Obviously, without computers there would be no online gaming and the advances in hardware and software have a direct impact on development of new games. iGaming providers are typically among the early adopters of digital technologies and often invent new use cases for innovations that were not originally intended for this industry. As computing technology continues to advance in leaps and bounds, it helps to bring lucky numbers and other popular games to the masses in many different ways.
Here is an overview of the main functions of iGaming sites that are performed by advanced technology.
Game Hosting
All online games are hosted on remote servers while players use their devices merely to open the interface and interact with the game’s features. This requires the players to have verified accounts and to use an internet connection to access the servers, while on the provider side it’s necessary to ensure that the website is up and running at all times. Modern technology makes it possible to play online games on international websites with no delay or glitches, even from a smartphone. Live gaming is a new trend that also relies on this infrastructure, only it happens in real time and the users can see the action in the game studio via webcam. This is a step forward towards the next level of interactivity, with AI technologies looming large on the horizon.
Payments
Fast, cheap, and safe transfer of funds is absolutely essential for iGaming websites, since this is the precondition for administering real money games on the international level. Over the past decade, online casinos and betting sites have mostly moved away from traditional bank transfers and adopted tech-powered services that replace or improve them. Almost every website now allows deposits and withdrawals to be made with eWallets such as PayPal and Skrill, effectively shortening the time needed for the transaction to complete. Crypto currencies are becoming massively popular lately, with increased privacy and speed cited as the biggest reasons for their adoption. It’s already becoming normal to see crypto-only casinos on the web, and this might become the standard going forward.
Security
Attempts at account hacking, identity theft, data leaks, or money laundering have been the bane of the gambling sites since their early days. In response, leading iGaming companies developed multi-layered defences against such activities that rely mostly on encryption technology. Basically, all sensitive data is shared in encrypted format to prevent any chance of it being intercepted by malicious actors. As the level of sophistication of attacks continues to increase, gambling websites are deploying more and more robust measures. Modern websites typically use 256-bit encryption protocols, which are extremely hard to break and practically guarantee the integrity of data. This is another area where the progress of AI technology will likely change the equitation on both sides – giving hackers more powerful tools but also empowering providers to detect them more easily.
Communication
In the fast-moving world of online gambling, sometimes it’s very important to get in touch with the provider instantly and report a problem or ask for clarification. These days you can do that without any effort by using a live chat feature that most websites list on their support pages. In some cases, you will talk to a human agent but more and more websites are using chatbots to streamline the process. Players are also motivated to communicate with other members of the website, and as a result iGaming sites are looking to add social features based on similar communication technologies users are already familiar with. Video formats are becoming more widely embraced for this purpose, and this is another trend worth following up.
Promotion
It is imperative to advertise very aggressively in order to survive in the highly competitive niche such as iGaming, but efficiency of promotion is just as important. iGaming brands have access to oceans of data about existing and potential users, and some of them are using analytics to identify the right people to target with ads. A more personalised, data-driven approach to marketing can reduce expenses while keeping the players happier, and since the games are already administered digitally no extra hardware is needed. Creative teams are able to use the knowledge about players and their preferences to craft highly attractive offers with favourable ROI, helping to build the player base quickly and without wasted resources.
User Action Moderation
As iGaming websites grow and incorporate additional communication mechanisms, they become more susceptible to fraudulent, toxic, or socially unacceptable behaviour. It’s very difficult for administrators to inspect every entry on a message board, at least not without advanced tracking technology. It’s fairly easy to recognise patterns of problematic activity and permanently ban the offenders while preventing them to re-join with a new account. Similar tools can be used to spot individuals with a gambling addiction and contact them with advice on how to seek help. In some countries such as the UK, there are nationwide self-exclusion systems that prevent participants from gambling on any legal sites. The value of such moderation tools will only increase as this industry joins the mainstream economy.
