It would be naive to think that the gambling sector has no scope for innovation. Take, for instance, online slots that offer some old-aged games of the past years only. Surely, this is not the only kind of experience gamers are looking for. In fact, this is the other reason why most gamblers, if not all, actively participated in such activities: to be able to play different games in various themes, all at the same time. Therefore, developers are always coming up with new games and features to cater to such needs.
But innovations are not just limited within the industry—external advancements like 5G also play a great role in offering engaging gameplay. So, if you have been wondering how this technology is impacting the industry, worry less. This article will explore this discussion in depth and highlight other crucial facts.
Understanding 5G technology
Well, in most cases, speed is what comes to mind when you hear the mentions of 5G, right? No one wants to experience lag when spinning wheels in some online slots or following up with poker tournaments. In fact, if you were to interact with a website where such instances are common, chances are that you may leave it and never return. So, the availability of the 5G network comes just at a time when features like high-speed internet are needed by many gamers.
This fifth-generation network can deliver peak rates of up to 20Gbps, making it way faster than its predecessor. In fact, experts approximate that the network can be 100 times faster than 4G. Plus, the network’s low latency is something every gamer can be happy about. Have you ever played online slots and noticed unusual response delays? That could be because of higher latencies where your gaming device takes longer to send data to servers and receive responses.
A few of the ways 5G can reduce response time are:
- Scheduling data transfers more efficiently using ultra-reliable low-latency communications
- Using multiple numerologies for shorter slot durations
- Reducing symbol durations and slot length
This allows players to enjoy latencies as low as a single millisecond – a great improvement from 4G, which delivers latencies of about 200 milliseconds.
A few more advantages
The world is becoming more environmentally conscious. And that means that for an emerging technology to be massively welcomed, it has to also align with modern trends. And good enough, 5G perfectly fits this description. Its transmitters are quite small and can be placed discretely inside trees, buildings and so on. The cells involved in facilitating connectivity are also quite small and consume less energy.
And it is not just about minimizing energy consumption. This fifth-generation network also allows for more network capacity by including new spectrums like mmWave. The network is able to use a much wider range of bandwidths, from sub-3 GHz to 100 GHz or higher, making it possible for more devices to connect in one single moment without hurdles. And in the gambling sector, especially online slots, where the number of players is increasing, such innovations can come in handy.
5G and the modern gambling industry
We have already hinted at how the gambling industry is always evolving. Those who love online slots can well attest to this—it is almost impossible to think about something and not find an online slot about it. In addition, developers often integrate high-tech graphics that require high-speed networks to make these games appealing.
So, if your device does not support fast networks, you may be frustrated playing such games. Plus, gamers have become more discerning in our modern world. You do not just want to participate in some online slots; you also want the gameplay to be as real as possible. And that is the power of high-tech graphics and visuals. Given that 5G allows for seamless experiences even with such graphics, many more gamers now join this industry because they feel their needs are met.
Something else you may have seen developers doing to meet the growing need for realism is the creation of live dealer games. Imagine you can interact with real dealers from any place with just a touch of a button. But the experience might be devastating if you do not have the proper infrastructure for the same. Remember, one of the things that makes for a captivating live casino game experience is good video quality. Poor network connectivity reduces the quality and can actually increase the churn rate.
With 5G providing good grounds for customer-centric innovations in this industry, we may actually see its market size increase significantly in the future. As of 2024, Statista approximates the sector’s revenue to be $97.15bn and expects it to reach $132.90bn by 2029.
Final thoughts
For those who have been keen enough, you must have noticed that tech advancements always, in one way or another, help the casino industry move forward. Remember, the main idea of casino gaming is to have as much engaging gameplay as possible. So, to cater to this need, developers always come up with features like immersive graphics, especially in genres like online slots.
But, well, that comes with a price. As a gamer, you will have to ensure your device is up to date to enjoy some of these upgrades fully. Otherwise, the experience could be very disappointing. Therefore, as 5G offers benefits that most modern players seek, it could actually cause the industry to grow even further.