Online Casino Market For 2020

One of the world’s most dynamic industries estimated to be worth nearly $54 billion at the very beginning of 2020, iGaming is projected to grow even faster in the forthcoming years.

Although such a huge surge is anchored on an array of diverse businesses and aided by various high-tech sectors, online casinos remain the core of internet gambling as they serve as a gateway between all possible types of producers and end-users, or more accurately, players. Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a mushrooming of Vegas-style venues across the web, driven by the ever-increasing demand in different parts of the globe, and the trend continues.

Today’s gambling websites...

... are more akin multidimensional one-stop portals that offer a wide range of options, from slots to live casino, while some of them also let punters switch to sportsbook without leaving the place. Since more and more customers prefer to access the sites from their smartphones, the majority of operators have shifted the focus towards mobile play, which is expected to outpace the desktop segment in the nearest future.

What Is Boosting Online Casino Market Growth In 2020?

Well, it’s a combination of factors, each of which should be considered in the light of the cultural background, gambling traditions, and, of course, existing legislation specific to a certain jurisdiction. As all these parameters vary greatly not only from country to country but often also from one federal state to another, the situation is not uniform.

Many industry giants...

... with a global reach report that their increased revenues are mainly based on the growth brought by the USA and the UK markets while developments in the Nordic region (particularly in Sweden and Norway) are far from being great largely due to the recent local re-regulations.

North America remains one of the fastest-growing areas and when it comes to the US, more states are trying to re-think their relationship with online gaming and it looks that Michigan could soon join New Jersey and Pennsylvania as the third fully regulated market.

Needless to say, fascinating Asia is generating ever-increasing interest among numerous software providers, casino aggregators, and operators, which make every effort to cater to the multimillion gambling community of this part of the world. What’s more, even such global heavyweights as Chinese conglomerates Alibaba and Tencent Holdings (which are not in the gambling business at all) recently decided to invest big money in Indian gaming apps.

Eventful and productive, 2020...

... is also a momentous year marked by the creation of the world’s largest online gaming company. Agreed in 2019, the epic merger between Flutter Entertainment and The Stars Group was successfully completed in May to set up a real behemoth both in terms of market cap and annual revenues.

Despite significant country-specific differences, there is a number of cross-cutting tendencies that contributed to the global growth of the online gaming sector. It’s safe to say that among the major factors are rapidly evolving changes in consumer behavior, the emergence of new regulated markets, quantum leaps in the development of the internet, and worldwide expansion of cryptocurrencies.

More Interactive Games

Since casinos are about games, their role in the whole story is hard to overestimate. Software providers work tirelessly to amaze punters with even more engaging and sophisticated titles, taking the player experience literally to the next level.

Virtual reality...

... becomes part of many web-based venues, giving players a feeling that they walk through a luxurious establishment on the Strip, looking around in search of the favorite slot machine or bean-shaped table. By the way, at the beginning of the year, one famous Boardwalk spot launched the world’s first Live slots, starting a new era in the history of universally beloved one-armed bandits.

Live Dealer fun, in its turn, is gaining momentum, seeing all-time highs in player numbers, and as a result, dramatically increased revenues for developers and operators. A big number of new releases intended not only to broaden but also to diversify the Live games offering, serves as the best proof of its high popularity among players of all styles and gambling preferences.

Reaching New Audiences

It’s impossible not to notice that more and more women visit gambling websites, accessing them mainly from smart devices. If for a long time online casino market has been directed towards male players, nowadays we witness a clear shift to the gender-equal scenario in every segment of the plot. What’s more, there are sites designed exclusively to cater to female players.

Social casinos became another way to reach new audiences, as this undeniably exciting pastime still can’t compete with the thrills, bonuses, and cash prizes of licensed real-money websites. Officially non-wagering places, social casinos are not subject to strict requirements of gaming commissions, hence the RTP of their games can vary greatly, especially given the multi-stage system that lets players move forward and minimizes the worth of “free“ money.

Crypto-Friendliness

Banking is one of the most crucial elements when it comes to the online casino market and as such it has always been in the focus of all the parties involved. Modern technologies have facilitated plenty of options for safe, secure and fast (or even instant) transactions, some of them are available in all parts of the globe, some are tailored to meet the needs of players in certain countries.

Once rare guests...

... on the rosters of payment methods, cryptocurrencies are accelerating worldwide and we see more and more online casinos that let customers deposit and withdraw funds using digital assets. Backed by the ground-breaking Blockchain technology, BTC remains the most frequently used crypto money due to its reliability, numerous benefits, and a wide range of Bitcoin wallets.

Mobile-First Approach

Even though the smallest screens have been a top priority for some years now, it seems that in 2020, this strategy is more viable than ever before. With fun on the go being on the rise, neither software providers nor online casinos can afford weak performances of their products on smartphones or tablets.

In line with this, the majority of websites launched this year are fully mobile-optimized, ensuring an equally seamless experience for owners of Android and iOS devices. As for Live casinos, it’s worth mentioning, that the quality of streaming has been perfected and today patrons can enjoy the authentic Vegas atmosphere even under slower connection speeds.