As it becomes licensed and regulated in more and more nations, iGaming continues to grow into a massive global industry. As of 2022, reliable valuations put the online gambling market at over $63.5 billion. In 2023, this figure is only expected to rise, particularly due to the innovations in the online casino sector. Having seemingly perfected the art of giving customers what they want, here are the trends that look to dominate iGaming this year.

Originals And Platform-exclusive Games

It’s certainly been seen in other digital entertainment sectors, but in online casino gaming, having original games and games that are entirely exclusive to the platform are somewhat uncommon. The general thinking is that you need a selection of the most popular games – of which, there is a clear selection of top-ranking titles – and then slap the ‘exclusive’ label on a few to make them seem unique.

Now, when you play slot games with jackpot prizes on certain platforms, you’ll start to clock truly exclusive games. The prime examples are the Daily Jackpot-linked slot Paddy Power Gold Megaways, Paddy Power Bonanza Fortune Play, or Paddy Power Cashpots. Being branded, the slot and its aesthetics obviously won’t be found anywhere else. Another way the platform’s been getting the edge is through timed exclusivity of slots labelled ‘play it here first.’

Source: Unsplash

Taking A Leaf Out Of Hollywood’s Book

Over the last several years – but not in a novel way to what’s been seen in previous decades – Hollywood has seemingly gone creatively bankrupt, drawing out ‘franchises’ beyond the realms of making quality entertainment, rebooting old IPs, and adding sequels. It’s mostly seen as a practice to seemingly guarantee profits due to the lack of marketing, but increasingly, fans are getting tired and bored of this new normal – especially as so much released recently has been poorly written, reliant on nostalgia, and distinctly unoriginal.

Still, there is credence in entertainment to delivering an expansion on a working IP, and in slots, this fad is being treated in a different way. In slot gaming, players stick with the games that they’ve come to trust, rarely straying from a select few once they’ve found them to be enjoyable. So, with series like Big Bass and Fishin’ Frenzy, the developers have expanded the range with new features, mechanics, and options but a similar core game. It toes the line between keeping what players show that they enjoy and expanding the range in a meaningful way.

Source: Pixabay

New Creations For The New Form Of Gaming

Game shows have been a staple of the TV schedule around the world for decades. While each country will have its own novel, more localised shows, some have spread to all corners with their own national twists. Who Wants to be a Millionaire is one of the most popular quiz shows in the world, with its simple format being easily replicated. Deal or No Deal also managed to go from 2000’s Miljoenenjacht in the Netherlands to still being aired in Greece and Romania.

With the ever-increasing popularity of the live-streamed games section, studios have quickly realised that they can expand on live casino games and venture into unchartered territory for casino gambling. Now, the live casino sections are building up hefty game show sections. They still involved luck-based betting – as many non-quiz game shows do – but get to infuse new mechanics. There’s the self-explanatory Crazy Coin Flip Live, Live Spin A Win, and Lightning Dice, as well as Deal or No Deal Live and Cash or Crash Live. More new games will surely arrive in 2023.

This year, iGaming platforms are expected to lean more heavily into exclusive offerings, developers will double down on expanding slot franchises to appease the masses, and live game shows will only increase in prevalence.