The digital age has changed the way we do almost everything and gambling is no different. The ever-evolving technology in the online gambling industry has improved accessibility, but also led to some cool new ways to wager. In 2022, betting is even more exciting thanks to a number of amazing emerging gambling trends.
Crypto Gambling
Crypto and gambling is outright a match made in heaven. Gambling with crypto, as opposed to regular currency, poses essentially no downsides.
Many online casinos have to jump through all kinds of legal hoops in order to satisfy jurisdictions from all around the world. Due to this gambling at a regular casino will leave an average player with a bad taste in their mouth. You’ll have complete preposterous KYC requirements, that could take up weeks just so you can send or receive money.
Such nuisance does not exist in crypto casinos, which is why everyone’s so stoked about crypto gambling. It is a complete game-changer. Not only for regular casinos but also sportsbooks where your timing is an essential factor. Unlike online casino games, sports games won’t wait for your bets.
eSports Betting
With the recent pandemic and most sports organizations being halted, eSports growth turbocharged and took the world by storm. Many finally realized the appeal and potential digital sports possess and simply got hooked.
Although not ‘real’ sport, eSports provide just as much nuance and hard work as real-life sports. This is why eSports betting is just as intriguing as regular sports betting.
eSports have a larger variety of games from shooters to racing football cars. Anyone can take their pick. The biggest advantage of video game betting is that anyone can try and play the game themselves and therefore understand the mechanics better. This is contrary to regular sports where the barrier of entry is often much higher.
Not everyone has access to a football field or a race car stadium with friends to play with. With online games, all you need is a computer and in some cases, a few extra bucks to purchase the game. Some of the leading online gambling platforms also offer a wide range of prop bets, which make your gambling experience that much more exciting.
Metaverse Gambling (VR/AR)
The Metaverse is all the rage these days. With Facebook investing more than $10 billion in it, virtual reality has attracted more attention than ever. Gamblers are getting used to a new standard of quality and VR gameplay is our technology’s peak.
Nonetheless, the VR gaming community is quite small. This is due to the expensive necessary equipment and also the fact that there aren’t many online gambling sites offering a fully fleshed-out virtual experience. But those that do are extremely enjoyable.
PokerStars VR for example is a top-notch gambling experience with fully rendered 3D avatars and poker rooms. Just like on a real table you can interact with chips, other players, or even tip the dealer.
As a whole, the VR industry is still very much still in its infancy. However, with massive companies like Facebook and niche projects like Decentraland, we can expect VR to become the new norm in the near future.
NFT Gambling
As far as 2022 trends go, Non-Fungible Tokens aka NFTs are likely the most obvious. Given that blockchain technology has already disrupted the casino industry, NFTs can be considered the next step. In the case of Decentraland, NFTs are the bridge that combines the beloved Metaverse with crypto gambling.
Decentraland is a virtual reality world with some of the most promising and amazing features happening in both crypto and metaverse. One of the main areas is the ICE casino. The casino lets you enjoy games for free but in order to join a VIP poker table, you’ll need an NFT wearable.
This wearable is essentially a prestige token that lets you access VIP gambling content. Besides prestige though, NFT wearables also offer passive income through their smart contract delegation. As an owner, you can rent out your NFTs to other players to gamble for a 30-40% cut.
Other NFT gambling projects such as Slotie combine NFTs with slots! The Slotie game is composed of more than 10,000 unique NFTs. You can play the game and win extraordinary NFTs or even own the machine itself. Owning the Slotie NFT will give you proof of ownership and benefits with over 150 online casinos worldwide.
Smartwatch Gambling
A great thing about the gambling community is that no one player is the same. While some iGamers demand high-quality VR gameplay spiced up with fancy blockchain technology, others are content with rudimentary gameplay.
Smartwatches are becoming increasingly more powerful and popular in the online gaming industry. They are common devices for fitness, messaging, and lately even gaming. With many online betting companies like Playtech supporting smartwatches, gambling has never been more convenient. After all, slot gameplay isn’t really that complicated. Convenient smartwatches that you wear 24/7 solve a lot of problems.
Are Online Gambling Trends Worth Trying?
Whenever an online gambling trend emerges, before you board the hype train, consider which of these trends are more easily accessible to you. For example, if you’re already an owner of an Apple Watch, give smartwatch gambling a try for sure! There really isn’t a reason why you shouldn’t.
On the other hand, you might not want to spend hundreds of dollars on a VR headset just to test whether Metaverse gambling is a hobby for you. Whatever the industry, whether it’s fashion, social media, or gaming, trends sometimes just come and go.
