When the first-ever slot game entered circulation in the late 19th century, saloons, bars and casinos saw their dynamics change forever. Back when Charles Fey first patented the idea, his primitive 3×3 design was operated solely by a lever – not like the highly complex machines we see today in conventional casinos and on digital platforms.
In the early 2000s, the rise of online slot games seemed almost inevitable. However, despite this inevitability, there were plenty of gamers and experts who were taken aback by the speed at which they established themselves within the industry.
Over the last 20 years, the real battle for casinos and the true marketing innovation has taken place online. Slot designers have had to battle against some of the most advanced companies and fellow designers from around the world, and ultimately, this has resulted in a better product for the customer.
Early advances in online slot gaming
Despite the clear advances in online casino gaming, it’s essential to remember that the world is now an entirely different place. Back in the early part of this century, far fewer people were computer literate, home PCs and laptops were extremely expensive, and it wasn’t until the latter part of the 00s that internet speeds actually reached a reasonable level.
This increase in internet speed resulted in a wave of new technology companies looking to bring affordable, mass adoption of the internet, and the obvious way to do this, in a time before smartphones, was by making PCs faster and cheaper, and to champion their potential.
This is precisely what happened. The subsequent impact of this economies-of-scale approach resulted in manufacturing costs plummeting, and prices dropped significantly by the early 2010s.
Security and the arbitrary nature of slot gaming had to be guaranteed to the same level as conventional slots. This was achieved through third-party auditors, governing bodies like eCOGRA and the rapid advances in RNG technology, along with cutting-edge regulations like the UK Gambling Act 2005, which produced legislation that has been adopted in several other prominent countries within the OECD.
Keeping it fresh
It was a perfect combination of factors for those in the online slot world; computers were becoming much cheaper, while the number of developers entering the space soared. Within the period of a decade, slot gaming went from having just a handful of notable genres and themes to hundreds. It’s a trend that persists today, with thousands of new games and ideas emerging to satisfy the global market.
However, mobile devices have adopted the benefits of computers. They make slot gaming even more convenient and easy to access, and now, there are thousands of titles that have been specifically designed for mobile devices, regardless of whether you are playing on a smartphone or tablet.
The rise of the App Store and mobile casino gaming
Smartphones have completely transformed the way we play slot games, and this change occurred in a relatively short time.
They faced the same challenges they did during the initial rise of online slots. Internet access on smartphones was slow and expensive in the early days, and the devices themselves were also expensive.
One major asset that the industry had up its sleeve, though, was the DIY nature of the App Store. It meant that grassroots developers could explore their own ideas for a fraction of the cost, resulting in more innovations in the casino world.
These innovations emerged from cost-effective, novel designs that advanced the development cycle of the casino gaming world to an entirely new level. In 2007, it was a revelation; by 2024, it had become a sector that generated over $1 trillion in sales for Apple.
Summary
Cryptocurrency has become a significant innovation, driving substantial changes in online slots. As the world of finance grapples with the advancements of Bitcoin and stablecoins, which have become a major topic of discussion in contemporary media, slot gaming developers have not missed a beat.
They have integrated blockchain, stablecoins and various cryptocurrencies. Although computer-based slot gaming is still a popular sector, the rise of smartphones and mobile devices, along with their growing influence, is likely to be a trend that continues to take up a bigger market share compared to conventional online platforms.
It’s an industry that never slows down and is constantly seeking new ways to innovate. Whether it’s the integration of AI, immersive VR casino gaming or a combination of these with alternative payment methods, there’s still plenty of room for casino gaming innovators to move in over the next decade.