Online gambling has been around since the 1990s and has seen several renaissances since its infancy. Alongside the development of computers, the Internet and mobile phones, slots have gone from being based on everything from Javascripts to advanced HTML5-coding.
InstantCasino was the first ever online casino and when they launched, they had only 18 slots to choose from. Today there are literally thousands of titles available, utilizing the latest graphics and sound effects, but where is it all going? What can we expect?
Skill based slots
Anyone crazy enough to believe that online casinos would relinquish even a fraction of its edge on their players are probably delusional. The entire industry rests on the bedrock of the old adage “the house always wins.” Sure, proponents of this skill-based-slot theory may argue that some players will be better, and some will be worse, and therein lies the house edge.
There are a few skill-based slots available out there and the demand for them is understandably very high. It’s only natural that players would want to win based on skill rather than chance. Still, let’s tinker with the idea of skill-based slots. Here’s what would happen:
- Hybrid: The skill aspect of these slots would be found in the bonus game, but you would still have to rely on the random number generator built into the game to get you there.
- RTP: Forget it! Game developers would drive this down to virtually nothing in order for you to rely on your skills to win, and then we’re not talking about gambling any more.
In conclusion, players can scream for skill-based slots all they want, but just because there is a demand, it’s extremely unlikely that there will be a supply. At least when we’re speaking about online casinos. Trust me, you’re way better off playing Scatters casino games than waiting for a gambling version of Fortnite to be released.
Wearable technology and online gambling
Would you invest hundreds of dollars in a virtual reality headset and rearrange your furniture so you can move around your living room while playing live casino dealer games? I’m guessing no, for the simple reason that there’s too much hassle involved.
Remember April 2013? That’s when a prototype of Google Glass became available for a limited time period for $1,500 for a select few. One year later it became available to the public. How many have you seen wearing Google Glass, ever?
This was a major flop, very much like WAP Mobile Web was in the late 1990s. It was what could best be described as “gap technology,” something that appeared and died as technology advanced too fast for it to become useful. It bridged the gap between mobile phones and the Internet, but was soon made redundant because of 3G technology.
Technological breakthroughs are next to impossible to predict. Would you have guessed 12 years ago that we would have crypto currencies and blockchain technology today? Then you’re far better at predicting the future than the makers of Back to the Future II who believed that in 2015 we would have flying cars and hover boards while people would go see Jaws 19 in cinema.
