The economy, weather, war, and politics drove the headlines last year. Many of those newsmakers affected the online gambling industry either directly or indirectly.
The underlying stories of the year surrounded the subject that has driven our everyday lives for decades now: technology. The news of high-tech didn’t make page one regularly, but online gamers certainly felt it.
Let’s look at the year’s big stories, how they influenced the internet wagering world, and what online gamblers may expect this upcoming year.
Top 5 Online Gambling Trends in 2024
Here are five of the top newsmakers in the gambling world and a hint of what casino players might see this year.
Online Payment Systems
The world of cryptocurrency started the year with a boom and ended last year with a scandal. The investors who pumped millions of dollars into crypto through FTX got burned, and the scandal sent shockwaves throughout the alternative currency community.
However, that activity was primarily based on the investment prospects of digital currency. Many experts see a minimal effect on everyday crypto transactions such as internet betting.
Meanwhile, other peer-to-peer payment methods, such as Zelle and Venmo, continue to gain ground as alternative payment tools.
The Economy and Gambling
We largely recovered from the pandemic in 2022 just in time to be hit with one of its offshoots: inflation. The inflation rate reached the highest level in decades as people with money wanted more stuff than the supply chain could provide and sent prices up.
The trend was hard to detect at the online slots, tables, and sportsbooks. There is an indication that folks are betting into the winds of inflation as many gambling sectors reported growth.
Whether that trend continues may depend on the potential for a recession that some economists predict.
Virtual Reality
More online casinos continue to grow the live dealer games phenomenon, with some sites hosting more than one live dealer section. Now, we are seeing more sites with low and high-limit areas and sections for non-English speakers.
Some sites have taken the high-tech step of hosting virtual reality experiences. Gaming tech experts see virtual reality gambling enhancement picking up more steam this year.
5G and Mobile Gaming
As more people update their mobile devices and more towers are added, 5G continues to grow in prominence. For online gamblers using smartphones and tablets, this means faster response from sign-on to slots spin.
Grandview Research notes: “The global 5G services market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 56.7% from 2022 to 2030.”
This can only mean more popularity for mobile online gambling that banks on speed in everything from slot games to in-game betting at sportsbooks.
Gambling Law Changes
The legal landscape continued to open more online gambling doors in 2022, led by the popularity of sports betting in the US. Five more US states either passed laws to allow online gambling or launched new sites during the year. Legislative proposals are in the works in six other states.
Only seven states host online casino sites, so offshore destinations are still popular for US internet casino players.
However, as online betting becomes more trusted and governments see the potential for extra revenue, new states should join the competition for the gambling dollar.
The Best Online Gambling Sites in 2024
The best online casinos and sportsbooks are always on top of the latest trends in iGaming, with new games and updated versions of old reliables coming out almost daily.
Add that to state-of-the-art security and the latest payment methods, and you will have the perfect sites for online gambling. Check out our top-rated real money casino sites below.
| RANK | ONLINE CASINO | BONUS | # OF GAMES | MIN DEPOSIT | START |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  DuckyLuck Casino | BONUS 500% up to $7,500 | # OF GAMES 699 | MIN DEPOSIT $25 | Play Now |
| 2 |  Bovada Casino | BONUS 125% up to $3,750 | # OF GAMES 549 | MIN DEPOSIT $5 | Play Now |
| 3 |  SlotsandCasino | BONUS 500% up to $7,500 | # OF GAMES 691 | MIN DEPOSIT $25 | Play Now |
| 4 |  BetUS | BONUS 150% up to $3,000 | # OF GAMES 491 | MIN DEPOSIT $10 | Play Now |
| 5 |  Cafe Casino | BONUS 350% up to $2,500 | # OF GAMES 273 | MIN DEPOSIT $5 | Play Now |
OUSC Is Your #1 Source for All Things Online Gambling
While the economy and legal changes affected the online gambling world, it was tech-related things that internet gamers noticed the most.
With all of the change, one thing remains the same: OUSC’s dedication to keeping gamblers up to date on the trends, games, and best bonuses in online wagering. We’ll continue that quest and wish you the best of luck in the new year.
