There’s no doubt that the iGaming market in the US is continuing to grow, with a fast-evolving list of the best US online casino sites now available at Casinos.us.
The sustained growth in the US is also beginning to drive growth in the global marketplace, with the value of this sector estimated at $262 billion as recently as 2019 (this was more than $13 million up on the previous year’s figures).
This growth is largely being driven by tech advancements. But which innovations are the most impactful, and what ideas are having the biggest impact on the overall iGaming experience available to players?
#1. The rise of cross-state liquidity pacts
Back in 2011, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced a brand new opinion on the controversial Wire Act of 1961, ruling that this piece of legislation (which had historically prohibited any form of gambling across state lines) only applied to sports betting.
However, 2019 saw the same DoJ under the Trump administration reverse its 2011 opinion, with this decision triggering an instant legal challenge in New Hampshire and more than 12 states nationwide.
Recently, this legal push appears to have been successful, with the district court siding with the New Hampshire Lottery and agreeing that the 2011 opinion was constitutionally right and correct. Currently, the US government has absolutely no intention of challenging this ruling, meaning that online casino operators in the US are free to push beyond state boundaries and potentially pursue interstate liquidity pacts.
Such agreements are tried, tested and prevalent in Europe, with liquidity sharing commonplace between poker operators in Spain, Portugal and France.
This particular agreement has enabled participating operators to share online poker resources, in a bid to create a safer experience for players and improve the quality of marketing across the board.
The liquidity pact between these three nations (with Italy also now participating fully) has also been linked to the significant growth of online poker on the continent, with brands such as PokerStars having launched intercountry tournaments to create huge player bases and lavish prize funds.
Take the Trio Series, for example, which was held in June 2018 and was able to draw a massive field of 40,816 unique entries across 78 separate multi-table tournaments (MTTs).
The potential for US states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey to enter into similar liquidity pacts is equally huge, as it allows for the safe sharing of customer data and intellectual property within vast and fast-growing marketplaces.
This, when aligned with the development of responsible gambling technologies in conjunction with partnerung UK brands, could help to optimise the profitability of iGaming in the state and potentially lead to a safer market over time.
#2. Online casinos in virtual worlds
In March of this year, the legendary video game developer Atari launched a press release announcing its collaboration with Decentral Games to build a virtual casino.
The location for this ground-breaking casino will be Vegas City, which is located in the Ethereum-based metaverse, Decentraland. Atari has procured a two-year lease on the property, and is set to launch its virtual gaming establishment in May.
OK, we hear you ask, but what is Decentraland? Well, this is a digital ecosystem where players can inhabit an avatar body and interact with others virtually, while Vegas City will be the first community-owned metaverse crypto casino platform.
This is likely to set a dominant trend for the development of online casino platforms within a completely virtual setting, delivering immersive and three-dimensional gameplay that’s completely decentralised.
What’s more, it hints at the potential virtual real estate boom that may be around the corner, with this coming on the back of the popularity of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). According to NonFungibl, eight lots in the platform Axie Infinity sold for $1.5 million in February, with this set to represent the most expensive virtual land sale ever.
#3. The rise of cryptocurrencies
While you’ll typically find all of the top software houses featured at front line casinos, many operators differ in terms of the payment options available.
Increasingly, cryptocurrencies are becoming prominent in the iGaming marketplace, although the first Bitcoin (BTC) casino appeared as long ago as 2013.
However, we’ve recently seen an uptick in the number of crypto-exclusive sites as blockchain technology continues to be integrated into various markets and industries, many of which are focused around tokens such as BTC and a select few that have been developed as decentralised apps (Dapps) on Ethereum.
In March, even Visa announced that it was opening up its doors to crypto payments, bringing the diverse worlds of digital and fiat currencies together within the consumer mainstream.
This has numerous connotations to the iGaming marketplace, as it enables players to access hybrid payment options that provide the very best in accessible, cost-effective and anonymous transaction methods.
