Give your players what they want or watch them walk away. The only problem? Keeping tabs on their desires.
In a way, online casino and sportsbook players never change. They want thrills and the chance to win some money. But in another way, they change all the time; today’s players might hardly bat an eye at games that got the adrenaline pumping decades ago.
To keep them coming back, you have to keep track of the latest trends they’re looking for. Here we’ll break down the key areas where player preferences are changing, from game types to personalized experiences to security.
Let’s dive in.
New era, new games
Casino experience is changing.
Some game themes are eternal. Fruit slots, for example, have been around since the beginning, and every year there is a new wave of mythology-themed slots that players just can’t get enough of.
On the other hand, though, there’s a growing number of players who want something new.
Live dealer games, which really took off during the pandemic, have held on to players’ loyalty. With a real dealer they can chat with (as well as chatting with the other players) and live proof that the game isn’t rigged, live dealer games have a lot to offer — and players are consistently responding well to studios’ new titles.
But even aside from that, player tastes are developing.
Crash games are going to keep rocketing skyward. There are a few things players like about crash games. First, the game mechanics are simple; once the game starts, players can put an end to the round at any time. As long as the round continues, the multiplier rises, but if it ends before they pull out, they lose everything.
Second, the fact that the player has power over when the game round ends gives them a greater feeling of control over the outcome. Players are coming to prefer elements of strategy instead of just relying on blind luck to tell them if they’ve won or lost. Games of pure luck are viewed with more and more cynicism. Instead, players want to be able to assess the situation, calculate odds, and decide what action to take — even if the action is as simple as pulling out of a crash game.
Overall, players are seeking out gaming experiences that are more involved than pushing a button and waiting to see if they win or lose. They want to strategize and make decisions, all while enjoying a more social experience (more on that later).
They want to pay on their own terms
When it comes to money moving back and forth, the bar is rising higher and higher when it comes to players’ expectations for speed and flexibility.
That not only means that funds should jump from one account to another in the blink of an eye, but that if they don’t, there simply won’t be another transaction. If the payment is dropped, if there’s a glitch, if anything unexpected happens, they’re perfectly happy to move on to another casino.
Players also fully expect that casinos and sportsbooks offer their payment method of choice. With the sheer number of accounts that modern consumers have to set up, no one is interested in filling in more forms to get the payment method a casino requires. Instead, brands have to go out of their way to research their target market and accept the credit cards, e-wallets, bank transfers, and whatever else that players already use.
The big standout in today’s iGaming industry when it comes to payments is cryptocurrencies. From bigger coins like bitcoin and ethereum to meme coins, more and more players are preferring the speed, security, and anonymity that cryptocurrencies offer.
Offer your players over 150 payment options from more than 30 payment providers in over 150 crypto and fiat currencies with our Moneygrator payment solution. Find out more here.
Tailored everything
Personalization is becoming the new baseline when it comes to players’ expectations.
In the past, brands that could offer tailored bonuses were viewed as going above and beyond. As we move deeper into the age of AI, though, yesterday’s “above and beyond” is today’s “barely enough.” Consumers of all kinds are well aware of the powers of artificial intelligence and machine learning, so by this point, failing to personalize the casino experience looks like a deliberate choice.
While players often have their favorites and stick to them, they’re coming to expect game recommendations that make sense to them. On a broader level, players need to see game offerings that match with the local tastes of their region.
A few years ago, players would have been surprised and gratified to get a bonus after they’ve had a run of bad luck. In 2025, though, they’re more likely to be annoyed and disappointed if no such bonus appears.
The road to proper personalization starts with segmentation — read more about how to segment players in this pdf.
Safety first
Responsible gambling is a prominent issue in the iGaming industry.
Online casino and sportsbook brands gather at summits, exchanging ideas with each other and connect with regulators to find the best way to keep gambling safe and fun.
The industry is making headway when it comes to fighting unfortunate stigmas. Part of that fight is not only ensuring that players have safe recourse if they feel they’re developing a problem — self-exclusion options, for example — but making those efforts loud and clear so players know which brands they can trust.
Esports reign supreme
Punters around the world have made esports betting a $2.5 billion industry.
Tournaments of popular games like Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Call of Duty, and DOTA 2 have huge, multi-million-dollar prize pools.
Esports have always featured similar kinds of bets to traditional sports, like over/unders, moneyline, etc. And like traditional sports betting, they’re also seeing a sharp rise in in-play betting.
Subathons, extended gaming sessions streamed by influencers, are meant to grow the influencers’ subscriber list. But they also happen to generate plenty of betting opportunities, on both in-play events and final results.
Sportegrator is a complete solution for online sportsbooks, featuring live odds on hundreds of sports and thousands of events — including esports. Find out more here.
Ethical consumers
Modern consumers have high expectations.
Buyers of all kinds don’t just want to exchange money for goods or services; they want to be part of a transaction that aligns with their beliefs. Members of Generation Z in particular are willing to pay more for brands that align with their values.
Consumers of all stripes are more likely than in the past to pay attention to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, and would rather spend their money with companies that have sterling reputations or otherwise give back to the community.
Transparency and security
There’s a growing emphasis among players on transparency and security. Obviously, seeing the insignia of a regulator or independent testing lab on a site can reassure players. But taking someone’s word is never as good as seeing the proof yourself.
Transparency is paramount in 2025. There’s always been a certain amount of wariness towards online casinos, despite the extensive efforts on the part of the industry to demonstrate that online casino games are trustworthy. However, there’s nothing better than visible proof.
That’s where blockchain tech comes in. Cryptocurrencies are the most prominent application of blockchain text, but they’re not the only one. As a shared ledger of data that cannot be tampered with or falsified, blockchain tech provides a secure and transparent way to share and store data.
One popular application in iGaming is provably fair gaming, which has seen a rapid rise in popularity since being introduced a few years ago. Through the use of smart contracts, players can verify that the game results were not interfered with by the casino.
If it seems unnecessary, it’s not. It’s simply the newest level of trust that players have come to expect, and before long it could easily come to be a basic expectation for all online casino games.
Friends who play together stay together
People go online for everything.
The internet is the first port of call for shopping, research, following the news, being entertained, and — above all — connecting with people.
The internet has become a prime site of socialization, especially among younger generations, who increasingly prefer meeting online to doing so in real life. For casino players, the obvious implication is that they are coming to expect the ability to interact with other players online. While social elements have long been a special feature for some games, players no longer view them as an extra.
Younger players are more likely to view casino gaming as a way to spend time with their friends, instead of focusing on the gaming itself. As such, the ability to chat in-game, the presence of leaderboards, and other social elements are becoming a key feature that they can’t do without.
Give your players what they want
Our game aggregation solution APIgrator offers over 30,000 games from more than 180 providers with just one contract and session of integration.
Slotegrator’s turnkey online casino platform has all the back-office modules you need to offer your players the casino gaming experience they’re looking for. We also have a full range of other solutions that are ideal for the modern iGaming audience. Contact us for a free consultation to find out how we can help you launch your iGaming business.
