The online gambling sector is already a pretty big deal with its value expected to rise to a whopping $125 billion by 2025. Needless to say, these are some pretty huge figures but considering all of the developments that have been going on in the sector, it is hard to dismiss these claims. If there is a time where online gambling showed its might it is during the lockdowns and shutdowns that followed the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe.
The gambling sector is pretty huge but nearly all sectors saw tremendous plunges in revenues and operation. Online gambling, on the other hand, actually rose quite significantly. An uptick in iGaming traffic was expected but no one would have imagined that would to the extents that we have witnessed.
As always, crypto and blockchain are playing a huge role in this transition. Innovation is an important aspect of the sector’s growth and one of the areas where we have seen some of the most developments is in the utilization of digital currencies and related technologies.
One of the things that have been key to the developments in the sector is the concept of the casino of the future. The pandemic and all of its impacts have fast-tracked a number of things. Now, rather than just thinking about the casino of the future, we are pondering over what gambling and entertainment will look like post-COVID-19.
Decentraland and Post-COVID Gambling
There are tons of ways that crypto has been used in casinos but perhaps the most exciting development as of this writing is the emergence of Decentraland which is essentially a crypto-centric version of Second Life. It is the very first Ethereum-powered space that is a fully user-owned virtual habitat where the currency used is referred to as non-fungible token (NFT).
This very ambitious project stands particularly because it exists in perpetuity. This means that it cannot be shut down and since it is virtual, it cannot be impacted directly by such things as pandemics. In fact, the virtual habitat already has space for all things casinos and entertainment. Crypto Valley, its large virtual business district has a casino and even virtual conference facilities that are working exceptionally well despite the project is just beginning to catch our attention.
Everything is divided into quarters in Decentraland and each serves a purpose. Speaking on the development, the masterminds behind this innovative venture pointed out how “each quarter presents a different context for gaming, from the out and out glitz of the Casino Quarter, to sophisticated gaming rooms with Las Vegas-style stage shows in the Entertainment Quarter.”
Clearly, the casino of the future is going to be a very fun place to go to, and maybe it might arrive sooner than we expected.
