Industry News

4 Challenges the Online Betting and Gaming Industry Will Face in the 2020s

Published

6 years ago

January 7, 2020

Photo source: casinodope.com

Estimates will always vary, but there are some predictions that the online betting and gaming industry will more than double in size from the period of 2017-2024, with all online gambling-related activities almost reaching the $100 billion mark globally 2025.

That’s incredible growth for an industry that is relatively mature. But we can speculate that many outliers will have an impact, such as the liberalization of gambling laws on a state by state basis in the United States, and the clarifying of laws in countries like Finland and Germany.

However, while the growth is nevertheless a reason for the industry to celebrate, there are several areas that will present challenges to betting and gaming worldwide as we enter the next decade. We look at some of those below:

Cryptocurrency

Yes, there are countless ‘bitcoin casinos’ out there. But we also know that regulators – and governments – don’t like the idea of a marriage between cryptocurrency and gaming sites. In the end, it all boils down to transparency, and crypto is seen as the antithesis of the recent drives for KYC (know your customer) policies and anti-fraud measures. A lot will depend on the mainstreaming of cryptocurrency, perhaps driven by Facebook’s Libra coin. The MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) is exploring the viability of crypto through its Sandbox Framework, but one suspects that it will be more than a few years before we see the ubiquitous use of cryptocurrency at casinos.

Regulation

Obviously, a difficult subject to cover as different countries will have varied legal restrictions on marketing and advertising. Yet, so many national parliaments have at least proposed regulations that look like they could hamstring the industry in terms of how it markets itself. The UK Labour Party, for instance, has called for incredibly tough measures, including the introduction of minimum bet amounts and an extension of KYC policies. Some regulation and help for responsible gambling would be welcome, of course, as is regulatory clarity, but the industry will need to work with regulators to ensure that it doesn’t go too far.

Millennials

Despite the growth figures mentioned earlier, the challenges to get millennials playing at land-based and online casinos remaining. Sure, plenty of under 35s will log in to casino.com to play the roulette tables or have an online punt on the Premier League, but the challenge to get millennials interested in classic games and events like horse racing will undoubtedly give operators sleepless nights. A lot of talk has occurred over the idea of merging the world of video games and competitive casino play, perhaps harnessing the incredible popularity of games like Fortnite and certain eSports and crossing them over to casinos. It’s an interesting concept, and it’s completely foreseeable that we will see monetized video games sitting proudly beside the classic table and card games in the near future.

The eSports arena opens at UCI.photo: steve zylius/UCI

Green Issues

It’s almost guaranteed that every industry on the planet is set to face more scrutiny on its carbon footprint. Tech companies, of all types, usually escape such scrutiny, as there are more apparent culprits for campaigners to turn their ire upon. The online gaming industry can certainly point to its green superiority over the land-based industry, albeit many resorts are trying to make changes, but it still takes a lot of energy to run a popular website. Statistics aren’t available for casino games specifically, but the carbon dioxide emissions of playing video games online are said to be equivalent to the emissions of millions of cars. This is obviously not an issue related to online gaming specifically, but that doesn’t make it any less pressing to address.

AI

Blacklyte unveils AI-powered desktop gaming “Teammate” companion

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

blacklyte-unveils-ai-powered-desktop-gaming-“teammate”-companion

Blacklyte has announced the Blacklyte AI Teammate, an AI-powered desktop gaming companion the company says is designed to react to gameplay and provide coaching-style assistance. Blacklyte said the product will be shown in base colors at LVL UP EXPO.

According to the company, the AI Teammate can guide players through levels, provide feedback on playstyle, and suggest alternative moves based on analysis of in-game decisions and potential outcomes. Blacklyte positions the device as a desk-based companion that integrates with its broader lineup of desks, chairs, and accessories.

“We at Blacklyte are excited to bring the Blacklyte AI Teammate to life. By creating this new desktop teammate, we are giving people a new way to connect with games. The Blacklyte AI Teammates are not just another robot; they are true partners who understand gamers, games, and how to get the win.” said Alex Liu, Blacklyte Founder and CEO. “Beyond gaming, the Blacklyte AI Teammate is a true partner who supports, adapts, and upgrades their new owner’s life. They are always there when needed, on the desk, in a game, and beyond.”

On hardware, Blacklyte said the device has a silicone body with a steel core for poseability and an LED face screen intended to display emotions and responses. The company said it connects to PCs through the Blacklyte app available on the Apple and Play Store, with the app supporting controls and firmware updates. Blacklyte also said additional colors and collaborations are planned in the future.

The post Blacklyte unveils AI-powered desktop gaming “Teammate” companion appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Andrew Cardno

Quick Custom Intelligence Launches QCI Metrics

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

quick-custom-intelligence-launches-qci-metrics

Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) a leading provider of casino operational intelligence software, announced the launch of QCI Metrics, a new anonymized data-sharing program that enables gaming and hospitality operators to benchmark performance using yesterday’s operating data—providing timely, actionable insights without exposing customer, financial, or personally identifiable information. This innovative solution extends beyond gaming machine ranking into host performance standardization.

Available through the Chatalytics.com portal and integrated into the QCI Platform, QCI Metrics transforms operational data—including game performance and host effectiveness—into standardized performance indexes.

While traditional benchmarking solutions rely on limited datasets or delayed reporting cycles, QCI Metrics delivers insights based on yesterday’s data—giving operators a timely, continuously updated view of how they are performing against peers across both gaming and player development.

All data shared in QCI Metrics is:

• Aggregated and normalized

• De-identified

• Abstracted at the property level using internal IDs

No transaction-level, player-level, or campaign-level data is ever shared.

“QCI Metrics gives operators the ability to see how they stack up against peers across player development and gaming in near-time, without compromising privacy. It’s a practical, secure way to unlock industry-wide insights,” said Andrew Cardno, Co-Founder and CTO of QCI.

QCI Metrics is designed to help operators quickly identify performance gaps, respond faster to trends, and adopt proven strategies in a highly competitive environment.

The post Quick Custom Intelligence Launches QCI Metrics appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Industry News

RAW iGaming unveils RAW Riches: A site-wide progressive jackpot overlay built for scale

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

Wladimir P.

raw-igaming-unveils-raw-riches:-a-site-wide-progressive-jackpot-overlay-built-for-scale

RAW iGaming announces today the launch of RAW Riches, a site-wide progressive jackpot overlay designed to deliver jackpot moments without adding operational complexity.

Launching as part of the RAWVerse ecosystem, RAW Riches introduces a new approach to jackpots, prioritising seamless integration, player engagement, and operator control.

A fully embedded experience

RAW Riches introduces a multi-tier progressive jackpot layer deployable across an operator’s entire portfolio, regardless of game supplier. Unlike traditional jackpot mechanics that require separate integrations or fragmented systems, RAW Riches operates as a fully embedded experience within the operator’s brand, creating a single, unified jackpot.

Tom Wood, CEO of RAW iGaming, said: “The industry built jackpots in silos. We built one that connects everything.

“RAW Riches gives operators a site-wide jackpot running across every entity and every game supplier, configured to their exact needs and brand, all from a single solution.

“We pride ourselves on producing the industry’s most distinctive and disruptive game concepts and RAW Riches is no different.

“This is the kind of product that changes how operators think about jackpots entirely.”

A seamless player experience

Players opt in and continue playing as normal. When triggered, the jackpot experience takes over instantly. Every trigger results in a win, with no losing outcomes, before the player is returned to their original game to continue playing.

Scaleable without complexity

RAW Riches solves one of the industry’s most persistent operational challenges in scaling jackpots across multiple providers, brands, and markets. Key features include: