Casino News – June 2024

A remarkable industry milestone, artificial intelligence in casino games, and a surprising million-dollar “poker” win – this is your casino news for June 2024

The online gambling industry hits $100 billion in revenue

All worldwide online gambling activity is hitting a huge milestone in 2024: $100B in total revenue. This combines activity at online casinos, lotteries, and sportsbooks. Sports betting will account for about $46B, casinos tally up about $37B, and the lottos kick in about $18B. This mark is a first for the industry, but it was inevitable given the 20% or more annual growth we’ve seen in the past four years.

This activity is led by a few top games.

One booming category is slots, which boast almost absurd variety. Developers are making games that feature almost every possible theme, taking players from the divine heights of mythology to the depths of the sea, and everywhere in between (and of course, Ignition’s collection of slots games is vast).

Another growing game is poker, with online cardrooms like Ignition’s keeping the action going 24/7 – while offering huge regular tournaments with guaranteed seven-figure prize pools.

A surprising factor, however, is crash games. These innovative games challenge players to find the right moment to cash out of a virtual flight before their vehicle crashes and wipes out everyone’s wagers. One example from our own library is ThunderCrash. A single leading crash game developer reported a 450% increase in unique user shares. Creative efforts like these are sure to continue to fuel the online casino trend in years to come.

How will AI make casino games better?

AI – so hot right now.

It’s no secret that every business is looking for ways to use AI and capitalize on the trend. While some are finding astounding uses for the latest wave of AI tech known as Chat-GPT, others are just trying to keep pace with competitors.

Which begs the question: what will casinos do with AI?

Well, one seasoned writer at AINews sees at least two ways for casinos to take advantage of AI.

The first is in personalization, particularly in slots. This could come in the form of free spins on a game that the algorithm thinks you will love, based on your playing behavior. Another could be bonus games that are customized to your likes and preferences. We can almost guarantee that developers are working with AI as we speak and seeing what kinds of innovative experiences they can offer to players.

A second possibility is in poker, in the form of an AI trainer. Imagine sitting down to a poker study session and playing against an AI that can tell you what openings and leaks it sees in your game in real time, while also offering advice on how to fix things. An amazing AI coach is likely something poker players would be happy to try out. In fact, something like this is already available from PokerGPT.

We’re in the very early stages still of mass-market AI, and only time will tell what the technology will ultimately do for casinos. One thing is for sure: we’ll definitely be searching for ways to boost the player experience with the latest and greatest advanced technology.

$1.2 million-dollar “poker” win

How do you win over a million dollars on poker without playing a single tournament hand? By playing Pai Gow!

It was a progressive jackpot that made the win so ridiculously large. The player who took down the prize of $1,208,521 at 3 a.m. at Planet Hollywood Resort on the Vegas Strip, had been playing for a couple of hours when destiny finally came calling. It took a seven-card straight flush to make the player’s dreams come true (2-8, to be exact). A wild card joker stood in for the 5 in the seven-card run.

Don’t sleep on those table game progressive jackpots. When they hit, they can hit very big. It’s a lot easier than grinding out a tournament win against thousands of other players, and the money is just as green.

The next big winner?

Give our casino a shot, and maybe make some big win news of your own. Look for games with progressive jackpots!