We are already half way through the year and what a busy year it has been for the betting industry. The past 18 months have been hard on everybody, however, some industries managed to capitalize on the opportunities that the pandemic created.
The betting industry was certainly hit hard in a lot of areas, with cancellations to sporting events and the temporary closure of gambling establishments, that would have ordinarily generated a massive following. Though, surprisingly for some, in some areas of the betting industry, they excelled and thrived on the opportunity.
With the latest technological improvements, companies offering online casinos, casino games, eSports and Video slots were able to focus fully on these areas and look to advance them as much as possible. Over the past 18 months, video slots have made massive strides, offering new gaming experiences and due to an increase in traffic, the jackpots have swelled to record amounts. Many online casinos and sports betting sites even accept top cryptocurrencies, which is another reason for the increased growth.
It has been reported that eSports betting has seen a 7-fold increase in betting turnover in the past 18 months, making it one of the most talked about betting markets at this current time. The American eSports market has shown massive growth and it is expected that eSports will become the most watched sport in the country.
On a global scale, online casino rooms that offer gaming and poker, have seen a tremendous increase in revenue. Reports from Australia suggest that some firms have seen up to a 75% increase every month since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, in the U.S, reports state that during the first 4 months of national restrictions, online poker rooms saw a 55% increase.
This additional revenue has allowed companies to build on, and improve, the technology that they had been using.
Where to Bet Online?
Due to the popularity of online betting sites, and the sign-up promotions they offer, you have a ton of choice. There are hundreds of online bookmakers willing to offer you free bets & bookmaker offers, welcome bonuses, sign-up bonuses, and more. Such choice brings a problem of its own, however. As it is difficult to know which is the best sports betting site and which are the best online bookie promotions.
Fortunately, there are comparison sites to help you out. For instance, you could check out freebets.com’s promotions to get their recommendations of the best betting offers. They will also show you where to find the best free bet promotions, enhanced odds offers, and the many other bookmaker promotions available.
Virtual Reality Betting?
eSports are nothing new as they have been around for a good decade or so now. However, VR headsets are very much the craze in the entertainment world and so the thought of combining them has really gained traction. Isle of Man based, Entain, have a vision of combining VR and betting, allowing the punter to view the live streamed games through a VR headset, as well as being able to place bets at the same time. This kind of advancement would transform the betting industry as we know it. It certainly seems like it would be a great success, however, punters will always want to have the true-life experience of being part of the action.
More In-Play Options with no Suspended Betting
In-Play was a fun addition to the gambling experience when it was first introduced. However, advancement in this function has been pretty slow due to technological hurdles. Recently, with improved technology, we have seen the introduction of Cash-out and the BetBuilder, both of which offered a different gambling experience.
SportCast and Scientific Games have teamed up to address the issue of suspended play. So often when something, seemingly minor, is happening in a game, we will have a delay. If there is a bad tackle or a penalty, we will see betting suspended. The plan is now to see additional betting options during these times in a game, and also to improve communication speed to allow for a smoother betting experience.