If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few weeks, then you’ve undoubtedly heard of “Pokémon GO” – the latest mobile craze which sent millions of people out on the streets in search of rare Pokémon to add to their collections. To say that the game has been a massive success despite a myriad of server problems, glitches and missing features would be the understatement of the century – it seems like every time you go outside there’s at least one person quite obviously playing the game, their phone outstretched in front of them as they look at their map. It was so, successful, in fact, that after its release Nintendo’s stocks jumped by 25% – the biggest jump since 1983, when they pretty much revolutionized gaming with their NES, shaping the entire videogame industry after the infamous videogame crash earlier the same year. And the kicker? Nintendo didn’t even make the game – “Pokémon GO” was developed by former Google subsidiary Niantic. Hell, Nintendo don’t even own the company that makes the main “Pokémon” games (only a third of it), and yet they still somehow managed to earn over $7 billion in stocks alone.
We’ve got to face the reality that mobile gaming profits are slowly, but surely, catching up to online gambling in terms of profits, having surpassed it by popularity long ago. The numbers don’t lie – in 2016, all arms of online gambling across the globe (both on PC and on mobile) are expected to generate a total of $45 billion in revenue, while mobile games alone will likely generate $36 billion – but keep in mind, that estimate was made before the release of “Pokémon GO”, so honestly, my personal estimate would be closer to $40 billion. Obviously, mobile gaming is quickly catching up, attracting new players in ways that online gambling simply can not do. So maybe it’s time for a change. Perhaps online casinos should learn a thing or two from mobile games and attempt to improve themselves? After all, even the most informative online casino website can tell you that aside from some differences in interface they haven’t really changed all that much these past 10 years. But how?
First of all – it’s important to create a sense of community. One of the reasons why “Pokémon GO” is so successful is because it managed to bring people together. That’s no accident – the game was specifically designed with a great sense of community and real life interactions, with the inclusion of lure modules (which attract wild Pokémon, as well as other players, to your location) and gyms (which allow you to work with your team in order to battle the opponent’s Pokémon). Physical casinos also value real-life interaction a great deal – they’re very social spaces, and people rarely go there by themselves. However, that lack of community is simply not there in online casinos. There’s rarely a chat feature (and only a few games support it, if it’s even there), there’s no way to communicate with other players… It’s a very solitary experience, which isn’t what casino is about to many people. Perhaps if there was a way to engage with fellow players more, then more people would feel motivated to play?
Second – events. Many, many, MANY mobile games have incorporated the so-called “events”, which temporarily change the experience and add new things. For example, you could have a character that can only be unlocked for a limited amount of time, or some kind of bonus that will not be there this time next week. I’m not saying online casinos need to be THAT extreme, but events have been proven to work – TinyCo, the developers of “Avengers Academy”, made over $2 million in one month during their “Civil War” event. Maybe there could be a game that’s only available on certain days, thus stimulating gamblers to take advantage of it? Or perhaps there can be certain deposit bonuses in place which are only valid for a period of time before changing into something entirely different. The possibilities are right there – they just need to be explored!
In a few articles on this blog (past and future), you may spot sentences such as “[Casino Name] is definitely award-worthy”, or “[Casino Name] absolutely deserves any awards it gets”. Notice how this is different from a casino that is simply praise-worthy – no, here we’re talking about something more, something better. Many things can be praise-worthy. My office chair is praise-worthy – it’s soft, it’s comfortable, it does wonders for my back and I would recommend it to a friend who is in need of an office chair. Would I stamp it with an award, though? No, I would not. Online casinos operate on pretty much the same principle – the very best of the very best 
Online roulette is definitely one of the most popular games in the world of online casino. While slots are the undisputed victor when it comes to the preference of the general players who are mostly trying their luck at something that requires little effort and offers great rewards, the more hardcore gamblers who stay past their initial deposit tend to prefer the more elegant roulette. A long-standing staple of casinos across Europe, roulette has been loved by gamblers at least since the time of the French Revolution, and for good reason – it’s the excellent combination of skill and chance, allowing you to craft your own strategy while still leaving the outcome to chance. Many players are looking to switch from physical roulette to its online counterpart, but find trouble in doing so. Sure, finding the 
Africa is no stranger to casinos – a lot of major cities throughout the continent, such as Kampala, have at least one physical casino there, and that’s even without touching the fact that a lot of venues, such as bars and hotels, have their own in-house casinos to entertain the guests. With gambling laws which are so lax and allowing, it’s really no wonder that online casino is on its way to becoming a dominant force in the African market. In fact, while it’s generally difficult to estimate just how much it has grown over the last few years, the fact that online casino is set to have 
As you may already know, 
Microgaming has just turned into that little overachiever teacher’s pet who just had to graduate third grade with straight A’s while also winning the spelling bee and being featured on TV for helping the homeless. They’re not only successful – they’re so successful on so many levels that they just have to rub it in your silly face. To start off, they managed to win Innovator of the Year at the International Gaming Awards, which happened in the beginning of February. They managed to achieve this by creating the very first VR (virtual reality) casino game, a roulette simulation. With the advent of VR, it was only a matter of time before this technology began being used for casino games, and the award is probably going to stimulate both Microgaming and other developers to experiment a bit more with VR from now on.
Throughout my gambling years, there’s one thing I’ve always wondered – slots are meant to be played by adults, right? I mean, there’s actually a law prohibiting minors from playing them, and the average slot player is over 30, so why do the overwhelming majority look like they were designed for the 5-10 year old demographic? It’s insane! You’ve got slots like Kitty Glitter that are trying to take themselves seriously with pictures of cute cats and all! It’s insane! Well, Machine Gun Unicorn takes that concept and shatters it! You’ve got cute, little ponies that wouldn’t look out of place in a show like “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic”, except they’re brandishing bloody weapons and decapitating zombies. It’s so great! Combine that with a very nice RTP, awesome bonus features and a whole lot of polish being thrown into the slot overall, and you’ve got a winner! More like that, please! 
Siiiiiigh… I thought we’d moved past this already. Can’t the era of uninspired, zero-effort basic slots be over already? I mean, seriously, you guys, how many more slots based on a public domain concept with almost no features or personality are we going to have?!? You wanna make a successful slot? There’s no need for stuff like imagination or whatever, just pick a subject that’s somewhat relevant, but non-copyright infringing and then reskin the most basic slot you can find with that new theme, and you’re set! Seriously, as we all know, 
Hello, friends! I have finally gotten around to create my own blog and here I will give you a short introduction to what you will read about on this site. First, let my start by saying that this will be a blog about international casino awards, the operators that won them and what games and products they won them for. If, by any chance, you think this has nothing to do with you and it bears no relevance, let me tell you in all honesty, that you are mistaken. I will explain why.