Finding entertainment at online casinos is recent, but gambling, in one form or another, has been with humanity for over 4,000 years. From playing dice in ancient China to around cockfights in Greece around 500 BC. Heavily supported by the state, lotteries between the late 15th and mid-16th centuries provided funds for the water supply of London, salaries of civil servants, and even the colonization of the Americas. For millennia, people have enjoyed betting, gaming, and trying their luck, but most of that was done in person until recently. Latest casino sites in New Zealand use this.

Diverse payment options… and cryptocurrencies

Not so long ago, cash ruled the gambling industry, but now players can pay using a credit card or a prepaid card. They can even try betting with a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express credit card. Transactions often don't go through because banks are quite conservative about allowing deposits for gambling. Given this scenario, providing credit information may not also be a wise decision. Some players opt to load money into a prepaid card, which will help protect their financial information and put a limit on their spending. But these very same cards would work in many different jurisdictions a gamer is playing in.

Blockchain technology

Blockchain is an open source, distributed ledger that records transactions, whether of tangible goods or digital, including those made in cryptocurrency. These records are maintained on computers that are connected together without central authority. The decentralized network of blockchain platforms bring more transparency into cryptocurrencies while still securing sensitive information of the players. Since cryptocurrencies grant players permission to play anonymously, blockchain technology can keep the record of each player's wins, losses, and payout. The public game record is immutable and inherently builds integrity into the system from the outset.

Smartphones

Smartphones are now a necessity in today's society, enabling people to call their loved ones or keep in touch with the news, shop-and even gamble. The use of smartphones began with the introduction of iPhones in 2007. By 2020, 78% of the world had access to a smartphone. Players could now place bets and easily play whatever games they like anywhere in the world with cellphone signal. The COVID-19 pandemic only played its part in accelerating the popularity of smartphone gambling. Some gamblers, who would otherwise have taken trips into a casino to place their bets, chose instead to play games from the relative safety of their homes.

Smartwatches

If smartphones are not mobile enough, what of a smartwatch? A smartwatch—a wearable type of computer that resembles a regular wristwatch, only with the addition of features one may find in a smartphone: the ability to check one's email, receive phone calls, and run applications; some of these applications even being those which cover gambling. Some operators have gone as far as to provide apps that enable betting; however, their use has not yet been really exploited by the industry.

Fingerprint logins

As online gambling keeps rising, security is becoming a greater concern. Increasingly, proving a player is who they say they are is becoming an integral part of the process. One of those ways is literally at the player's fingertips-a fingerprint login. Fingerprint biometric is a technology that allows people access into online services using images of their fingerprints. This type of biometric authentication is something that has enabled such online gambling to be more secure because the biometric data is so difficult to duplicate.

Two-factor authentication

Doubling the locks is another way of adding protection, and that's just what two-factor authentication does. A gamer who has enabled two-factor authentication will log into an online portal using two different verification forms, normally a password followed by a security question or confirming login from yet another device owned by him or her. The extra barrier is set up so that while a thief could most probably access the account, he or she would barely, if ever, get through to the player's personal and financial information.

3D slots

Technology has not only improved the security of online gambling but has also heightened online casino excitement since the days of the traditional slots. From a lever-pulling simple game of chance, it has become quite the cinematic experience.

Unlike conventional slot machines, which players mindlessly crank for hours on end, 3D technology brings more eye candy to the whole experience by incorporating more impressive graphics and story elements in the similar way video games are. With winning combinations would come a chance for a short cinematic clip that could show flying through the desert or perhaps even unlock bonus play like additional gladiator fights. This immerses players into a feeling of progress through an experience rather than just grinding away at slots.

Cloud services/cloud gaming

Cloud refers to online services that are not anchored to a specific location or hardware. A cloud-based service allows for gambling from any location or device—be it a smartphone, tablets, or laptops—connected to the internet. Players no longer buy a disc or downloads the program to their computers, as they can directly go to an operator's website and play online within seconds.

Live casino games

The thrill of playing table games in Las Vegas or New Jersey is like a dream come true; however, in case of lack of funds for a trip, live casino games are an almost perfect alternative. A dealer and his table are filmed in a remote studio, and a broadcast is made through live streaming onto the computer screens of players. Each played physical card appears up on the screen of the player, whereby they can signal which card or cards they would like to put into play. Further, the sound and chat features recreate the social dimension of a gambling setting. Common live casino games include blackjack, roulette, and baccarat.

VR/metaverse

Next step from live casinos are the virtual reality casinos and meta-verse games that take players to the extreme. Inside this kind of casino, players can have a seat at a table, stroll through in the hallways, and interact with other players just as if in a real physical space, with special headsets, glasses, or gloves that have sensors. Being a digital world, a poker or blackjack game can instead be set in a created environment (again, think video games).