It’s no secret that the online gaming industry has been steadily growing for some time now. The exciting variety of options available at the customer’s fingertips, coupled with the convenience of not having to leave your front room has proved extremely popular with punters.
Tech brings Casino Gaming to the Masses
Online gambling accounts now make up 33% of all gambling in Britain alone according to a recent study undertaken by the Online Gambling Commission, an independent, non-departmental government body that was set up under the 2005 Gambling act in order to regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain.
Part of the appeal with regards to playing online slots, blackjack or other casino games is that the user has almost complete control over the kind of game they want to play. From individual based games where the user makes their own choices that influence the outcome of the game, to community-based experiences where interaction with other users is essential, there’s something for everyone and it’s usually only a click away. With the ease of access associated with these kinds of games, it follows that the market is in need of very stringent regulation and the UK Gambling Commission are very strict with online casino websites. In order to satisfy the Commission’s requirements, operators such as Guts.com have to obtain a license and have their services monitored to ensure fairness and adherence to legislation. All casino game operators who are licensed by the Gambling Commission will display the latter’s logo as well as the licence number and date on every page on their website.
There’s also little doubt that the convenience of online gaming has proved vital in the market’s growth over the last few years. Users can now play from the comfort of their home with remarkable ease and the fact that wi-fi is now more readily available than ever throughout the UK means that those wishing to play on the go are also very well catered for. The advancement in technology with regards to mobile devices has also meant better graphics for those who prefer the more aesthetically pleasing and colorful challenges. As well as the growing variety of interfaces available including the emergence of touch-screen options for those wanting to mimic the real life experience of being in a casino, the ever growing popularity of themed slot games has proved a big hit with punters.
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Culture goes to the Casino
The crossover in popular culture between online slot games and the film and music industry is surprisingly vast. There are slot games for lovers of the fantasy epic Lord of The Rings where users have to carefully negotiate Frodo Baggins out of the shire, with unique play again bonuses where users can save their progress. For those who fancy a foray into the final frontier, there are Star Trek and Star Wars themed slots and from the moon to moon-walking, you can even play as the King of Pop in a Michael Jackson themed casino game.
Such themed slot games are there to provide more variety and more excitement to players, and, of course, online casinos use them as a selling point to attract new customers. It is the aforementioned license from the Gambling Commission that allows firms to also advertise their services, which is obviously an absolutely integral piece of the puzzle when it comes to trying to lure users onto a particular site. As is also be expected, any fully registered online gaming site is required to have their own regulatory process in place and must frequently check whether their users are of the required age to gamble and more importantly, make sure that their games are provably fair.
Forbes predicts that the online gambling industry is going nowhere fast and it’s popularity is showing no signs of slowing down. With around 40% of the world’s population now having access to the internet, there is still huge untapped potential in the industry, especially in the more rapidly developing countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world and the next step for those at the helm will be surely be the introduction of online gaming on a more global scale.