Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Aug 31, 2026

Betting has been one of our favourite activities for centuries, with people eager to wager on what they predict will happen when dice are thrown, wheels are spun, and so on. For most of human history, it was an extremely low-tech activity that relied on everyone being in the same room. While those games still exist in much the same form, it’s become far easier to engage with them, thanks to the following key innovations.
A vastly wider range of games represents the biggest change in casinos since they went online. While casinos were always limited due to their physical space in the past, the switch to online sites allowed operators to greatly increase their collection of games. This began with the introduction of more classic games, such as roulette and blackjack, which were usually very similar to the traditional versions.
However, leading game developers have taken our favourites in new directions since then. The Sportaza online casino contains a huge variety of slots, such as Royal Coins by ELA Games, Chicken Road 2.0 by InOut, and 3 Million BC by Betsoft. These games take the tried and trusted slots mechanism from the past and add new themes. Features such as jackpots and bonus rounds have been added to create more varied gameplay too.
In terms of table games, the biggest change has been implemented through livestreaming technology, which allows casinos to host online games with live presentation. A group of 4K cameras is typically used to provide different camera angles that the player can choose from, giving a smooth, uninterrupted view of the action at all times. In some cases, augmented reality is added, meaning that the cards and chips on the screen move between digital and real life. The Google AR & VR page explains how these technologies fit together.
This has led to classic table games being reimagined with new features, such as multipliers and side bets. It’s also given us game shows including Candy Wheel, Football Thrill, and Robin the Fair. These games introduce giant wheels, slots rounds, and other types of props to let players place varied wagers in a live setting.
The integration of different types of betting on the same site has been another huge change in the way we gamble. Sports betting has always been about wagers placed before the action begins, which are then settled once the final result is known. When online sports betting began, it followed this same process. However, the work carried out to integrate live scores and updates onto the same sites as casinos has allowed sportsbooks to now provide live betting.
This means that fans can bet on games and events as they take place, predicting what happens next based on what they see happening at the time. This has fundamentally changed the way we place sports wagers.
It works through advanced APIs that integrate live event data. Automated risk engines look at the data and adjust the odds instantly to take into account the flow of the action. The other major change has come with the way that users can choose whether to cash out early. This can be done in those cases where a cashout price is shown during the game, so that users can decide whether it makes sense to accept that price or wait for the event to end.
Modern players don’t want to wait days or weeks for transfers to go through, which was one of the issues that held back the early online betting industry. Therefore, casinos now put their cashier experience as one of the most important parts of the overall site performance. This can be done thanks to the fact that several fintech innovations have helped make it a lot easier to move funds back and forth.
Digital wallets were among the earliest of the changes that were introduced to this sector, with the likes of Skrill and Neteller proving popular in North America. Canadians have also benefited from the introduction of Interac, which allows almost instant transfers to and from bank accounts. Interac is a decentralized interbank clearing network. In other countries, open banking allows users to easily move funds when they want to gamble.
The different types of innovation that have led to these changes have made it far easier for people to enjoy online gambling. As the industry carries on growing, we can expect to see more new technology and ideas being used. If you just want to spin some slots or put some chips on the blackjack table, the good news is that innovations in fintech and beyond make this super easy to do from your own home.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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