History and Future of Online Slots
The gambling industry has seen some of its most tremendous growth within the last decade – and it’s exciting to watch new trends unfold and become the norm during these shifts. Currently, online slots are the most popular games at online casinos, reaching players across demographics and countries. Online slots hold this popularity title and will probably continue to do so due to a few simple reasons: accessibility, replayability, and fantastic bonuses.
Slots appeal to the fantasy with their enticing colour and sound designs – this, of course, means that the demographic of people playing online slots is highly interested in constantly having their gaming experiences upgraded. Players are frequently on the lookout for better, easier systems to sign up and play at. Constant change and improvements are happening in the online slot industry leading to new slot sites being started all the time.
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Gaming in New Zealand
According to the last government report, there was a 16% increase in profit in 2021 at pokies compared to the previous year. While there isn’t a reliable report for the rise in online slots in this period, it is likely greater than the 16% growth for physical pokies as the world moves towards online gaming as its default.
Before the rise of online gambling, the only place to play slot games was pubs, clubs and casinos. New Zealand’s first land-based casino, Christchurch Casino, was established in 1994, and since then, gambling has shown tremendous growth in games that are now thought of as classic casino games. Pokies, of course, are among the top choices for gamblers – from land-based pokie machines to the thousands of varieties of online pokie games on offer.
Below we will look at the history of online slots or pokies in New Zealand and share some details concerning their future.
The First Online Casino Software
The first mark of online slot games dates back to 1994 when the online gambling industry appeared. Microgaming, one of the world’s most respected game providers, created the first casino software, and players could access all the popular casino games at any leading online casino platform.
However, gambling sites were ahead of their time; the internet wasn’t as vital and as developed as today, and players couldn’t access slots as easily.
Slot Machines at Land-Based Casinos
During the 2000s, online casinos started making progress on the market. Then again, people weren’t too open to placing sensitive information on the internet, such as credit card details, and that is why they were fonder of playing slot machines at brick-and-mortar casinos.
Physical casinos also had an advantage since slot players were convinced that online slot machines were rigged. This, of course, saw a shift once players received rewards and benefits that offline casinos couldn’t compare to, such as instant accessibility from anywhere, an increasingly wider range of casino games, and payment methods that streamlined the entire experience.
Online Casino Gaming
After 2010, the internet and technology had an explosive boom, and slots made a massive step forward. Some of the most iconic online pokies were created in the early 2010s, including Starburst (2013), Immortal Romance (2011), Book of Dead (2016) and Gonzo’s Quest (2013), and allowed the industry to start growing at a rapid rate.
Online gaming expanded quickly in 2015, and players became open to the idea of playing various classic fruit machines and more modern video slots at casino sites. Casino sites made sure to protect players by utilizing the latest SSL encryption software to safeguard the players from scams and integrated payment systems that streamlined platforms.
Furthermore, new slot sites started featuring a Random Number Generator software to ensure that the online gambling experience was as fair as possible. This tool is still used to create random outcomes of any slot game and thus, give all players an equal chance of winning.
Online Slot Machines Break Barriers in 2021
By 2019, players in New Zealand and worldwide saw its biggest trend from land-based pokies to online slot machines. The gambling industry experienced a massive shift, and casino sites became even more advanced.
They became far more secure, numerous countries worldwide started regulating them, and most importantly, online casino owners started providing players with luxurious bonuses to boost their rewards. These bonuses include welcome offers, free spins, cashback, and VIP programs.
There isn’t just a single popular slot machine; this character has countless games. Most of them even provide players with fantastic rewards. Take Mega Moolah as an example, a progressive slot game known for cashing out the biggest rewards in history. In April 2021, an unknown player managed to win over NZ$20 million on Absolutely Mad: Mega Moolah online.
Each video slot now has its own distinguished features, which is why they are so popular. Video slots can be categorized based on their theme, bonus features, payline system, type of jackpot, number of reels, etc.
Future of Online Slots
The recent massive development and progress tell us one thing – the future of online video slots is looking promising. One of the most likely future trends that we will see with slots is virtual reality. Virtual reality headsets are already becoming a thing, and they are likely to take over the industry in the near future.
Offline casinos are already offering the VR casino experience, such as the ever-famous Las Vegas casinos, and online casinos are just starting to catch up. The whole experience of Virtual Reality casino games is set to elevate online gambling to a whole new level on par with the atmosphere only found at brick-and-mortar casinos.
Apart from virtual reality, gaming on mobile devices will also rise. Statistics show that the mobile gaming industry is increasingly growing, and it is accessible for most players to enjoy the games on their smartphones. The gambling industry will progress so much that we will use VR headsets through our phones to play our favourite video slot sooner than we think.
As with all industries, the rapid development of technology and the internet brings trends that online casinos are rushing to keep up with. We already see a huge increase in online casino payment options, such as cryptocurrency and new e-wallet deposits. This is likely to remain one of the aspects online casinos focus on and improve in the coming years – with an increasing probability of greater casino rewards and value-for-money deposit options.
As the industry progresses, we continue to see these changes happen in real-time and we couldn’t be more excited about them.
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