It’s no secret that the online gambling business is booming. But in 2018, gamblers who are looking to place a bet and get a tidy pay out are moving away from the traditional modes of gambling. As the UK sees betting shops shutting up all around the country, and less people frequenting the brick and mortar casinos, they’re moving towards online gaming.
The great majority of online casinos now use online video slot machine games as their flagship game. Whilst back in the 90’s when the games were first introduced not all too many people trusted the websites the games were hosted on, now, with the help of regulatory bodies such as the Gambling Commission, strict regulations are in place to ensure players receive a safe and fair gaming experience. Yet, that’s just one of the four key reasons why online gaming’s popularity trend isn’t ready to peak just yet.
The Rise of the UK Gaming Industry
The surge in popularity primarily falls down to the quality of the talent behind games developers, better availability of funding, wide consumer trends and the popularity of app-based gaming. In 2016 the value of the UK gaming market hit £4.33bn and raked in an additional £100.5 million through sectors such as merchandising and films. Yet, the financial growth spurt isn’t likely to peak at any time soon. The PwC suggested that by 2021 the gaming industry will be the fifth largest market in the world. The net total is predicted of the gaming industry’s worth is £5.2bn. With a larger appetite for online gaming in the UK, whether that be on a smartphone, console or their PC, it makes sense that the relationship between gambling and gaming would only strengthen.
With the increased demand of new and exciting game play experiences, this has driven the growth of institutions who are training and preparing new developers to upskill and grow the game developer talent of tomorrow. Now, the UK is rated as the top location for training and retaining skilled workers in the digital industry. However, with the ever looming threat of Brexit, much of the success of the UK’s gaming industry is hanging in the balance – as with every other UK market. Dr Wilson commented in the Telegraph that “much of the future success of the UK’s gaming industry will depend upon government policy decisions. He recommends the creation of formal gaming investment funds, an increased rate of tax relief for developers, and continued access to the EU’s skilled workers in the gaming industry.”
The Rise of the UK Gambling Industry
If you thought the figures behind the UK gaming industry were high, wait until you hear the annual profits of the UK gambling industry.
Since the gambling laws were liberalised just over a decade ago, the annual sum gambling firms make in profits from their customers has sky rocketed by 65% to reach a staggering £14bn. Let it never be said that Tony Blair never did anything for the economy. He may be a war criminal, yet he was all too happy to take the stigma away from the gambling industry. Back in 2015 the gambling act allowed to casinos to advertise online, on the radio and on TV, after the industry was made more visible to the UK population, more and more people started to log into online casinos from the comfort of their own home. Online casinos now make up a third of the profits in the industry, and that’s even including the national lottery.
Whilst it’s never nice to see a decline on the high street, every store which has been forced to close that someone, somewhere else is thriving. More often than not, the competition has come from an online source. There is no anticipation for the success of online gaming any time soon. The online gaming business is booming, mainly the popularity all falls down to online slots, instead of table and casino games like roulette, blackjack and there are plenty of reasons for their popularity over more traditional games. If the incentive of the possibility to win up to tens of millions of pounds with a relatively small stake isn’t enough, there are plenty of other unique selling points to the game.
5 Reasons Behind the Popularity of Online Slots
- Variety
With online slot games, you get to choose how you play and what stakes you want to make. Whilst some gamblers will opt or a simpler gameplay experience, others will want to enjoy the more complex and immersive. With some games offering over 200 ways to win, wildcards, bonus rounds and plenty of other fun features. With most websites offering hundreds of different themed games, players will be able to personalise their experience. Players can choose between sports themed slots, fantasy themed slots, beauty themed slots, or cute and cuddly slots.
- Simple Gameplay Experience
Unlike with many of the other online casino games such as the card games, with the simpler slot machines they’re easy to play. You have no complicated rules to learn and memorise in the hope of getting the higher pay out. Instead, online slot games are all about having a little bit of fun.
- Convenience
More and more online casinos are creating games optimised for both PC and smartphone. You can log into most online casino apps, wherever you are, all you need is connection to the internet!
- Affordability
You couldn’t expect much in return for placing a 2p bet in a bookies, yet, with online slot machines, there’s hours of entertainment even for the smallest of budgets. All games allow players to set the coin size before the game. Regardless of the small stakes, there is still the potential for the player to win big due to the bonus rounds and collective jackpots in progressive online slot games.
- Psychological Benefits
Gambling has never had the best reputation when it comes to mental health and addiction professionals. However, users of online slot machines can actually experience a reduction in the cortisol stress levels in the body. The immersive gameplay experiences allow the players a reprieve and escape from their everyday lives.
