David Natroshvili, founder of SPRIBE, the company behind Aviator, assesses the state of play for online casinos as we come to the end of 2024

For me, 2024 will go down as the year that changed the game for online casinos.

Over the past 12 months, a revolution has swept across the market in a way we’ve not seen before. From the games players play to the ways they pay, things are changing and they are changing fast.

Slots no longer dominate game lobbies and where once players used to prefer to deposit with debit cards, it’s now crypto such as Bitcoin and Ether.

The companies providing the games players play have changed, too, with some now considered among the most innovative technology and entertainment companies on the planet.

This includes SPRIBE, the company I founded.

So, what have been the biggest changes we’ve seen in 2024 and what impact have they had on the sector? Let’s get into it.

Slots no longer dominate game lobbies:

For many years, it’s been blockbuster slots from the top-tier providers that have dominated online casino game lobbies and certainly topped the player charts.

But that’s not the case anymore.

Increasingly, players are being drawn to non-traditional content in the form of Mines, Hi-Lo, Goal, Plinko and of course, Crash.

SPRIBE developed the original crash game, Aviator, which now has more than 42 million monthly players across the 4,500+ online casinos that offer it.

For those that give it a full marketing push at launch, it can account for more than 10% of total casino GGR – a remarkable figure when you think about it.

Online casinos must now offer non-traditional games if they are to engage Millennial and Gen Z players, but also meet the changing preferences of existing players.

Crash games in particular have broad appeal because of the fast-paced big risk/big reward gameplay. That Aviator is multiplayer and packed with social interaction has also been key to its success.

It’s why they are so popular with all player types and why titles such as Aviator can have a direct and significant impact on casino GGR.

Crypto casinos setting the standard for others to follow:

Aviator gets much of its DNA from the fascinating world of crypto casinos which continue to push boundaries when it comes to engaging with players and the experiences they deliver.

Regulators remain cautious when it comes to crypto, but you only need to look at the runaway success of the biggest crypto casinos to see consumer demand is incredibly strong.

Crypto casinos gave birth to non-traditional content, wrapping gambling elements around popular video games such as Minesweeper and for me, they continue to set the benchmark.

Not only that, but these casinos understand how to connect with players where their attention can be found – streaming, social media, etc – and have such powerful brand values and identities.

Then of course you have the way crypto is connected to the entire experience, and how these operators have ensured the smoothest UX.

Traditional online casinos need to take note and step up to the mark being set or risk losing more players to these brands.

Game providers entering multi-million-dollar marketing partnerships:

One of the biggest changes for me has been how studios are now directly marketing their games to players – again, this is something we have pioneered with Aviator.

This includes our first-of-its-kind partnership with the UFC which sees the Aviator logo appear inside the Octagon at Fight Night and PPC events.

It also created a brand ambassador fund which allows us to run marketing campaigns with superstar athletes such as Alex Pereira.

Other studios – I won’t say who – have entered similar deals but not quite to the same degree. We are also close to unveiling another major deal in the coming weeks.

These marketing deals drive huge awareness for Aviator and ultimately mean operators must add it to their lobbies to meet player demand.

So, there you have it – this is how the game has changed for online casinos in 2024, and I expect the pace of evolution to be just as fast in the coming 12 months.