital wave
While technological devices and processes are also transforming the world around us, the capabilities of the technology available to us nowadays have been utilized by game developers and interested parties within the online gambling market to rapidly evolve the online gambling industry. Other markets such as the United Kingdom and the U.S have a longer history with online gambling and for them, the offerings of online casino games began with basic creations that simply replicated the elementary requirements to play blackjack or roulette for example.
However, if we fast forward to the present day, we are now welcomed with incredibly interactive and animated online casino platforms and games. To play casino online for real money at Lucky Koala is an experience, not just an innovative means to get a casino fix. Advancements in technology and software have provided game developers with the ability to create a more immersive experience by introducing characters and a wide range of bonus levels on online slots games to take game play on this particular game to the next level. But there are plenty of other benefits created by the influence of technology in online casinos.
Taking convenience to a new level
Not only is technology and software creating more exciting online casino experiences, but both are creating an enhanced convenience and practical factor that is proving extremely attractive for Canadian online casino players. With advancements made in coding, game developers such as NetEnt and Pragmatic Play are able to export an online casino’s product in an app form for smartphones and tablets. As a result, players can take the action with them wherever they are.
Merging online with reality
One of the latest technological innovations to alter the face of online casino play is live casino. While interactive online casino games provide a digitally exciting approach to casino play, live casino merges that online experience with the one witnessed and felt in land-based casinos. As opposed to graphics of tables and cards forming the gaming experience, live casinos give remote players a hybrid version of casino play.
This involves video links to real-person dealers who unveil the fate of your stake on the blackjack, roulette, or poker table right before your eyes. This step on the evolutionary path has created another approach to casino play in the online realm, marrying the sights and sounds of a land-based casino with that convenience factor.
What more can we expect?
While live casino takes online casino play to the next level, there is more excitement to come for casino enthusiasts thirsty for the ultimate online experience. The development of Augmented (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) has been fine-tuned over the years and might now be at the stage where the technology can be unleashed and implemented into online casino game play.
Live casinos provide players with a real-life visual representation of cards being dealt at the blackjack table, or the pill being spun in the roulette section. However, new reality, aided by headsets, can add the physical sensation of touch and the ability to affect cards, slot machines, and chips to the experience.
While there is no timeline set for the full introduction of AR and VR game play, it might not be far away. Online casino players around the world are eagerly awaiting perhaps the biggest step in online casino evolution. And one that will perhaps represent the biggest change in how we interact with and play online casino games.
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