WHAT TO EXPECT FROM ONLINE CASINOS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

The global online gambling market value stands at about $117 billion as of August 2025. And as projections show, this figure is only set to grow bigger. In fact, estimates show that this industry could be worth almost $200 billion by 2030, thanks to its compounded annual growth rate, which ranges from 10% to 13% for the next five years. But is this growth just due to the favorable gambling laws that have paved the way for more online casinos for real money sites? Or is there more to it? Well, alongside the favorable laws, there has also been an increased use of innovative technologies, which promise to attract more players to these sites. We look at what these are and why they will have such a huge effect on this industry in just five years.

What’s Changing in Casinos?

Any casino operator will tell you that staying competitive in the online casino industry is easier said than done. After all, this industry has few barriers to entry, which makes it the preferred option for most investors. So, for operators to attract and retain customers, they have to be creative, which is why many of them have been incorporating augmented reality, virtual reality, and gamification in their games. And in the next five years, the focus will mostly be on the following technologies:

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Casino operators have always had access to a lot of data about their players, including the games they play the most, how much they invest in their games, and how often they play. However, they have not always had the best tools to sort through all this information, make sense of it, and use its insights to cater to different players. As such, they have often relied on general statistics to launch games and ads, hoping that most of their players fit within the specified categories. But as you can imagine, they have often missed the mark, which is not only costly in the marketing sense but also provides a loophole that their competitors can exploit.

Things have since changed with the development of systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These tools are able to hone in on each player’s preferences, thus enabling casino operators to skip the guesswork and instead do the following:

• Tailor game experiences. Each player’s interface comprises the games they enjoy. What’s more, the systems suggest similar games that the player would enjoy based on their interests, budget, and history.
• Launch effective ads. Instead of pushing different ads and hoping that players will respond to the messages, operators are now able to push specific ads to different players, thus spending less money and still hitting their marketing goals.

What’s more, operators are now using these systems to gauge the probability of a game’s success before introducing it. And they are relying on the same systems to project their finances, provide customer support, detect fraudulent transactions, monitor player behavior for problem gambling, and much more. With all this information available and in good use, players will finally enjoy the personalized experiences they have always wanted. Already, many operators have been using these systems with success.

2. Blockchain.

Every innovation in the casino industry exists to address an underlying problem. So, why are casinos leaning into blockchain technology? They have two good reasons, as follows:

• Players have always wanted to be sure of the house edge and winning probabilities when playing games. But while independent audits and valid licenses serve this purpose, operators are realizing that by integrating blockchain technology in their games, they can foster more trust among their players. It is all about proving that they are fair.
• Simplifying payments. While traditional payment systems, such as card payments, work great for many players, they also pose a wide range of issues. Cryptocurrencies can address these issues by offering fast, secure, affordable, and private payment options to players who cannot use standard payments.

The goal in this case is to make the sites more trustworthy and inclusive, which has been a common pain point for many players over the past decade.