By H. Randall-Wooden
June 2nd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Due to the combination of the convenience of playing from anywhere at any time with an enhanced game library and more bonus options, online casinos have become an incredibly popular choice. As player numbers shot up during the Covid-19 pandemic, many questioned whether the growth of online casinos was sustainable. However, as more and more players make the move into the virtual world, the future of online casinos looks increasingly bright. In this article, we’ll explore the factors behind this growth in popularity, including the wider choice at online casinos and the increased convenience of online play.
Enhanced choice at online casinos
Players use VR technology to customize their virtual avatar and immerse themselves within a vibrant casino environment.
At online casinos, players are able to choose from a wider range of games. As well as classics like blackjack, poker and roulette, they can make the most of innovative offerings. These can include progressive jackpots, where the prize on offer grows as more people play, and virtual reality options, where players use VR technology to customize their virtual avatar and immerse themselves within a vibrant casino environment.
There’s further choice on offer through unique versions of popular casino games like slots. Players can still make the most of classic slots at online casinos, with all of the iconic symbols like fruit, money bags and sevens. However, there are also exclusive online options, such as interactive slots, in which players complete additional games that influence the overall game outcome.
Another popular online choice is live games, which allow players to interact with dealers in real time. They better replicate the experience of land-based casinos through enhanced set and sound design. Live versions of many casino games, including poker and baccarat, have become incredibly popular. They appeal to many players by combining convenience with a vibrant casino environment.
Options for all budgets
Whereas bonuses in land-based casinos are usually reserved for high spenders, there are options for every budget at online casinos. Players are able to use no deposit or low deposit offers to make the most of their budget. Online casinos also further promotions, including those linked to different game types, cashback bonuses and seasonal offers. The great variety of bonuses available at online casinos helps them appeal to a wide range of players.
Gambling online is incredibly popular across Canada, with 19.3 million active participants in 2024 alone. The most played game across these numbers is online slot machines, which offer players great value for money, with each spin costing as little as 10 cents. This makes slots popular with those who prefer lower-risk gambling or are looking to stretch their budget further.
Another popular option for players looking to manage their budget is sweepstakes casinos. These casinos use virtual currencies in the form of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, allowing players to participate in their favorite games without spending anything. To find the best sweepstakes casinos in Canada, players use one of the country’s most trusted affiliates in Time2play.com/ca-en. They analyze each sweepstakes casino across factors that include bonuses, playing experience and game choice, to find the top options. Sweepstakes casinos are continuing to increase in popularity and are set to help ensure the growth of the iGaming industry can be maintained.
A more convenient option
Anywhere – anytime
Not everyone – especially those who live in more rural areas – has easy access to a land-based casino. If they do, they might find themselves challenged by dress codes or strict house rules. Online casinos allow all players to access their favorite games from anywhere at any time. They’re available 24/7 and only require a stable internet connection for use. Convenience is at the heart of the online casino offering, helping to ensure their growth remains sustainable.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, when live venues had to shut down, many turned to online platforms to continue playing their favorite games. This shift saw land-based casinos enter a decline, fueled by the abrupt drop in customer numbers. For example, in Alberta, land-based casinos saw their revenue fall by 24% following the pandemic. Many providers moved their offerings online during this time. The provincial government in Alberta even launched its own online casino to capitalize on the movement.
Incorporating new technology
The online gambling industry has always been at the forefront of technological advances, constantly evolving to provide the best service. As well as incorporating VR into gaming options, other technologies like cryptocurrencies and AI have helped to revolutionize the industry.
Cryptocurrency
One such change has been the adoption of cryptocurrency into the payment options available at online casinos. Cryptocurrency has a number of benefits for players, including lower fees, faster transaction speeds and better conversion rates. Many online casinos now offer payments from popular coins like Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum, and there are also providers who specialize in crypto payments.
For players who may be concerned about uploading their financial information online, cryptocurrency allows them to make transactions with better protection. Crypto uses a high level of encryption, meaning that all information is unreadable to anyone who tries to access it. It’s also stored in digital wallets and uses blockchain technology to manage transactions, so the player’s information is protected.
Artificial intelligence
AI has been revolutionary for many industries and online casinos are no exception. It has been introduced across many different areas of the market, including for use in customer service chatbots. AI chatbots are able to answer customer queries much faster than a human representative, using data from the internet to provide accurate answers. Across online casinos, the adoption of AI bots has led to faster, smoother customer service.
In terms of security, AI is used to help monitor player patterns and detect those who may pose a threat to the provider. By analyzing vast amounts of data quickly, AI is able to look at player patterns, like response speed, and detect any who stray from the average. For example, AI can detect those who respond to questions or make choices faster than humanly possible.
One of the biggest threats the industry faces is a type of fraud known as bonus abuse, where players make multiple accounts to claim the same bonus more than once. It’s estimated that bonus abuse currently costs the industry as much as 15% of its annual gross revenue. It’s hoped that AI can be part of the solution to this problem by identifying multiple accounts using the same information, much faster and more accurately than a human can. It can also be used to identify suspicious IP addresses or patterns, and flag these to providers.
The future of online casinos
In the future, generative AI is set to play an even greater role in the online casino industry. While typical AI analyzes and identifies patterns that it reports to the provider, generative AI can actually use this information to create content. At present, a similar method is used to tailor advertisements and recommendations to a player’s preferences, based on their playing history. Generative AI will go a step further by automatically generating and sending marketing materials to a player based on their preferences.
Online casinos also benefit from the constant improvement of other technologies, like mobiles and live streaming services. Currently, some online casinos can’t provide as many live options on mobile as are found on desktop versions. As livestreaming technology continues to improve, this should allow casinos to provide their full library across devices.
Live gaming and VR better replicate the experience of land-based casinos through sound and visual designs.
One of the things many players miss at online casinos is the social element found in land-based options. Live gaming and VR better replicate the experience of land-based casinos through sound and visual designs. Another big development has been in technology that allows players to interact during games. While this is currently limited to features like chatrooms, some casinos have been experimenting with technology that allows players to talk directly to each other, similar to the feature found in some video games. In the future, these technological developments could help to bring even more players to the online casino market.
Is the growth of online casinos sustainable?
Due to the convenience of being able to access online casinos anywhere at any time, their growth seems sustainable for the future. To continue to capitalize on this growth, online casinos have introduced greater choice in terms of options, like no deposit bonuses and enhanced game libraries with VR games. The industry also makes sure that it’s constantly evolving by adopting new technologies like AI and cryptocurrency. In the future, we’re likely to see these developments playing an even greater role at online casinos, helping to ensure their future. Overall, the growth of online casinos is sustainable because of the combination of convenience and improved playing experience that appeals to many players.
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