They say change is constant. People will come into your life and leave. Trends will flourish and fade. But in the end, change remains the same. This saying is true for most things in life, including innovations in the casino sector. Most people can’t remember the best-selling slot machine of 2000. But here’s something they can remember—slots back then had simple graphics, low payouts and repetitive soundtracks. Innovation changed all that for gambling. Modern slot technology is sleek for gambling, sophisticated and packed with rewarding features.
In this article, we’ll highlight some of the innovations that could shape the future of slots and online casinos. Let’s get started.
Provably Fair Slots
Slot machines are fun and simple to play. But they’re all based on pure chance in Gambling. This isn’t necessarily a problem. The issue is that you can’t verify whether a game is fair. Or can you?
Thanks to Blockchain technology, you can now play 100% fair games. The blockchain keeps data transparently and permanently. Slots made through this platform allow you to view the seed algorithm used to trigger winning symbols.
By proving a gambling game is 100% fair, we could see more people getting into slot machines. Think about this. You’ve come across two slots with a 97% payout. You can prove one game is fair. But you can’t prove the other. Which one would you play? Exactly.
The only thing holding back blockchain slots is that the world has yet to embrace cryptocurrencies fully. Also, they need to improve on other areas like payout rates, graphics and gameplay.
Responsible Gambling Tools
Responsible gambling has been the focal point of many UK lawmakers in the past couple of years. They even pushed for the release of the White Paper—a document that proposes stricter gambling laws in the currently.
While advocates want more laws to curb gambling in the UK, it should be noted casinos have loads of responsible gambling tools at their disposal. For starters, they have breaks in play tools.
Breaks in play tools help players take periodic breaks. This way, a player isn’t immersed in the world of gambling so much that they end up forgetting how much time and money they’ve gambled away.
Gamblers in the UK also have access to Gamstop, a self-exclusion scheme that locks you out of gambling in every online casino in the UK. You can self-exclude from gambling for six months, one year or five years.
Now, GamStop only works in the UK. If you join the program and change your mind after a few days, you can play slots not on Gamstop by joining overseas online casinos.
Gameplay Features
When you think about it, slot machines keep getting better and better for gambling. In the 1990s, slots had three reels, a few symbols and dull graphics. Today, you have the option to play classic, video, progressive, Megaways or 3D slots.
Each genre of fruity slots has its pros and cons. Video slots come with the best gameplay features. For example, they feature wilds, scatters, multipliers, plays both ways, cluster wins and jackpots.
All these new features elevate the online casino experience. In the past, all you did was place a bet and hope. Now, slots give you so many chances to win something.
Scatters help you win free spins. Multipliers magnify your profits while jackpots could turn you into an overnight millionaire. Bonus buy features give you access to the bonus round instantly. The bonus round usually packs the good stuff—jackpots, multipliers and wilds.
To be clear, slots aren’t created equal. If you want to enjoy slots with thousands of ways to win, check out Megaways. Play progressive slots if you think you can hit a jackpot.
Graphics and Video Resolutions
Good looks in slot machines attract players. That’s why nearly all software developers creating slots in 2023 are using advanced graphics. More precisely, almost all new slot machines have 3D graphics.
As mentioned, good-looking symbols and animations capture people’s attention. A slot could be about ancient Egypt. But if the characters, background and features in the slot look ultra-realistic, people will pay attention.
Developers love to incorporate short video clips in slots to make them more engaging. These videos feature 1080p or 4K resolutions. This keeps players focused on a game now that they love how it looks.
Of course, good looks alone can’t make a slot successful. It also needs some of the features we mentioned earlier—high payouts, jackpots, wilds, scatters and multipliers.
VR and AR
Virtual Reality is slowly creeping into the world of online casinos. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. VR headsets are now more affordable than they’ve ever been.
There’s also more content for VR fans who love video games and movies. As such, investing in VR equipment is a good investment. Unfortunately, only a few slots support VR technology.
These games include Gonzo’s Quest, Jack and the Beanstalk and Thunderstruck II. Some slot machines also support Augmented Reality for gambling. For example, you can play Tetris Extreme using AR headgear.
Both VR and AR provide immersive experiences. Virtual Reality makes you feel like you’re in a different place. By comparison, AR augments your background to make it resemble the streets of New York or your favourite golf course. If you have the right equipment, consider using your headgear to play VR or AR slots and poker games.
Mobile Slots
Mobile slots have been around for a while. In those years, these games have won over more than half of the people who used to gamble through their PC computers.
What makes mobile casinos so appealing? Why do experts think mobile slots are the future of online casinos? The short answer lies in convenience. A modern smartphone can do a lot of things previously only doable through powerful computers.
You can use your iPhone to take pictures, stream content, make calls and play mobile games. You can also use it to shop online, browse on social media and market your products.
If you’re a casino player, your smartphone makes gambling a lot more convenient. In the future, more people will play slots on mobile devices. Desktop casinos won’t go away. They will just become overshadowed by their mobile counterparts.