At the start of any new year, it's a traditional exercise in many industries to try and second-guess what will happen throughout the remaining months. The online gambling industry is no different, and the trends that can influence real money gaming can significantly impact players, bettors, and games providers alike. Online casino gaming is a significant part of the industry, so it's no surprise that anyone involved in gambling focuses on what will happen in this sphere and the trends that will come to the fore.

Of course, online casinos are now firmly entrenched in the gambling landscape and have been for many years. Likewise, the games you'll play in a casino are - in the main - long-running favourites where it's sometimes difficult to see how innovations could improve them. So, the trends you see are usually continuous instead of entirely new developments.

That said, casino gaming generates vast sums of money, and players have no signs of any loss of appetite for getting involved and trying to win some cash at blackjack, roulette, video slots, or any of many other options. So, there is sure to be further consistent growth accompanying attempts to innovate within the industry. So, let's take a look at how some existing trends may develop further and identify anything new that might hit the headlines:

Video Slots - Trends for 2022

Since the first casino started operating, slots have been a staple in both land-based and online casinos. For players specifically, there are good reasons for this popularity. The progressive jackpots you'll find on some machines offer big cash prizes, while the entertainment prospects for players from the themes, symbols, features, and regular payouts are off the charts from the perspective of player interest and excitement.

For casinos, slots are a crucial member of games libraries. Players love them and keep coming back to play.

All of this is well known in the online casino industry already. So, where are the trends likely to lead us?

There's no doubt that new themed slots titles will appear, with the software firms becoming ever-more adventurous in their development efforts. These new titles may introduce new variations on pay lines, graphics and symbols, reel structures, and other in-game features. We'll surely also see some clever promotions from the online casinos in the area of free spins offers, designed to promote new titles to regular slots fans.

Skill Slots for Real Money

Aside from any new slots titles, real money skill-gaming has also started to attract interest from players. Playing games where skill is needed to win is perhaps the best way to play games for cash. Many video-gaming tournament sites have already appeared, where gamers can compete against each other or in multi-player contests. For slots, adding an element of skill to the game-play can elevate interest levels.

There are already slots in online casinos where some elements of skill have been introduced in the standard spin mechanics. Synergy Blue is a casino game software developer worth noting for these types of skill-based slot games. Still, many others are likely to be working on exciting solutions throughout the year.

Skill slots hold some fascination and are destined to become increasingly popular with players, but it's probably the area of virtual reality that will see the most significant developments in 2022.

Virtual Reality Casino Games

By now, you'll surely have heard of the metaverse - the virtual online world envisaged by the likes of Facebook as the immersive future of the internet as we know it. The metaverse looks sure to play a future part in online gambling and games if it ever really happens. Of course, that vision is a long way off becoming a reality, and we'll be hearing a lot more about it, but what's very real right now is virtual reality. Interestingly, both VR and the metaverse are heavily intertwined, with the latter being markedly dependent on VR for its future.

Virtual reality is a technology that's coming close to maturity. VR gambling games have been around for some time but haven't fully grabbed the attention of gamblers. However, there's every chance that with recent improvements in headsets, virtual reality gaming for real money is about to take its place in the spotlight.

So, players with suitable headsets are already able to play poker and casino games in virtual reality. There is one high-quality VR casino already operating and has some first-mover advantage. It's not hard to see other online casinos springing up throughout the year to deliver VR games to customers. The technology certainly has the potential to entice players into playing their games with an added twist, placing them into the heart of the gambling action as if they were truly there at the casino.

Live Dealer Games in Online Casinos

We talked about the ability of virtual reality headsets to place any player into the games as if they were really at the card tables or spinning reels on slots. But there's another way to get a similar experience without the need for any uncomfortable headgear, and that's by playing at the virtual tables in one of the growing numbers of live dealer online casinos.

Developments in live dealer casinos for online gambling are not new. Well-known software developers such as Ezugi, Playtech, and Evolution Gaming have placed intense focus on building up their live gaming solutions over recent years. As a result, the software and games are now near to technical perfection as streaming video solutions that put a player on a desktop or mobile device right at the table with a real professional dealer in front of them.

The fact that they're now a core part of casino gaming for many gamers doesn't necessarily mean we won't see new developments. The trend towards live dealer casinos is already there. Still, we could see additional games added to live streaming libraries. The casinos themselves are sure to be thinking up other promotions that satisfy their account holders and encourage them to keep coming back for more.

Regulatory Developments in Online Gambling

It's a harsh fact that regulation changes are often bad news for gamblers and regularly impose restrictions that aren't always obviously designed to protect them. Changes in gambling regulation are an issue for the whole of the industry and are not country-specific. When implemented, they can affect players worldwide and sometimes stifle growth in the areas affected.

Unfortunately, the trend for some countries to implement measures to restrict online gambling activities looks sure to continue, as opposed to the current liberal approach that residents of some countries are enjoying.

Betting on Virtual Sports

You might be thinking that virtual sports are the same as virtual reality, but they're not, and they make up an entirely new category of real money gaming. Instead, these sports are video-based representations of real-life sporting events played out by software on-screen with similar betting options to those you'll have on real sports matches, races, or contests.

They're not related to traditional casino gaming and games, but you will find them increasingly available in online casinos. It's interesting to note that they run on the same type of RNG software that determines the outcome of standard casino games, so in that way, they are similar. The operators essentially provide players with sports betting as an alternative to casino gaming without running a fully-fledged sportsbook.

Again, virtual sports are not new. They've been available to bettors for a good few years. However, what is becoming evident is that the software providers are constantly improving the graphics and making them increasingly more life-like. The clear trend here is that virtual sports providers like Kiron Interactive, 1X2 Gaming, and Betsoft will continue enhancing their software and blur the lines between real-life sports and virtual events even further.

Banking with Cryptocurrencies

Last but not least, we have come to one of the trends that have genuinely been a disruptor, both for gambling, gaming, and the financial business world.

Cryptocurrencies.

Crypto is becoming one of the most talked-about subjects by everyone from giant news media corporations to one-person blogs. It's rapidly heading towards realizing the original creator's aspirations born out of financial system crashes- to create a decentralized monetary system for the people that doesn't rely on the control of governments and central banks.

Crypto still has a way to go to realize that dream fully. It's not clear which coin will ultimately be the one that rules the financial world if indeed any single coin will ever lay claim to that title. Right now, the top contenders like Bitcoin work more as a store of value than a transactional currency.

Currencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum are widely used for gambling-related transactions, and - alongside some of the more nefarious activities - it was gambling where Crypto made an early mark.

For gamblers, Crypto has some tremendous benefits. There are many pros of using digital currencies to get bankroll money in and out over more traditional banking methods. Those benefits include fast and fee-free transactions and anonymity for depositors. The ability to make anonymous transactions has been a massive plus for many players, while speed has always been critical with any method of transferring cash.

Online casinos welcomed Cryptocurrency with open arms. Implementing it as a banking method by many casinos has led to extra benefits like the ability to deliver special bonus offers to players depositing with it.

2022 will see Cryptocurrencies playing an even more significant part in all walks of life, as it surely will across many areas of the gambling industry. Those casinos that haven't already embraced it as a deposit and withdrawal method will be seriously thinking about how they will do so. Those that don't may struggle to remain competitive.

Summary

We've seen seven significant trends that players in online casinos have already welcomed. Each of them hasn't yet completed their journey, and the year ahead will see improvements and enhancements that serve to increase their value for gamblers and operators even further. Nevertheless, each has an impact on online casino games and gaming that's helping to evolve the industry and make it stronger.

The positive ongoing evolution of these trending elements seems assured and may even be reinforced with other technologies such as augmented reality developments. Online casinos may think up new ways to interest players with special bonuses and promotions. At the same time, the use of mobile phones for gaming shows no signs of any decline, and operators will need to focus on delivering the highest quality mobile-focused services.

One thing's for sure - there's plenty to look forward to. Casino players are used to having a forward-thinking attitude. They look forward to the gaming, the thrill and anticipation of the games, and the prospects of winning some cash by playing. And not to be forgotten, players & the community also look forward to responsible gambling rules set up by online casinos & gambling sites. Nevertheless, each trend we've noted is the icing on the cake and will help those involved take even more out of the gambling experience.

The online casino industry - and each element that makes it up - is never dull. 2022 won't be any different, and by the end of the year, we'll be looking forward to what 2023 will bring. So here's to the future!