The world’s first eSports Island in Abu Dhabi
The world's first eSports Island is set to be built in Abu Dhabi by True Gamers, a global network of eSports venues.Establishing the world's first eSports island in Abu...
What are the online gambling trends for 2022?
Statista has reported that in 2020 the world virtual betting sector costed $66.7bln. By 2023 this number is expected to turn into $92.9bln. iGaming operators should be assured that their products are relevant to the trends if they want to occupy more of the market and reach more heights.
According to some sources, modern technologies, such as Blockchain or VR are able to boost the market in a short period of time. In addition to high-tech trends, there are other rather common trends that are important.
The head of Product at Napoleon Games & Casino, Philippe Joos, together with Dave Pilgrim, Senior Product Manager at Sky Betting & Gaming have talked about the top trends of live wagering that can be common in 2022. This article is to present the perspectives of these two experts to sum up our own standpoints.
Cryptocurrency – Pros and Cons
Bitcoin, Ethereum together with many other cryptocurrencies are able to not only supplement the common currencies, but also substitute for them in some cases. Yet, iGaming companies have to take into account some issues before they offer such cryptocurrency payments.
The key advantage of cryptocurrencies is anonymity. Users have a good chance to stay hidden online when using crypto in their transactions. Though it’s a huge step towards data protection, it also has its bad side. According to the KYC approach (Know Your Clients), online casinos are obliged to collect data about their clients for their safety and prevention of breaches. So, with anonymity, this obligation remains at odds.
At present, online casinos do not tend to integrate crypto payments to their app as it’s unprofitable. Thus, they needn’t hurry to solve the anonymity problem.
Is VR/AR expected to be mainstream in the iGaming industry?
While some years ago many people were happy by the existence of mobile wagering, today the expectations are much higher.
After Meta announced about creating Metaverse, VR/AR (virtual and augmented reality) came to be mainstream. Some gambling operators like PokerStars Sport, provide VR products. Some features provided by VR, like 3D-avatars or gesture imitation, show that the virtual poker experience is much like real.
Yet, this is considered to be a slow-pace mainstream, as the users should acquire high-priced headsets for enjoying such features.
Will esports betting become mainstream in 2022?
Esports wagering was a huge mainstream in 2021 making betting precise & delivering innovative experiences.
Philippe and Dave Pilgrim are not sure if this will remain in trends during 2022. After COVID-19, wagering on live sport games like FIFA were popular, but other games like DOTA 2 didn’t succeed.
According to research conducted by Napoleon Games & casino, gamblers don’t much prefer esports wagering because they are doubtful about the integrity of the live games displayed on screens. Such perspectives may be changed with the advancement of tech understanding.
How popular are wearable devices in the gaming industry?
Wearable devices like smartwatches gain popularity and become powerful day by day. With the spread of its use, the adoption of it in the wagering industry is not surprising.
Wagering on smartwatches is more appealing for the users than on smartphones, as they only see the needed information, without any deviation. Besides, smartwatches are nearer to the body, than a mobile, so it’s easier to grab a smartwatch to gamble rather than a cellphone.
However, wagering apps on smartwatches are niche and many people prefer gambling via PC or smartphone. Besides, for iGaming platform providers it’s not easy to develop and design products for all the types of operating systems, such as watchOS and WearOS, etc.
Are there platforms or features for bettors to socialize?
As bettors enjoy discussing and sharing their experiences, a number of community betting features are designed to support such virtual conversations.
Sky Betting designed a “Request a Bet” feature which permits clients to place a bet as a group by placing money in a pool. Another operator, Betbull owns a product which allows the bettors to place bets publicly, permitting other users to place bets on them as well. Superbet Groups possesses a product permitting to follow or comment on a bet set up by friends.
As a mainstream, social wagering had equal success within various markets.
Is micro betting popular?
Formerly, betting was only connected with the outcomes of the events. For example, which club is to gain the victory or how many goals will it score? But this type of betting becomes old-fashioned. Instead, micro bets are to become popular which covers all the minor in-play events and cases. For instance, which player will make the next goal or which player will receive a red card during the match.
Are better applications common among bettors?
Better apps are rather popular, but widely overlooked within gambling market. The quality of the application is the key factor for the bettors when choosing betting applications.
There are some tips and tricks for iGaming operators to follow for designing apps of high-quality. Some of them are designing simple registration forms, optimizing discoverability for users to find games and bets easily, anticipating law changes and satisfying minimum requirements.
Here, you should take into account that the fact that one app is successful in a market does not ensure that it’s going to see success in other markets too.
Safer gambling
There are new regulations in safer gambling, which form the design of live wagering experiences. Before waiting for new regulations, igaming operators take steps towards integrating safer gambling within the process of developing the products.
Responsible operators need to follow the requirements of the law. There are igaming companies that give pop-up windows telling the users when they waste much time in gambling.
What top entertainment companies offer gambling?
The major trend gaining much fame is the set of products from entertainment giants. For instance, Netflix offers movie-based games which can further develop into casino games. Disney collaborates with third parties for pursuing betting on sports. Amazon launched a product streaming live football matches and is expected to offer bet placing on these matches.
Is 2022 the year for the United States in betting?
Some US states establish bigger markets for igaming companies and make wagering legal. Fantasy games are considered to be a base for wagering in the United States, offering the residents a softer way to wager.
To sum up, we need to mention that the wagering trends should be fostered for having successful business. It involves correctly evaluating how the trend can be turned into features and testing if it’s really efficient.
14 Best Bitcoin Casinos of 2024
If you’re looking to expand in the Bitcoin gambling space and work with the best Bitcoin casinos of 2024, then this article is for you.As the online gambling industry...
