Slot machines have come a long way over the years. Since the idea’s conception at the end of the 19th century to the more recent development of online gambling, the industry is continuously innovating and changing, for the better. However, a lot of the online slot machines appear outdated, both visually and in terms of their technological specifics. This outdated appearance and gameplay can often turn new players off, and veterans may grow bored with too much of the same thing.

Aristocrat is one of the leading slot providers, consistently churning out some of the best and most innovative online slot games available. By using advanced technology, Aristocrat continues to revolutionize the online gaming market, with new ways of creating an immersive online gambling experience for the players. You can find more about Aristocrat free slot games on aristocrat-slots.com.

With the emergence of smartphones and their ever-expanding technology and popularity, there has been a significant shift in focus on the slot providers that serve the best mobile experience for new and old audiences alike. A user-friendly mobile gaming experience can help attract new generations of players, while also rewarding regulars for their continued usage. Connecting with new players is important as it helps to reach a broader range of demographics and has positive results for all involved.

For this reason, online casinos will look favorably on the slot providers that utilize the advanced technology to increase the user experience, giving more customers to both the provider and the casino.

Latest competing technologies Aristocrat implemented to grow slots market

Earlier this year Aristocrat entered the bar-top slot machine market with 'Winners World', using the latest technologies. It is a multi-game bar top game with four keno games, eight video poker games, and three classic Aristocrat slot machine games: Lepre' coins, Buffalo and Buffalo Gold. These machines will be implemented into five taverns in the Las Vegas area, hoping to cash into the high demand from the state.

The machines themselves include a 23.5-inch LCD monitor, with a USB phone charger available to allow players to keep their devices topped up during the play. Furthermore, a 'smart drinking' tracking light is fitted into the cabinets, allowing bartenders to reward players more easily.

Aristocrat’s new Winner’s World Multi-Game™

The introduction of Aristocrat in the bar-top slot machine market confirmed the company's supremacy on the market:

• Revived the popularity of slot machine games among Millenials
• Provided a better experience for the players
• Contributed to drive revenue for casinos

As previously mentioned, there is an ever-growing demand for slot providers to innovate, specifically regarding their mobile gambling experience. Technology has never before such an impact on the gambling market. The constant innovation of smartphones and increasing accessibility that allows users to play wherever they are, help to tap into new potential audiences and demographics.

GPS and RFID are built-in in many modern smartphones. These technologies allow casinos to locate frequent gamblers and offer them personalized services to help capture their interest. Similarly, it will enable players to find the nearest casino easier. As more technological advances are made to our phones, casinos and gaming providers will also think to innovate by increasing the accessibility and user experience for gamblers both offline and online.

International Game Technology, a competitor of Aristocrat, is working to implement a new cashless initiative. It would allow players to hold a mobile wallet, which can be topped up via credit or debit card, as well as within casinos. Then, a player can use their smartphone with a sensor in a machine to connect their virtual wallet to the game; allowing players to have greater control over how much they spend, giving them an overview of top-ups and spends. While initiatives like these are necessary for the players as they encourage responsible gambling, they also help give providers a trustworthy reputation, consequently improving brand image.

Slots Near Future

Just as modern technologies are widely implemented in the gambling industry, innovate developments do not lie too far on the horizon. Technological advancements serve well for the land-based casino and slot machines that have been so far covered in this piece, but they hold even more sway over the future of the online gaming sector. Statista predicts that the size of the online gambling market will rise with an increase from 51.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 to 94.4 billion in 2024.

Online Gambling Market Forecast 2009-2020

This astronomical prediction for the growth of the online gambling market means that slot providers and casinos are continuously working on how best to tap into this market. Just as regular smartphone technology such as GPS and RFID allows land-based casinos to better connect with their players, technology like VR, facial recognition, crypto gaming, and social gaming are helping to develop and evolve the online gambling services on offer.

Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to play a massive role in the future of online gambling. Already proved to be a smash hit with the video gaming industry, VR allows an advanced level of immersion, giving players the chance to step inside familiar or unfamiliar worlds, with the help of albeit clunky headsets. With VR in the online gambling industry, players can step inside virtual casinos that allow a better connection between the player and their online slots.

The increased immersion provided by gambling in VR is one of the flagship reasons why advancing technology is the main hunting ground for slot providers like Aristocrat. Connecting better with players with striking design and gameplay will make them play for longer and benefit more accordingly.

Facial recognition is an increasingly prominent part of modern technology. These days, many leading smartphone manufacturers, Apple, in particular, use advanced facial recognition technology to help make the process of unlocking devices more simple, Apple’s ‘Face ID’ feature streamlining a process that has been made time-consuming in recent years down to passcodes and fingerprint sensors.

Just as facial recognition is becoming increasingly prominent within smartphones due to its increased control over security, it is for the same reasons that casinos are starting to use the technology to deter fraudsters and cheats. Cheating has been a number one concern for casinos to eliminate, but facial recognition can help tighten security, on behalf of both the players and the casino themselves.

Crypto gaming is another hot topic when we look into the technological advances of the online gambling industry. In 2008, Bitcoin was invented and took the world by storm, making a lot of smart investors wealthy while inspiring a whole flurry of further cryptocurrencies. In recent years, these currencies have provided an alternate payment method for customers in some industries, with online gambling just one of the many uses some of these currencies have.

CryptoSlate has data that suggests that cryptocurrencies that are specifically gambling-focused are currently worth more than $245m, with a WINK, Dragon Coins, PlayChip, Bitbook Gambling, Casino Coin, Wagerr and DAO. There are still question marks, however, over the long-term place of these cryptocurrencies in the gambling industry, with the volatile and frequently fluctuating value of these currencies causing controversy within debates.

Finally, social gambling is changing the industry as a result of our current worldview on technology. Recently, Aristocrat acquired social gaming giants Big Fish, ready to use their improved capabilities to create a new wave of social gambling options. Social gambling is becoming a popular option as it allows players to play with their friends providing better user experience as well as allowing providers and casinos to widen their audiences.

Attraction to Slots is not all about innovative technologies

Despite the great lengths that innovative technologies go to increase the attraction of players to slot machines, several factors influence the growing or decreasing popularity of certain games. For example, increased skepticism and lack of interest amongst the new millennial generation led providers to create more skill-based slot machines, giving the player a better opportunity to make their luck.

Skill-based slot games

Furthermore, slot providers also strive to attract younger audiences through the use of officially licensed slot games. A quick glance at any online casino will reveal a plethora of official slot machine tie-ins with popular culture franchises. For example, Aristocrat has worked closely with Warner Bros. on projects related to hitting franchises such as The Big Bang Theory, the Batman classic TV series, Dumb & Dumber, and Game of Thrones, as well as many other options. These slots are often themed concerning the franchise, borrowing music, design, and other assets that help them and increase the user experience.