Technology is one of the best things to have happened in the world of online slots. It’s solely responsible for immense changes, from games that support AR and VR to mobile and smartwatch slots.

Almost every progressive feature in new slots can be linked to changes in technology. That's alright, though. No slot player in the world has ever objected to positive influences by technology. Quite the contrary, the innovations shaping up slots are here to benefit everyone. Below are some of them, more so, technologies that will impact casino games for years to come.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence is all the rage everywhere people talk about technology. It promises drastic changes to how industries operate, including casinos. When it comes to video slots, AI is impacting the sector in several ways.

For starters, software makers are using AI to create smart slots. You've probably played a few of them. They have an autoplay feature so that you don't have to adjust bets manually. Then they can trace your gaming data to give you a glimpse of your profits, losses, and the number of spins made.

For casinos, AI is a friend that can help drive growth immensely. It works by analyzing players' behaviours, expenses and segmentation. Primarily, artificial intelligence can help casinos discover who likes what slots, how much they spend and how long they play these games.

Casinos can then analyze profits from each machine and decide which ones to remove and which ones to keep. Crucially, they can survey players to get their opinions about different sand make better business decisions.

Virtual Reality (VR)

VR’s attempt to penetrate the online casino industry has been gradual so far. But that doesn’t mean it’s not been happening. Since 2018, at least five well-known video slots support virtual reality.

They include Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst, Jack and the Beanstalk, Miss Midas and Thunderstruck II.  If you own VR headsets, all you need is a casino that supports virtual reality, and you can play the games mentioned above exclusively.

Beyond slots, VR has had incredible success with live casino games such as blackjack, roulette and poker. However, the slot industry will catch up with time now that VR mounting devices and computers are getting cheaper by the day.

3D Graphics

The advancement of graphics has had a tremendous impact on online slots. It’s one of the reasons the industry keeps growing—people want to play beautiful games. Fifteen years ago, slots used the best graphics available back then.

However, the graphics of 2005 are pretty dated compared to the 3D graphics we have today. Just take a look at the NetEnt Dazzle Me slot. It features incredibly beautiful graphics, sparkling gems for symbols and attention-grabbing colour schemes.

Although the game’s free spins and multipliers are crucial reasons for its popularity, its pretty graphics also play a role. And because of that, NetEnt and its competitors will continue to use the most advanced graphics to design their games.

Skill-play in Slots

Slots that require skills to play and win are in high demand. Unfortunately, not many software providers are committed to creating them. Here's why. Developers and casinos make money by creating purely chance-based games.

Precisely, you can't influence the outcome of a video slot. In fact, these games are designed to give operators an edge. For example, a slot might payout 96% of gambled money. That means casinos have a 4% benefit that guarantees them profits.

If skills are incorporated into slots, some people will start to win consistently, which is bad for business. To provide a balance, some developers have games that are 90% chance-based, and 10% skill-based.

Take the Wrecking Ball slot by IGT as an example. It features RNG like most slots. It has 830 paylines and a decent payout rate. Its most striking feature is a joystick you can control to wreck buildings and win real cash.

There aren’t many games similar to Wrecking Ball. But lately, software makers are observing the niche before deciding whether to invest more money into it. Consider it’s something players want; developers might begin to create skill-based slots on a large scale.

In-Game Free Spins and Multipliers

Similar to graphics, in-game features have been changing over the years. But it wasn’t until a decade ago that developers and casinos started to pay immense attention to in-game features. That’s when NetEnt produced Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst.

It was also around the time when most providers became competitive in producing high-paying slots. Logically, in-game free spins and multipliers struck the chord with players instantly. Everyone wanted to play the best paying game.

To date, casino gamers love slots that provide free spins and multipliers generously. Some developers like NetEnt and Microgaming have plenty of slots with these features. And unsurprisingly, they are incredibly famous.

Facial Recognition

Although it's at an advanced stage, facial recognition is being touted as a technology of the future. Konami Gaming is the biggest advocate of the growing creation, highlighting that it can reward loyal customers.

You see, online casinos design many loyalty programs. That means you must join a website with loyalty offers to claim them. With facial recognition, software providers can also start programs to award their most avid fans exclusive rewards.

That means you could play a variety of slots by the same software provider and get rewarded. In other words, such a system would help drive loyalty to software providers instead of gambling websites.

Online Security

Internet security is so vital that casinos can’t exist without it. So, it makes sense that it will continue to play a crucial role in advancing slots. Most online games are secured by RNG software, meaning they can’t be rigged.

However, more security measures are required to power casino sites and apps. Certificates such as SSL and PCI help attest that an operator is safe and can be trusted. In the future, there will probably be more advanced security measures to protect both casinos and players.