The Growth of Low-Value iGaming and Its Impact on the Industry

While the history of iGaming may be a relatively short one, it’s also seen many changes over the years. Most notably, the nature of the games themselves has changed. In the early days, they were, to put it bluntly, pretty basic. While this appealed to plenty of people, many more were put off by the simplistic graphics and clunky gameplay.

But, as a sector driven by technological advancement, things soon started to change. Games became more sophisticated, and even the concept of the live online casino was introduced using streaming tech to closely emulate playing in a brick-and-mortar establishment.

Currently valued at around $97 billion in terms of global revenue, it’s projected that by 2030 iGaming could be worth as much as $583.69 billion as more and more countries legalise the activity. However, while the size of the market may be growing, the over-reaching trend has been for players to use lower stakes as they indulge in a favourite activity.

What is Low-Value iGaming?

As yet, there has been no official definition by the sector to delineate what exactly low-value gaming represents. But it would be safe to say that it shows a tendency for players, when faced with the different options given by an iGaming site, to go for the minimum possible. This is why we are now seeing an increasing number of 1 dollar deposits at casinos to attract just these kinds of players.

Why has it become a trend?

There are several reasons why low-value gaming has become quite so dominant, and they arise from several motivations. Many of these are connected with the close links that have developed between the leisure gaming and iGaming sectors.

The rise of mobile play

The first of these has been the inexorable rise of mobile gaming. Ever since 2018, mobile gaming has been the dominant force. While not exactly leaving PC and console gaming out in the cold, it has altered players’ perceptions of what they should be paying to play.

With literally thousands of free games available to play online, this has definitely altered the traditional mindset that games are expensive to buy and play. This attitude has also come to prominence in the world of iGaming, and this has led players to question the amounts that they should be paying to play in casinos.

We have also seen a huge rise in the number of casinos that offer either free trials of games or ones that are permanently just played for fun. Another phenomenon has been the rise of the sweepstakes casino. In these, the stake money comes in the form of virtual currencies generally called something like Golden or Sweeps coins. With no monetary value themselves, they offer the ultimate in low-cost gaming – although, in some circumstances, winnings can be exchanged for cash.

More people are playing

Every year, more and more countries loosen their rules regarding iGaming. This means that there is an ever-broadening reach of people playing. Some of these will be high-rollers. But the vast majority will be people who see their time in an online casino as a chance to relax and enjoy themselves. The divisions between these groups mean that the overwhelming trend will be for more, lower-value gaming to take place.

iGaming’s role is changing

The knock-on effect of this is that the role that iGaming plays in many people’s lives is undergoing a fundamental change – and the key element is fun. Today, people don’t necessarily want to win life-changing amounts of money. They more likely want a little escapism from their day-to-day lives, and a quick game of slots, roulette, or blackjack fulfils this need. It also has to be considered in the context of the many other leisure options available, including music and video streaming services, which are generally fairly low-cost.

Then there’s the question of players’ increasing awareness of the importance of good bankroll management. Playing for lower stakes obviously has an effect on this, not least because it will allow for longer playing sessions with the same level of outlay as shorter, more expensive ones.

Games are changing too

The final piece in the jigsaw may be that the nature of many of the games offered is changing, too. An increasing number of online casinos now include “wheel of fortune” style games. For a small stake, a player stands the chance of winning a random prize, sometimes representing many multiples of their stake amount. Similarly, the rise of fast turnover and low-stakes games like bingo have also had an impact. What’s more, this is a trend that’s set to continue as more and more people are attracted to iGaming as a leisure activity.

So, it seems that when it comes to the future of the sector less really will be more.