2012 Online Casino Predictions
Posted in Uncategorized on February 16th, 2012 by richard – Be the first to comment
The online gambling industry went through an incredible amount of change during 2011, predominantly due to the actions of the US DOJ. And for the most part it was a challenging year for players and online casino alike. In many cases such challenging times bring big opportunity for those willing to take it. We look into our crystal ball and see 2012 as the year of opportunity and it’s appearing to be an exciting year ahead.
Mobile Casinos
We think this is finally the year. The combination of the widespread use of smart phones, consolidation of operating systems (which makes it easier for online casinos to develop their products for mass markets), faster networks and better data usage rates has finally come together. People are spending more time on their mobile devices and the online casinos are looking to cash in. Some casino software companies have already released their products and they look sharp (especially on tablet devices). Expect to see more games and better products released during 2012!
Regulations in US
The clarification by the US DOJ on the 1961 Wire Act has opened the doors; which should come in the form of state by state regulation. We should see states such as Iowa, Nevada and New Jersey first out of the gate, with others like California soon to follow. The fragmented approach will most likely mean different rules for each state and could results in some challenges as they each get off the ground. But on a whole, the online casinos that you’re playing today could be vastly different than what you’ll see at the end of 2012.
Casino Joint Ventures
The big online casinos and gambling companies in Europe have been dying to enter the US market since they left after the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) in 2006. When regulation happens, many expect that existing casinos or tribal groups will be first in line for licenses; however they lack online experience. The European online casinos, have that necessary experience and it seems like a match made in heaven. Expect to see some of the most respected European gambling companies accepting US players in some fashion soon.
Reliance on Casino Reviews
There’s a huge reliance on peer reviews when it comes to travel, electronics and a whole host of other online purchasing decisions. Online casino players on the other hand rely mostly on opinions from webmasters who can be influenced by commercial agreements. Most online casino searches result in review pages and top 10 lists that are old, outdated and lack real experiences. We think that’s going to change, and here’s why: In 2011 Google made dramatic changes to the way they rank websites with more of an emphasis on quality content, social signals and a whole host of other factors that reward websites that offer value to their users. Real casino reviews fit perfectly into that category and expect to see more of them ranking higher when you’re looking for information about which online casino to choose.
More US Online Casinos
The events of Black Friday shook the online gambling community to the core, resulting in many online casinos to question their stance in accepting US players. We saw many big groups close their casino operations and leave. This has left a big void in terms of options for casino players and now that some time has passed there are groups looking to get in. Some would say the risk is high, but the reward is massive at a time like this as well with casino players looking for other options. New online casinos always have a question about their reliability so make sure to check what others are saying with our peer written casino reviews.
There you have it, our predictions for 2012. It’s always fun writing predictions and seeing how they stack up against what really happens; especially in such a unique and ever evolving industry like online casinos. Do you have any predictions for 2012? Share them today in our comments below.



It was reported in late July that the Bodog brand would no longer be accepting US players as of December 31st, 2011. Since then, Bodog has made efforts to clarify to their customers what this will exactly mean and how they will be (or won’t be) effected. Every single public statement that has been made by Bodog about shutting down has echoed the same sentiment; it’s just a name change. But for arguably one of the largest online gambling brands in the US to walk away from years and millions spent on branding there must be a reason. We’ll look at some questions that have come from such a decision and how we think players will be impacted.





