As an industry worth billions of dollars a year, it’s only natural that the online casino market is diverse and expanding. Yet, despite having evolved so far since its inception, the backbone of online casinos, slot games, have retained their place as kings. There are myriad reasons for this, which, as most iGaming websites are betting, will remain valid into the foreseeable future.
The State of Modern Slots
For an illustration of what is possible with modern slot selection, consider the Paddy Power slot games offerings, which is a contemporary iGaming business. The titles on this website like The Vault, Bonanza, and Tiger Rush work with a wide range of themes, from fictional to factual, and are equally playable on both desktop and mobile devices.
Early Days
The very first online casinos arrived on the web around 1996. Smartphones didn’t exist at this time, with home computers being far less powerful than the machine you currently hold in your pocket. Even internet connection speeds were unusable by modern standards, with the fastest consumer devices downloading at a mere 56.6 Kbps. For reference, a fast consumer connection today can operate at 1 Gbps. According to the website Download Time, this would mean a one-gigabyte file would take more than 42 hours to download on 56k, while on a 1 Gbps connection it would take a mere eight seconds.
For casino gaming, the limited processing and internet speeds meant that larger games and complex graphics were an essential non-starter. Accurately reflecting an immersive slot experience like what is possible today wasn’t realistic, but simple interpretations were still achievable. To this end, basic slot games with basic mechanics were among the first to enter the online sphere. They were ugly, but they were still fun, and they still captured the spirit of the game.
Evolution over Time
As with every piece of software, slot games would eventually adapt to the evolving hardware of their host systems. From simple interpretations, they became accurate representations of the physical machines. Then, with the flexibility of software, they began to exceed what was possible with machinery alone. Advanced bonus games appeared alongside 3D graphics, bolstered by a selection that brick and mortar establishments couldn’t match.
When the smartphone was popularized by the iPhone in 2007, as noted by CNBC, potential players were gifted an even more convenient form of access. Thanks to wireless internet, online casino games could be played anywhere. Already popular, the pickup and play potential of a few rounds of slots aided them in maintaining their position among the casino pack.
Specials and Choice
In the contemporary market, major websites offer slot selections in the hundreds or even thousands. Integrating well with specials like free spins and deposit matches, it’s perhaps little surprise that slots continue to act as the foundation on which most of the online casino market is built. With such potential and a strong trajectory behind them, slots are likely to maintain this legacy, acting as a permanent fixture no matter which direction the future iGaming market heads.
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