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The Rise of Online Gaming

Within a single generation the world seems to have changed dramatically. And it’s not electric cars, streaming TV or remote-controlled central heating that has been the biggest transformation in people’s lives.

It’s digital communication.

Future historians will look back on this era as the time of a huge rise in connectivity. We’ve gone from wondering what the worldwide web is all about after reading a long article in a newspaper – to having a pocket computer in our pocket that is constantly logged on.

It means that we can book doctor’s appointments, arrange a great holiday and check our bank balances on a screen using remote access from anywhere. We can buy a car, chat to a friend on the other side of the world or play online poker in the middle of the night while sitting in the middle of nowhere.

The change in communications has been enormous – and has largely crept up on us without being noticed. Suddenly we are more connected to each other than at any time in human history.

One of the huge changes caused by this digital revolution is to the world of gaming. The gambling industry has grown enormously – and it’s all thanks to the ability of everyone to enjoy the thrill of a game of chance at any time from anywhere.

Industry insiders estimate half a billion new players have joined the online gaming world in the last three years. This means that the value of the online casino industry is now over US$ 250 BILLION.

More players have more and more access to the online gaming world. Now everyone is discovering there was always an untapped demand for enjoying games of chance.

Once gambling involved long trips to specialised venues.

You may have had to dress up. It was special event.

Now players can take part in a quick round of bingo while waiting for a bus ­ or enjoy a long leisurely evening session of poker sitting on the sofa at home.

In short, the player is now in control of what and when to play.

The online gaming industry

At the same time the gaming industry has responded to the potential of this enormous unleashed market for fun.

Thousands of gaming sites have appeared online and the leading operators have created very sophisticated digital offerings to attract new customers.

The numbers involved mean that the online gaming world has become one of the planet’s most profitable industries.

Huge investments have been made in making sites secure and reliable, using state-of-the-art encryption to ensure hack-proof transactions.

The best web builders and game designers have been employed to create very alluring graphics and themes for popular games.

The range of digital gaming

There has never been a better range of games and excitement available at the click of a link. No wonder so many are finding online gaming has become one of their favourite leisure time activities.

Yes, there have always been games that ranged from ancient strategy games with small stones to historical board games. Today however the range and quality of games on offer has expanded beyond the scope of what was ever considered possible.

The industry has expanded so fast it has even overtaken the established traditional forms of entertainment. The global market for online game playing is now more popular than the film industry and the music industry combined.

Industry statistics show that the bulk of this soaring demand is in the big markets of the US and China. Together they form almost half of the world’s growing appetite for online games of chance.

Asia, Europe and the Latin world are growing fast in their wake too. The industry expects the whole planet to fully embrace the fun of online playing within a few years.

This enormous new industry is not composed of just one element. There are various strands all racing to attract new customers.

Some are enticed by playing online video games, others by the thrill of e-sports. There are traditional casino table games ranging from roulette to poker, plus the unlikely success stories of digital updates of classics like bingo and slots.

The industry now ranges from sophisticated developers working in the cloud to graphic designers making the traditional pastime of bingo one of the coolest new games in the world.

The future of online gaming

One thing the industry experts can all agree on is that the unprecedented rise of online gaming is all set to continue. The spread of even faster connectivity like 5G will only increase the demand for more data-rich playing and remote gaming.

Look out for the impact of virtual reality too. If you think the thrills and excitement of today’s online gaming world couldn’t get any better – just wait till you see what’s coming round the corner.