Dirk Nagel 
Playing at an online casino has taken on many different forms over the last decade or two. In the early days, it was all about finding sites that could host a few live dealer games and slots, and expedite withdrawals.
The bare minimum requirements were nowhere near what they are today, and it wasn’t until mass adoption and new customers checked out online casinos in their droves that the underlying technology began to receive the same level of attention and investment as some of the more visible parts of the industry.
The introduction of 5G has been met with considerable noise since the beginning of the decade. The whole purpose of 5G has been to improve the speed and quality of our internet connections, particularly on our mobile devices. So, those who play casino games on their smartphones and tablets are paying particular attention, and there’s a vested interest for companies to work with this technology to ensure the consumer experience is as smooth as possible.
The Power Of Reduced Latency In Casino Gaming
It doesn’t matter what we are doing on our phones; if we’re on a site or app that struggles with latency, it can get frustrating very quickly. However, in casino gaming, there’s an added onus. In live dealer games, for instance, you need the game to be as smooth as possible; any lags, delays or issues with the stream, and it won’t be long before we log off and try to find a better connection at a competitor site.
As online casinos operate on a global scale, these connections need to be consistent for domestic and international customers. The introduction of 5G is one factor that has helped sites maximize the speed of their platforms, but it’s not just the individual games that need the technology to be as fast as possible; the site also needs to manage large numbers of customers during peak periods.
It is one of many factors that experts use when determining which casinos deserve higher ratings than others. Over at talkSPORT, their experts have determined that latency is one of the most critical factors in a highly-rated casino, but it is not the only consideration.
Still, other factors are also affected by the rise of 5G, including the speed and responsiveness of their customer service, their ability to payout winnings quickly, and the appropriate level of site security. Utilizing all types of cyber help tech solutions ensures data and information remain as secure as possible, but if a site is slow and cumbersome, then people will quickly look for alternatives.
Broadening The Technological Horizons
It’s not just the games themselves that have seen a giant leap forward in quality; the introduction of 5G has enabled several new technologies to explore the world of online casino gaming, too.
For instance, VR gaming has become a huge talking point since the beginning of this decade. Although Meta has been losing a lot of money since it decided to rebrand and pour billions of dollars into this tech, it has started to see some of those investments pay off over the last 18 months.
Those who play casino games on the move often end up with static: they place their bets, watch the screen freeze, and only find out a few seconds later, by checking their balance, whether their bet was a success. Obviously, for those who win, it’s not a big deal, but if this is how you find out your bet lost, it’s a frustrating way to learn, and overall, it’s not a good user experience.
However, the presence and wider availability of 5G means reduced latency and greater bandwidth for games and concepts that require more capacity, whether it be VR casino gaming, ideas that integrate AR, or those that lean into the vast capabilities of AI in gaming. Before 5G emerged in the industry, casino game developers were not particularly keen to explore these technologies, as they believed they would hit a ceiling with 3G or 4G. Given how industry experts are now talking, it feels like the sky is the limit for 5G.
Raising The Bar
Despite the potential for gaming innovation and reduced latency being the two key factors that have helped 5G power many of the recent changes we’ve seen in casino gaming, the technology has made a plethora of positive changes from the grassroots level right up to the user experience, which is where we see the most noticeable changes.
Increased speed means a more rapid response to consumer queries, identity verification and customer behaviour monitoring. It becomes easier to flag transactions for fraud or identify customers exhibiting potential problem gambling patterns. It ensures that the machine is more finely tuned, slick and well-oiled – to use some traditional terminology – and it is hard to find any angle from which the introduction of 5G into the world of casino gaming is negative.
Conclusion
It often doesn’t matter how innovative an idea may be; it still requires a positive response from the majority of customers for it to have a lasting impact in casino gaming. We used VR as an example, and while there is no denying that the technology is transformative, the reason Meta has had so many teething problems with it is that the demand simply isn’t there – at least not yet.
However, the differences and benefits of 5G are tangible and easy to see across the industry. If you are a gamer, you benefit from quicker speeds, minimal lag and a smoother overall experience. Those in the industry can harness it to their advantage, responding more quickly and experiencing less downtime. If you are looking to innovate as a developer or designer, you can try out a smoother demo experience with AR and VR. With many people already talking about the rollout of 6G before the end of this decade, the technological advances in casino gaming show no signs of slowing down, so we can expect to see even more developments over the next few years.
