Everyone can agree that 2020 was a gap year for the planet. According to a global Ipsos survey, more than two-thirds of the respondents were hopeful that 2021 would be a year that sees much of the recent emotional and financial damage begin to heal.
Look Into The Crystal Ball
Inspired by this optimistic outlook on the new year here are our predictions, or should that be wishlist, for the online and land-based gambling community in 2021 (in no particular order).
- Brands strive for value beyond bonuses – With regulated markets like the UK cracking down on bonuses and more regulated operators available to players the need for casinos who offer ‘something more’ will make or break how big a casino can grow.
- Greater global adoption of licensed gambling – As existing regulated markets prove that it is possible to balance revenue generation with safer gambling more timid regions will regulate to capitalise on the growth curve of the market.
- Standardised gaming regulation for the EU – The EU has been working with its partners on regulations that will server players, regulators, and operators in the short and long term. 2021 will be when we see these laws being brought into force.
- Introduction of new gambling-friendly web wallets – As more markets regulate the likes of Skrill and NETELLER will begin to face competition from regional and crypto e-wallets. This should drive down fees, improve service levels and increase consumer benefits.
- Increased standardisation of Safer Gambling policies – There is already a lot of inter-regulator cooperation in policy setup and process coordination. With this and the EU pursuing regulation standardisation we are hopeful for the same level playing field to be applied to Safer Gambling.
- Bitcoin continues to gain traction in online gambling – Bitcoin is a leading brand in driving interest in online gambling for the crypto space. With its surge in value smart gambling could become a great way to try grow your cache and protect your privacy at the same time.
- Bitcoin value surge creates demand for gambling-friendly altcoins – Players might not want to gamble their BTC while the value keeps climbing. This creates an opportunity for them to use altcoins like Ethereum and Ripple at online casinos.
- Demand for higher Return to Player games will increase – With developments like Kindred’s 98% Return to Player project players have been made aware of the prevalence of big return games. Players wagering BTC will seek out these games to minimise their risk.
- A larger collection of Provably Fair casino games – A groundbreaking development in crypto-gaming has been the launch of Provably Fair casino games. 2021 will see an increase in the demand for casinos to prove the results and payouts of their games or risk losing players.
- Further consolidation of power brands in key markets – Only time will tell what the impact of these mergers will be on the market but that we will continue to see recognisable casino brands combining to increase global footprints, minimise license fees and optimise operational efficiencies is a foregone conclusion.
- New VR casino game development – VR has been in limbo for a while, mostly hampered by the tools needed to use it. With the launch of the streamlined Oculus Quest 2 and competitors from HP and HTC, the VR movement has begun.
- More US states open their doors to online gambling – As New Jersey and other US states prove the viability of the regulated model we can expect to see more states open their borders to mobile and online casinos games in 2021.
- Live casino gambling will become the dominant demographic – With the lockdown period, live dealer casinos have gained traction meeting players gambling and social needs. As we continue to address the last vestiges of the pandemic these brands will continue their impressive growth in the new year.
- Sports betting will see a boom as restrictions lift globally – During 2020 the growth of virtual sports betting entertained betting fans. However, nothing beats the excitement of a live experience. As sports federations begin to relaunch their seasons betting on these games will skyrocket.
- Mobile casinos will see exponential growth – With a lot of downtime in 2020 players have gotten used to gambling when they want to. As we head back into the workplace and even see travel increase over the course of 2021 these players will turn more often to their mobile phones to play whenever and wherever they want to.
Have Your Say in 2021
What did you think of our top predictions for the year ahead? Did we miss anything that you feel is going to be a casino trend in 2021? If so feel free to join the conversation and share your thoughts with us.