With the gambling world changing all the time, we always look forward to the future. Staying on top of our game at Go Spin is part of what we do, and in this article, we’ll share with you some of our predictions for the future of online gambling. If you’re eagerly looking forward to the latest casino trends in 2025, let’s explore what’s on the way.
New Regulatory Changes
First up, we’re entering a period where many countries are actively setting up their own national licensing bodies, in many cases, heavily inspired by the United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission, a renowned leader in this space.
This year, both Brazil and the Netherlands are implementing new laws to regulate and license online gambling. We’re also seeing future trends emerging regarding player protection. Vulnerability checks aim to strengthen the fight against problem gambling while tightening age verification measures will help prevent underage betting. We’re also seeing numerous advertising restrictions come into place across Europe and the US. These will (theoretically) aid in the prevention of gambling addiction by making betting less appealing.
Responsible Gaming Improvements
The introduction of aggressive, responsible gambling policies unquestionably helps players stay on the straight and narrow. It’s much easier to protect yourself when engaging in online gambling today than ten years ago. It’s no longer enough for casinos to simply roll out a list of dos and don’ts and leave you to it. Instead, we’re seeing increases in deposit limits, more affordability checks, increased behaviour monitoring protocols at gambling sites, and pop-up reminders that act as reality checks.
An increasing number of jurisdictions now run their own self-exclusion tools. Many of these are going live across Europe, with the Netherlands launching CRUKS and Germany unveiling their OASIS programs. Both work in largely the same way as GamStop, arguably the industry leader in this space.
Continually Improved Graphics, VR and AR Implementation
It goes without saying that graphics are always improving. It seems pointless to add such a feature to our list of trends for 2025, but it’s inevitable that new games will debut with rapidly improved graphics, as is always the case. Of course, aside from crisper imagery, modern slots will also likely take advantage of augmented and virtual reality in their imagery.
In fact, we’re already seeing this spring up at live casinos. Every year, we’re getting closer to seeing virtual reality spring up in online gambling. While some games exist featuring VR, thus far, they’re largely off the mark. However, AR and VR will likely play a much larger role in gameplay in both live and slot games as we strive for ever more realism in gambling titles.
Continued Push and Drive for Sequels and Franchises
There is a continued push and drive for bigger and better online gambling games. Rather than think outside the box and release ever more imaginative titles, many software providers are mimicking Hollywood and simply rehashing older titles. The Big Bass slot series is a prime example of this, where the same game has been refined and tweaked two dozen times to create a slot series. Other series, such as Money Train, are also catching onto this and following suit, so slot franchises with slight tweaks varying between games are likely to be the norm in the future.
Shift to Anjouan for Offshore Casinos
One of the more notable changes this year (although most players won’t notice) is the shift away from Curacao for offshore casinos. Instead, many are now acquiring Anjouan (Comoros) licenses. Anjouan popped up as a cheap alternative in recent years for offshore casinos, and tighter restrictions in Curacao mean that many sites are exploring this avenue. While it isn’t always great news for players, it does mean more casinos are debuting right now. Just remember that while you’re spoiled with choices and new casinos, Anjouan is not yet a proven licensing authority over time, and in terms of regulations, it’s near the bottom.
AI Integration in Games Development and Payouts
Finally, the last stop in our tour of what to expect in online gambling 2025 – we might as well discuss AI. It’s taking over everywhere else, so why not the online gambling world? AI has the potential to be used in all sorts of interesting ways in the gambling sphere, but that doesn’t mean we’ll get that.
For starters, AI machine learning is ideal for creating games that are better honed to our specific gambling needs. For instance, if you’re a low roller, AI might tailor games towards that for you. We may see games created by AI, too. One thing we’re looking forward to is automatic payment processing using AI. This works (in theory) much like smart contracts. By cutting out the middleman (casino support staff), it’s possible to imagine instant clearing of withdrawals and transaction times of just a few seconds. Whether casinos allow this AI tech to flourish and become the norm remains to be seen, though.
FAQ
Will all online casinos willingly accept the changes?
That’s the big question. While we can’t say anything about the other aspects, we’re confident that casinos will adopt the responsible gambling changes – they don’t have much choice if they wish to keep licenses issued from respectable jurisdictions.
Will offshore casinos die out in 2025?
We doubt it. Seeing so many casinos jump over to Anjouan licenses is indicative of a change, but not one that will see them obsolete. National licensing bodies may make it more challenging to access such sites, though.
Will mobile casino gameplay continue to grow?
Of course. We use mobile phones for virtually everything, so any and all mobile gaming trends over the last few years will undoubtedly continue into 2025 and beyond.
Are the days of player data collection ending?
That’s tricky to answer. Half the population is waking up to how their data is used; the other half doesn’t care. However, we’d wager that more transparent policies about how sites use player data will become the norm.
Will cryptocurrencies become the norm at online casinos?
Probably not. While many offshore domains are now blockchain casinos, this isn’t likely to happen at nationally licensed sites, not as long as cryptocurrencies remain unregulated, anyway.
