2022 has been a banner year for crypto casinos! We saw a massive increase and overall improvements in mobile play, the expansion of more cryptocurrencies as payment methods, and hold and win slots became all the rage amongst players worldwide. And given the success and popularity of crypto casinos, we can only expect to see more innovation coming as we move into next year.
So, what will 2023 hold for crypto casino players? Here, we’ll take a look at the top five coming trends for crypto casinos in the upcoming year, as well as some potential trends that may be on the horizon.
Crypto players are obsessed with provably fair games. These games allow you to use blockchain technology to verify its fairness. Because of their popularity with players, crypto casinos have gone above and beyond to give them more of a good thing by creating their own. You’ll find original crash games, Plinko, dice games, and more. And we can expect to see this trend not only continue but expand throughout 2023.
Many top crypto casinos have hired a team of game developers to create new original games unique to their brand, which can’t be found at any other casinos. We can expect to find all types of provably fair games, including:
- Online slots
- Ladder/tower games
- Roulette
- Video Poker
- And much more
If you’re interested in learning more about provably fair games from leading game providers, check out this thoroughly researched piece at BitcoinCasinoKings.com for more information.
Crypto casinos are laying the foundation for creating a stronger sense of community with their players. In the past, this was done through constant promotional offers and online forums. But, there’s a sense that casinos are really looking to build a sense of family amongst players, so we are starting to see more open community chats where players can meet, ask questions, win prizes by answering trivia questions, and offer advice to one another.
We already have seen this type of community building in multiplayer games, such as group chats in live casino games. But now we are seeing it more and more directly at casinos. This can be especially helpful to players who are new to casinos and seeking help or tips on how to improve their gameplay.
Other popular ideas that casinos can work to build stronger communities for players are rather simple.
- Maintain a strong social media presence
- Create fan pages
- Host live-streaming events
- Celebrate big wins
- Engage with and acknowledge your players
- Provide truly unique experiences
There are big changes to payment methods coming in 2023 for every casino. Listed below is just the tip of the iceberg.
Several crypto casinos have begun bypassing exchanges and offering players the means to purchase cryptocurrency directly on their site. This not only makes the process for deposits at casinos easier but also makes crypto casinos more accessible to a much larger number of players. The software allows you to use your debit/credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay for your purchase, and your deposit goes instantly into your casino account. We should 100% expect to see this feature available at every crypto casino in 2023.
MoonPay is a great example of technology that is being utilized at casinos for this purpose. Launched in 2019, the people behind MoonPay have one goal: increasing the use of cryptocurrency everywhere. MoonPay makes deposits faster, simpler, and safer than ever before. This payment process can use over 160 fiat currencies to purchase over 90 different cryptos, making it one of the most accessible to any type of crypto player.
MoonPay’s technology can be integrated directly into casino and gaming software so that players can now place wagers with their cryptocurrency. This is a total game changer for everybody, including casinos, providers, and players.
However, like all products, there are pros and cons to using MoonPay. A few caveats to using this payment method.
- Fees and limits apply.
- Not all casinos that use MoonPay allow withdrawals using this method.
- Not available in all markets.
The players have spoken, and bonus buy slots are a hit! In fact, we have only seen the popularity of bonus buy slots increase while online slots without the feature have seen a downward trend. In fact, some of the most popular games of 2022 utilize the buy feature.
- Money Train 3 by Relax Gaming
- Big Bass Bonanza Keeping It Reel by Pragmatic Play’s Reel Kingdom
- Aztec Magic Bonanza by BGaming
- Superstars by NetEnt
- Pug Life by Hacksaw Gaming
When players utilize the buy feature in these slot games, they not only opt-in to the opportunity for the biggest wins possible but also trigger the game’s most exciting features. For example, Money Train 3’s bonus game is a hold and win game where players can easily rack up huge multipliers, respins, and additional reels. In Pug Life, players can choose the type of bonus they want to purchase, and this is another trend that is picking up steam with providers. Giving players more control of the games they play is always a good thing.
Slot tournaments and leaderboards are another big hit among crypto players, and we can 100% expect to see this trend continue to grow. In these races, players compete against each other for a chance to win their share of a prize pool. Prizes vary at casinos but can include cashback rewards, free spins, instant cash prizes, and more. This is also an easy way for casinos to continue building their communities by creating comradery among their players.
This new version of casino promotions goes hand-in-hand with building a strong casino community. Many online casinos have begun using AI software to scan player data and analyze players’ actions. This allows the casino’s promotions team to build a better player profile for each user, know which games they enjoy playing, and be able to create personalized casino offers specifically for each player.
For example, the casino might notice a player really enjoys the Sweet Bonanza online slot and plays that game around a specific time every month. If that trend is picked up, the casino can send an email or direct message to the player and award them 10 free spins for their preferred game. Casinos can also do this in real-time to create better rewards for VIP players and link the VIP manager with a player to give them more personalized VIP benefits. These tools and procedures will help create a stronger bond between the casino and the player and truly give players a one-of-a-kind experience they won’t receive anywhere else.
While listed above are trends we know for sure are happening, there are always lots of rumors and whispers about other great things that may be on the way. Some of these potentials are trends that may be fading and may resurface or already happening but at a much smaller percentage than others.
Sponsorships
Given the recent FTX scandal and the current lawsuit against celebrities that were in its advertisements, we can expect many to begin pulling away from endorsing crypto products as we head into early 2023. However, this will most likely be a very short-lived scenario, and we can expect to continue to see sponsorship and partnerships pick up steam again as the year plays out. This will be especially true for continued sponsorships between sports stars and online sportsbooks.
Gamification
If you’re a gamer or know anyone who is, you have probably noticed some trends picking up steam, where you can now make purchases directly inside the game for skins, special skills/weapons, etc. This is another area that casinos may begin to realize they can add to create a more unique gaming experience. We might begin to see casinos giving players avatars to design and customize for their user profiles using micro-transactions. This is a tactic that has proven very successful in mobile gaming that we can probably expect to see spillover into iGaming soon.
Other ways casinos are using gamification is by implementing Wheels of Fortune and Level Up loyalty schemes. Many casinos have daily free spins on their wheel of fortunes, where players can spin the wheel and win instant crypto prizes. Level-up programs are also very popular at top crypto casinos, where players earn new rewards for each additional level. Prizes can come in increased cashback rewards, free spins on popular games, instant cash prizes, and more.
Tokens
Several crypto casinos have begun issuing players their own tokens. Casino tokens can be used to trade for cash prizes, free spins, and other regards. These assets’ values will fluctuate with market pricing just as crypto does. The ultimate question with this is, “Is this something that players want or will use?” Maybe. If it is done correctly. Players don’t want useless prizes, so these assets should be unique and do something that ultimately increases the overall user experience. While several casinos have begun token and NFT markets, I’ve yet to see any do anything that most VIP loyalty schemes don’t already do.
NFTs
Some crypto casinos are also attempting to integrate non-fungible tokens (NFTs). However, once again, this has yet to be done successfully. This may be because NFTs are decreasing in popularity and losing much of their value throughout 2022. The other question we have to ask ourselves is, “Is this adding value for the players?” The original intent of NFTs was to give ownership to a unique piece of digital art as an asset, something that nobody else can own. If casinos just give them away, will this help or hurt the overall NFT market?
Cashback Welcome Bonuses
Online casinos are always thinking about how they can increase benefits for players that also improve their bottom line, and we are now beginning to see this trend in welcome bonuses. Most welcome bonuses at the best crypto casinos are filled with free spins and deposit bonuses. But, new casinos have started a shift towards cashback bonuses. And this change comes with pluses and minuses for both the players and the casinos.
Pros of cashback bonuses:
- Keep players from suffering from major losses.
- Usually come with much lower wagering requirements.
- Reward active players.
- Easy for casinos to distribute and players to claim.
Cons of cashback bonuses:
- Players must lose money to receive them.
- It is usually a very small percentage of total losses.
- Many players are not searching for or interested in these bonuses.
- Max amounts and game restrictions still apply.
The key to a good welcome bonus is that it brings new players in. Ultimately, crypto casinos that are switching to cashback welcome bonuses will need to look at the data to see if this strategy has been successful. But my sources tell me it won’t be.
New Game Providers
There is no shortage of top casino game providers in 2022, and there’s only more to come. This is partly due to overall growth in the industry and also because of continued innovation by developers. While many players are familiar with popular brand names like NetEnt, Microgaming, and Play’n GO, casinos are consistently turning to smaller and lesser-known game makers as well. There are two reasons for this; to meet increased demand and to decrease overall costs, as these smaller providers are usually much cheaper for casinos to carry their games.
Here’s a short list of new game providers established this past year.
- White Hat Gaming
- Bombay Live
- Aviatrix – NFT and crash game specific
- Atomic Slot Lab
- Indigo Magic
AR/VR Casinos
Every year, augmented reality and virtual reality casinos make the list. And every year, we are told they are on the way. Will 2023 finally be the year it happens? I doubt it. Given the setbacks with Meta and NetEnt having pulled Gonzo’s Quest VR from top lists of soon-to-be-released games, it just doesn’t appear likely. But who knows? There have been huge strides made in 3D slots, such as with NetEnt’s new Superstars, and you can probably use 3D hardware to play online slots. But does this fulfill the fantasy of true AR/VR casinos and games? Not in my book. But eventually, they will build it, and we will come.
Final Thoughts
Overall, what we are already seeing here at the end of 2022 will continue to propel what we see from crypto casinos as we head into 2023. And there’s a lot to be excited about. Top casinos will continue to expand and work to improve the experience for players, streamlining processes and adding newer and better games, promotions, and features.
We can 100% expect to find:
- More original provably fair casino games
- Growth in our casino communities
- Changes in payment methods + KYC regulations
- Bonus buy slot tournaments
- Real-time/personalized casino promotions
For sure, there will be more than what is listed here. And players and casinos alike ought to be very happy with the direction things are headed.
FAQ:
- What are provably fair games?
Provably fair casino games use blockchain technology that allows players to prove the game’s fairness for every round they play. You can find provably fair slots, table games, crash games, and more at the best crypto casinos.
- What is MoonPay?
MoonPay is a new crypto payment service that can seamlessly integrate into casino and game software for players to place wagers using their crypto rather than fiat currency.
- Is FTX bad for crypto?
No. Top cryptocurrencies have already stabilized following the FTX scandal, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Binance. If anything, it has proven the continued stability of crypto. Crypto will continue to remain popular due to the high volume of demand for it.
