Gambling And Technology: How They Co-Exist


You know that everything depends on technology these days, and gambling is no exception to the rule. With each step our civilization takes, new forms of gambling appear.

Since the technological progress was so rampant in the past 30 years, here’s a quick recap of what technology defined gambling in the past, what defines it now, and what can change it.


If you are passionate about slots, you probably know that the first slot machines were made possible with gears. We had gears for hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that we figured out you could make what is essentially a random number generator with them.

The first slot machines were dubbed one-armed bandits because of the lever you had to pull to start it. These machines were great for their time but presented a bit of awkwardness to the developers.

Because of the complex network of levers you had to create in order to make the machine work, the options in gameplay were rather limited. Think of any modern feature you can imagine. Stacked wilds, bonus rounds, wheel of fortune that appears if you gather the right symbols. All of this was made possible by the invention of modern electronics.

It allowed developers to create video slots that broke down less often and presented a greater potential for game features.

Surveillance cameras

Every casino is littered with surveillance cams. There are people watching you gamble day and night. Did they do it because of robberies? Nope. Here’s why there are so many surveillance cameras in casinos.

Since the invention of the concept of a game, there were people who cheated to win. Obviously, you can’t cheat openly, because your partners won’t like it. So they cheated in a sneaky way, and go away with a win. In the world of gambling, a win can mean a sum so big you won’t have to work a day in your life.

This attracted a lot of folks. Some of them counted cards in blackjack to know the chances of flopping on the next turn. Some found machines that were malfunctioning and took advantage of it.

This was largely ended with the progress in surveillance cameras manufacturing. Now the cameras know you’re cheating.

The Internet

When the Internet was invented, many things changed to the core. Gambling was one of them. While you had to travel to a casino to play, you could do it from your couch now.

This prompted many developers to adjust and start manufacturing online casino games, and many more people shifted to online.


Smartphones are in most households today. There are two billion people who own one. Some people only go online from their phones these days. This critical mass started to change the market for gambling.

All games have to be fast and work with most devices. This increased the amount of work the developers are doing, but it’s the requirement for high profits. The casino games themselves started to look a lot like the regular games, with graphics and animation evolving to match the customers’ standards.

Virtual Reality

VR is a technology that arguably revolutionized gaming, and is coming for gambling as well. The purpose of a regular PC game is to make the player feel as real in the game as possible. VR takes that to the next level.

The technology didn’t make a huge change in the gambling industry just yet, but we have to be ready for it. There are online slots in VR already. Famous slots developer Playtech already presented one and NetEnt just perfected one of the leading slots, Gonzo Quest, in the VR. Only time will tell what’s to come.

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