Industry News
Technologies That Will Change the iGaming Industry
The online gambling market continues to grow steadily. According to European Gaming, the size of the global casino market was estimated at almost $546 billion in 2021. The CAGR over the forecast period is expected to be 5.79%, reaching almost $765 billion by 2027. But industry growth is measured in more than just dollars and cents; you can also see the vitality of iGaming in the introduction of new technologies. Dmytro Taran, COO of Slotegrator, gives a rundown of what technologies are already in use and which ones could radically change the industry in the near future.
Blockchain Technologies
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies have had an exceptional impact on the evolution of the iGaming industry. Thereâs no denying the growing popularity of bitcoin casinos. Supporting cryptocurrency payments on gambling platforms opens up new advantages: no personal data is needed, the amount of payments is not limited and transactions are carried out without commissions and intermediaries, which guarantees fast deposits and payouts. It comes as no surprise that sites like joystickgames.com have embraced blockchain.
While fiat currencies are supported by the state that issues them, cryptocurrencies are backed by a decentralised registry that tracks every transaction, which is distributed over a large database with a million copies. This has several implications: first, anyone with access to the network can verify the transaction, and second, the history of bitcoin cannot be faked; any attempt to falsify a block will affect every block in the network.
Decentralised public records are characterised by security and transparency, which is especially appreciated by privacy-conscious players. And a significant advantage for operators is protection against chargebacks, which are impossible with cryptocurrencies.
Blockchain technologies can also be used to record transactions between the user and the casino â all bets, deposit amounts and payouts on winnings are recorded in encrypted form. General statistics on payout percentage is displayed for each game. Thus, gambling platforms can prove that players really receive the payout percentage declared by the providers. There are not many casinos with blockchain reporting on the global online gambling market, but this mechanic is gaining momentum and will scale as a trend in the near future.
PWA Features
Recently, online casinos are increasingly using Progressive Web Applications, browser-based applications that have become an alternative to native mobile applications. PWAs are launched as a regular web page of a gambling site; i.e., a player can install the application he is interested in directly via Chrome or Safari, without using online stores. By clicking the âAdd to home screenâ button, an Android user can add the casino to their mobile phone. For IOS devices, one more quick additional step is needed.
PWA technology has three key features:
- Speed: progressive loading of games, fast scrolling and smooth animations provide a good user experience.
- Reliability: PWA download speed does not change depending on the quality of the connection.
- Engagement: Engage users with push notifications, home screen icons and full screen mode.
âGiven the growing popularity of mobile applications and the desire of the user to get the result at the lowest cost â and with PWA the player can enjoy their favorite games on their mobile phone by simply pressing the download button â it can be said that the tool works effectively to attract new users and retain existing ones,â Dmitro Taran said.
Big Data in iGaming
Sifting through mountains of data is as difficult as it is important, but there are a number of concrete benefits to sorting data. Online casinos use Big Data technology for a few different purposes:
- Personalisation. With each visit to the gambling site, players provide more and more information about themselves. Activity tracking using Big Data technologies allows you to find out user interests. Operators use these data to set their strategies, thereby increasing the overall efficiency of the business.
- The fight against fraud. Unscrupulous players and organisations can use VPNs and other tools to abuse bonuses. New methods for analysing the behaviour of players and their patterns help to identify cheaters.
- Combat problem gambling. In order to preserve the reputation of the industry, its participants pay significant attention to the safety of end users. Data analysis is used to prevent problem gambling. Certain behavioural characteristics of players may indicate the development of addiction. By setting up the alert system, the operator can identify and correct the problem before it occurs.
- Data-driven KPIs. In the iGaming industry, various metrics are used to evaluate business performance â some of these include gross gaming revenue (GGR), net gaming revenue (NGR), average revenue per user (ARPU), first-time depositors (FTDs) and churn rate (CR). Continuous analysis of these indicators across different time periods allows the operator to identify shortcomings and make informed decisions about how to correct them.
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems allow you to competently manage data. The CRM system included in the functionality of the new platform from Slotegrator is equipped with reporting tools that make it possible to track user behaviour and, based on this analysis, target certain player segments, which helps the operator improve player retention.
VR/AR Technologies
The use of VR/AR technologies in gambling has not yet become as widespread as in some other industries. Nevertheless, the potential of virtual reality in gambling is huge, and some brands have already launched casinos in the metaverses. Interested participants in the iGaming market expect that in the near future, leading game content developers will develop products specifically tailored for VR/AR experiences.
Industry News
Dutch Mental Health Care Calls for Total Ban on Online Gambling Advertising
The Dutch mental health service is calling for a total ban on online gambling advertisements in the Netherlands.
Although a ban on untargeted gambling advertisements and a ban on the use of role models has been in effect since 2023, a recent research by KRO-NCRVâs Pointer shows that (illegal) gambling companies and sports tipster platforms are still enticing young people via social media such as TikTok and Snapchat.
By using influencers and terms like âfree moneyâ, they try to attract a young audience and thus lower the threshold to start gambling. This concerns both legal online casinos and online casinos that do not have a license in the Netherlands. The Gaming Authority has started an investigation based on Pointerâs findings.
Pointerâs research shows that part of the gambling industry deliberately targets young people who are often susceptible to promises such as âfast moneyâ and the influence of role models. Ruth Peetoom, chair of the Dutch mental health service, compares this approach to that of the tobacco industry, where similar marketing strategies were used to get young people to smoke.
Despite the existing advertising ban, gambling companies continue to explore the boundaries of the law, according to Peetoom. The Dutch mental health and addiction care associations in the Netherlands therefore push for a total ban on online gambling advertising and stricter rules for the duty of care of gambling providers.
With the call for a total ban, the Dutch mental health care sector hopes to prevent further normalisation of gambling behaviour among young people and to protect them from the temptation and consequences of online gambling.
Compliance Updates
UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to Oct 2024
The Gambling Commission has published further data on the gambling industry in Great Britain.
This data, sourced from operators, reflects the period between March 2020 and September 2024, inclusive, and covers online and in-person gambling covering Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) found on Britainâs high streets.
Comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset, as this dataset may include free bets and bonuses and does not include data from all operators.
This release compares Quarter 2 (Q2) of financial year 2024 to 2025, with Q2 of 2023 to 2024, looking at how the market has changed in comparative periods over a year.
The latest operator data shows:
- online total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Q2 (July to September) was ÂŁ1.32 billion, an increase of 11 percent from Q2 the previous year. The overall number of total bets and/or spins increased 12 percent Year-on-Year (YoY), reaching a new peak for the third consecutive quarter of 25.2 billion, whilst the average monthly active accounts2 in the quarter increased 8 percent
- real event betting GGY increased by 6 percent YoY to ÂŁ453 million. The number of bets decreased 10 percent, while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 9 percent
- slots GGY increased 16 percent to ÂŁ680 million YoY. The number of spins increased 13 percent to 23.3 billion while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 16 percent to 4.4 million per month. Although this is a new peak for GGY in this dataset for the slots vertical, it should be noted that one operator has re-classified some of its products into the slot vertical this quarter, which has had an impact on the vertical data
- the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 9 percent YoY to 10 million. The average session length remained at 17 minutes. Approximately 6.1 percent of all sessions lasted more than one hour compared to 6.6 percent in Q2 the previous year. The number of spins per session has fallen from 147 to 142 YOY, whilst the GGY per session has fallen from ÂŁ4.20 to ÂŁ4.13 in the equivalent timeframe
- LBO GGY decreased by 1 percent to ÂŁ533 million in Q2 2024 to 2025, compared to the same quarter last year, while the number of total bets and spins decreased by 0.1 percent to 3.1 billion.
Industry News
Petra Maria Poola Joins Xace as Group Commercial Director
Xace has announced that Petra Maria Poola has joined the company as Group Commercial Director.
Petra brings a wealth of experience from the iGaming industry having formerly held roles at several iGaming companies such as Yolo, Relax Gaming and SiGMA. She will lead the commercial growth of Xace and its group companies, including crypto and iGaming focused xda.io, helping to drive strategic initiatives across banking, fintech and iGaming solutions.
In her new role, she will mainly oversee the growth of the groupâs sales, marketing and account management functions, ensuring a cohesive strategy that supports Xaceâs ambitious expansion plans.
âI am incredibly excited to start this new chapter with Xace, and work alongside such a talented team and management. Transitioning into the fintech space, while still connected to iGaming, presents an exciting opportunity for growth and learning. Iâm looking forward to applying my expertise to help Xace and its group companies achieve new heights commercially, while gaining deeper insights into the fast-evolving world of fintech,â said Petra Maria Poola.
Reuben Abel, CEO of Xace, said: âPetraâs extensive background in the iGaming sector, combined with her commercial acumen, makes her a valuable addition to the Xace team. She will play a crucial role in expanding Xaceâs market presence and enhancing its suite of services tailored to the specific needs of the iGaming and fintech industries.â
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