Whether shooting dice, chasing reels or flipping cards, casinos both online and in the real world offer a bounty of opportunities to win or lose money while staying entertained. Though gambling has roots dating back centuries ago, technology has been an integral force in shifting the venues, modes and styles we play, ensuring that the pastime stays current. Here’s a look at how the gambling industry has changed and the role technology has played in its evolution.
Operations
The internet and mobile apps have changed the way we shop, eat and entertain, so it’s no wonder that they’ve also shaped the way we gamble. Indeed, online gambling is predicted to pull in 87.75 billion USD by 2024, with 164 million people using mobile phones to visit an online casino in 2019, Mordor Intelligence reports.
From spinning to the final payout, gambling feels the impact of software developments. With technology playing a key role in the gambling (re)volution, here are just some of the ways operations have shifted in recent years:
Online gambling and classic slots games make gaming far more accessible and convenient, with some platforms even allowing in-game communication among players
More people are able to play online gambling games, leading to greater enthusiasm for sports betting, poker, lottery games and casino wagers
Waging money on games has become easier than ever, with large networks of players available to guide and teach new players
Marketing Strategy
Since technology helped usher in more sophisticated, enticing gameplay, marketers have tried to keep up. This has led to innovative strategies for bringing more traffic through the door.
The use of cookies and other programs allow operators to have more data at their fingertips, thus changing the landscape of how players are being advertised to. Being able to intimately understand how players access the games that they play, interact with different games and their preferences when on a site, marketing departments have vastly improved their prospecting, both inside and outside the platform.
Security
As technology continues to evolve, so do the security threats casinos — both online and off — face. Everything from transmitting images via microscopic fiber-optic cameras to hacking websites, criminals have long used technology to their advantage.
In light of these advanced threats, gambling venues have amped up their own responses. From employing enhanced online security protocol to facial recognition software and RFID chips in poker chips, casinos take few risks when it comes to money.
Yet all this monitoring isn’t merely for security, or even for operations — although those are important, no doubt. The RFID in poker chips not only helps prevent counterfeiting and theft, but it also allows casinos to judge how much money is on the tables and what the flow of play looks like. Calibrated slot machines let managers know when the machines need refilling or emptying. And facial recognition software helps identify known card counters before they have a chance to play.
Enhanced Service
For all the behind-the-scenes activity that technology enhances, there is one important area it helps players with: service. Automated payment systems make it easy for online players to efficiently load more credits onto their account. Mobile apps allow customers to check-in and head straight to their room. Once there, technology makes it possible to adjust room temperature, book show tickets and order room service with nary a touch of the finger. IP phones in the hotel room may offer different services to different guests, including a direct line to a dedicated concierge for high-rollers. Some accommodations even offer a multi-purpose key card that allows guests to enter their rooms and gamble using the same card.
Get Your Game On
Slots. Cards. Betting. Take your pick. Technology has changed the landscape of gambling, yet it hasn’t changed the heart of it all. People love to win, and they love to win big.
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