Whilst strictly prohibited in Saudi Arabia, traditional casino games and gambling have been around for centuries. However, it wasn’t until the digital takeover of casino games that they really started to quickly innovate and multiply around the world. In a similar way to the video game industry, online casinos have become a space all about innovation and incremental improvements.

When walking into a traditional casino, we’re presented with the same 5 or so games - the same 5 or so games that were presented to us 50 years ago. However, when browsing to play Arabic casinoonline, you’re hit with a wall of potential games.

What is gamification?
It’s not just the sheer amount of games available that constitutes as this movement towards gamification. Gamification refers to another layer of experience beyond the usual casino game; something that resembles a video game. Getting ahead, competition, storylines, themes, characters, and levels to a game that we progress through are all facets of gamification.

Gamification is a great way to increase immersion and enhance user experience. It makes games less repetitive and more rewarding, and potentially competitive, which underpins much of the success of online video games. 

Rewards are one of the main ways that gamification achieves its aim of retention. Users at sites like VIPArabClub keep coming back to play because new levels are unlocked, or special features. This may also include goals or status (i.e. online leaderboards) as well as feedback. For users looking for a little extra meaning in their gaming endeavors, this allows them to increase their virtual status (or even real status) by proudly being good at the game they play.

A clearer example of gamification is the use of battle passes within online multiplayers. Playing individual games online isn’t enough to keep users coming back, so a battle pass is there to introduce levels, meaningful XP points and challenges, as well as unlocking new content. Similar things are happening in online casino games.

Characters and themes
In 2022, most slot games are no longer simple slot games - they’re staggered games with either levels or fully fleshed out stories and characters. Generally, a slot game will be built on a certain theme, like ancient Egypt, in which the user can immerse into that world. 

Furthermore, being able to create your own avatar and potentially even dress and accessorize the avatar means that it’s way more personable. This way it offers a greater value in escapism and immersion to users who are looking to dive into a different world and be adventurous.

The idea behind doing this is that it personalises the experience towards each user - who now has a choice between hundreds of themes and games. Some games are even venturing into skill-based processes, in which users can take greater control over the outcome of the game. 

The future of gamified casino games
Online casino game developers are growing in their numbers, with many highly established publishers that generate many new games per year. It’s quite cheap and fast to create a casino game, much more so than a video game, although some are becoming almost as sophisticated as video games.

One way that we expect casino games to continue innovating in is virtual reality. With the buzz of the Metaverse around, it’s likely that we will see casinos within the Metaverse that offer casino games in a virtual casino, which creates the sociability and atmosphere of a real casino. So, being able to play at the same table as other players and being able to turn, look at them, and converse over the microphone.

We also expect to see an increase in the use of leaderboards, creating multiplayer competitiveness amongst games. With an ever-increasing eSports market, it’s difficult not to see these two worlds connect more. There are already (decentralized) ways in which streamers play wagered video games against their viewers, so a more public market for this could develop. Furthermore, we may also see the market for betting on eSports grow, such as wagering betting companies who will win the next Fortnite world cup, for example.

Another way we expect online casinos to evolve is through the use of cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is being more widely adopted and offers the potential for fast and secure transactions. Currently, the crypto casino market is in its infancy, which makes it somewhat a grey market in many countries. Hopefully, soon enough, this market will become better regulated and thus crypto can be implemented in more mainstream online casino payment options.

Final Word
It’s unlikely that the gamification of casino games is a passing trend. With traditional casinos opening back up, there will certainly still be an appetite there for traditional games like roulette and blackjack. However, the younger generation are brought up with RPG games and the like for their consoles, so they will be no stranger to gamified gambling. Whilst it's difficult to know whether VR will become mainstream, it's undeniable that casino games will have their place in the Metaverse.