Gambling trends have changed a lot in the beginning of 2018, there are new ones that are shaping the industry into something new and exciting. Some tendencies carried themselves from the previous year, yet there are those revolutionary novelties that will be the face of gambling for some 5-10 years.
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Virtual and Augmented Realities
This is the thing that has been growing since 2016. In 2017, some of the participants of gambling conferences got acquainted with virtual reality games like Jack and the Beanstalk from NetEnt. This developer has also got another game supporting virtual reality – Gonzo’s Quest.
In fact, there is a big difference between VR and AR games. Augmented reality games are much cheaper and faster to make.
VR slots have 3D graphics and 3D sound, therefore, are more immersive. Because the VR technology is getting cheaper with each year, it gives the industry an incentive to develop this further.
What this promises to be in the future is a dynamic environment, where players will be able to walk inside a virtual reality, interact with each other, choose games, and play various games.
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Skill games
2018 will be the year of skill games, as more and more players are taking interest in something more challenging. In its essence it is a combination of computer games and slots. Playing them, the player will have to not only rely on luck but also their mental prowess, reaction, logic etc.
Skill games were quite successfully integrated into land-based casinos. Young audience like the fact that there are elements of computer games: main character, plot, and the ability to play with a gamepad.
Playing Skill games, the player may receive the average RTP of more than 100%, under a condition that they do possess those needed skills. Millennials are eager to take up the gamepads in casinos!
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Games with Live Dealers
Live games was a breakthrough in 2017. This year promises to strengthen the live games section. Live studios did not become online replicas of land-based casinos, they are something unique and unusual, having their own features. Having those new unique features, there is now a huge list of live games.
In 2018, there will be even more of them, new developers, new studios across the world. There are already some games with live dealers that use VR technology.
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Gamification
Gamification is a gambling trend that is responsible for attracting the audience to the social aspect of gaming. More and more platforms are incorporating achievements, quests, and social games into their website interface. Furthermore, it is not only individual, it may involve whole teams.
In fact, it is a change in loyalty programs format, as experienced players are a little bit tired of old bonus promos.
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Brand Games
Brands are everywhere, they also take over online casino trends. As many players like to watch movies, read comics, listen to music, some slots have movie heroes or legendary musicians in them. It is expected that 2018 will be full of branded slots.
Some casinos will have individual, unique slots, made specifically for them. Only registered players will have access to these games, which will increase the popularity of the platforms.
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Messengers
The popularity of messengers did not omit the gambling industry, therefore, new gambling trends will use them. Messengers will have integrated gaming platforms. 2018 will bring a casino in conjunction with Telegram.
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More Content
One of the main goals of the platforms is to keep the clients being their, well, clients. To help with that, some time ago, there were chats where players could communicate with each other. In 2018, big websites decided to add films, music, and other entertaining content.
Moreover, this casino trend follows with the expansion of casino content in games. Slots will have mid-game videos, wider musical accompaniment, and richer plot.
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Cryptocurrency
As a lot of players value anonymity and quickness of operations, some platforms vouched to implement cryptocurrencies as payment methods.
In this year you will be able to top up your wallet with bitcoin, litecoin, ethereum, dogecoin, zcash, monero, and others.
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Big Data Paradigm
Big Data paradigm is a collection and structuring of maximum data, aiming at improving customer experience.
The games are constantly changing, which generates an enormous amount of data, information that can be used to make the service better for everyone.
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Mobility
According to 2018 Iovation Gambling Industry Report, 62% of all online casino visitors in 2017 used mobile devices. In 2012, this figure was only 6%!
As in 2017 Google has softened up a bit towards gambling and its apps, 2018 is expected to have more mobile players. This means that the developers will concentrate on making more mobile friendly applications.

Online Gambling Trends: the growth of users with mobile devices according to 2018 Iovation Gambling Industry Report
Online casino is gradually transforming into a multichannel entertainment platform where one may play various games and receive payouts in the currency of choice. At online casino shangrila, you may find a collection of live and skill games where you may deposit using various payment processors and receive individual bonuses.