The online gambling market is one of the largest globally, with an estimated worth of $58.9 billion as of 2019. For many years, the online slot niche has contributed massively to the gambling industry’s growth and development overall.
In Australia, online slots alone generated a revenue of $18.8billion in 2018. The popularity of pokies amongst other gambling options seems to be due to accessibility, which has continued to improve over the years. While many gambling games require players to be physically present at the casinos, online slots at inception presented a unique opportunity for punters to enjoy their games from wherever they are via electronic devices.
A few changes were made as time went on, which allowed the creation of free slots no download no registration and instant play included. Casino slots grew in popularity when they allowed players to win real money even without deposits. Players now have an array of attractive no deposit bonuses that come in free spins, bonus round games, and many more when they play the hottest games for free.
These free slots are also crucial to software providers. By offering free gaming sessions, players can test new games and give reviews that help the developers understand how to improve on the slots. As online slots continue to drive this industry’s evolution, this article takes a look at some of the recent trends in the industry and how they relate with free slots.
Applying More Gamification Techniques
Gamification is becoming increasingly popular in iGaming, and it begins with the games. More slots now feature multi-level systems where rewards increase as you climb up to higher levels. For some casinos on the internet today, gamification goes further than that. Players will find gambling tournaments and leaderboards on many casinos’ websites where punters will win prizes for staying on top of the scoreboard when the competitions end.
Beyond contests, some of the games come with daily tasks that players have to complete for a chance to get free spins and other benefits. Gamers, casino owners, and even software providers benefit from these tournaments, so it’s most likely to be a long-lasting trend. Participants of such contests would battle for a chance to win extra cash while the casino enjoys increased engagement. The casinos’ increased engagements come from the fact that most of these tournaments are played on Free slots. The software providers sponsor some of the contests so more players can play their games.
Personalized bonus offers
Everyone knows that the world we live in is changing rapidly. This new world of ours seems to be driven by data. Businesses across the globe are making changes to their customer service by analyzing data and making informed decisions. The gambling space is not left out in this trend as casinos now collect data about their players to give personalized bonus offers that players can better appreciate.
With real money games, the extent to which casinos can get information about their players is restricted.
The number of games that players can have with real money is limited to the amount of money. However, with free slots, casinos can get more information from each player since they can play more games. Also, since free plays require no registration, casinos can quickly gather data from a wider audience. That means better service delivery for the casinos since they have a better understanding of their customers.
Casinos with Simplified Registration
In the past, registration used to be very difficult for gamblers. Typically, the process takes longer, usually between 2 to 3 days, and in some cases, even longer. The process will usually involve checking the players’ ID and seeing if it matches the name provided. This lengthy process is not a deliberate action by casinos but a part of routine procedures under gambling regulation laws. As an alternative to this long process, players in the past were allowed to play anonymously without registration. However, such gaming sessions do not come with real winnings. Even then, it made free slots very popular for players who did not want to go through all the stress of registration.
Note that the regulation is in the interest of players. The law’s main aim is to monitor the activities of casinos, so their games are fair. Also, it helps players easily identify fraudsters in the iGaming space. More recently, regulations also control problem gambling and addiction problems.
Things are now changing; some casinos are now easing off with their simplified registration process. The process is made more accessible and straightforward for gamblers as some casinos only request for payment details.
Players can now make instant deposits at some casinos and also make withdrawals if need be. While this raises a lot of concern as regards safety, it’s the future of iGambling. Again, while many might think it would replace free slots, it won’t. That’s because the free slots do more than create an opportunity to play under the guise of anonymity. Demos allow players to enjoy entertainment for free. It allows for testing and review, amongst other things.
Going deep in skill-based slots
The recent expansion in the gambling industry has also given rise to new genres for slots. One of such relatively new genres is the skill-based slots. Unlike regular pokies that work based on luck, skill-based slots combine skill and luck for punters to win. It’s like playing poker or football; while some percentage of what happens depends on luck, the ability of the players involved play a large role in deciding who wins.
Unlike in regular slots where games’ outcome is uncontrolled, players can develop strategies to make sure they win while playing skill-based slots. It is at this point that free slots come into the picture. With demos, punters can train themselves to get better at some of these games at no cost at all. Therefore, this new trend will see more players try free plays to get more familiar with the games.
Relying on Machine Learning
In recent times, our perception of possibility has seen a drastic increase, thanks to technology. With Augmented reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and machine learning, people can interact better with their environment. While the innovation possibilities are endless, it is still very much at its testing and adoption phase.
With the creation, players can be taken directly into the reels to have the 360-degree experience. However, the extent of success of the innovation largely rests on free slots. As software providers step into the new area, free slots would allow them to get feedback on needed improvements and necessary adjustments to make the game enjoyable by all.
Social VR Casinos
Some organizations in the iGaming space are leveraging Virtual Reality to create something unique. Right now, most casinos have live games where games are streamed live for players with real money. While this is fun, it still lacks some elements of reality and cannot accommodate some things. Some companies like Oculus strike are taking significant steps this year to make things a little more realistic and add more fun. Using virtual reality, the casinos aim to improve social interaction amongst gamblers.
Players would have the opportunity to play their games as though they were at the land-based facility for real. The extent to which people engage free slots at the casinos might drop because the equipment required to set up the games are expensive and so having free games might not be realistic. However, the majority of these casinos are only at the stage of building frameworks.
Crypto Are Already Dominating
The use of cryptocurrency in casinos is relatively new, and it has since taken over the industry as a preferred method of payment. That is because their transactions are typically faster, and the level of anonymity they offer players using them. When it comes to sensitive issues like gambling, many prefer their identity kept private. As such, crypto as an option for payment seems to be on the increase these days. Also, crypto gives a sense of security since players believe that the system is hack-proof.
In what seems to be a twist, crypto can also increase casinos’ earnings, especially in areas where they are not allowed to operate. Since the acceptance of cryptocurrency in the iGaming space, casinos have been receiving bets from players where there are strict bans on betting. That is all thanks to the anonymity provided by cryptocurrency.
Leveraging on mobile phones and free slots, casino owners can tap into the rich wealth that cryptocurrency has in stock. Most games right now have free play versions where punters can even win real money with paying deposits. However, some of them come with wagering requirements that punters must meet in time. Cryptocurrency bridges that gap, making it easy for players to make deposits and create new customers’ possibilities from free plays.