The cloud has taken over the task of running software for a wide range of purposes, many of them related to productivity and business activities. However, this tech is also increasingly responsible for dishing out cutting-edge entertainment experiences, as evidenced by the prevalence of server-side gaming in the online casino industry.

This is particularly true of the burgeoning iGaming scene in Canada, where a combination of progressive regulations and convenient HTML5-powered virtual casino services continues to push the market forward. Here’s a look at why it makes sense for operators in this space to ditch local clients and go all-in on the cloud.

Hardware & OS Agnosticism

One of the main problems with the traditional approach to locally installed software is that it can run into all sorts of compatibility issues. From the operating system to the input method and even the chipset, the potential for one or more aspects of an end user’s device to compromise the experience was huge.

Now, sites that let you play online slots are built to run on virtually any hardware and OS. As long as the gadget is relatively modern, has an internet connection and a web browser with HTML5 support, games should run fairly seamlessly.

It’s not just online casinos that are grasping this opportunity. The wider HTML5 gaming market is valued at $6.02 billion and is growing at 6.34% annually. Being able to serve the widest possible market through hardware- and OS-agnosticity baked into every cloud service is a key catalyst.

Connection Speed & Software Performance

The rise of 5G connectivity in Canada is another motivating factor behind the increased adoption of HTML5 clouds by online casinos. 75% of the population is now served by this high speed form of mobile networking, which makes it much more viable to enjoy server-side gaming while on the go.

4G networking is arguably quick enough to handle this same type of experience, and that has an even healthier 91% coverage rate, so even those with older handsets aren’t excluded.

Then there’s the speed of the software itself. If the majority of the number crunching takes place server-side, then even phones, tablets, and laptops with weaker chipsets can run the latest and greatest slots and table games smoothly. The limiting factor is connection speed, not local clock cycles or video memory.

Updates & Security

The final point to make about the proliferation of HTML5 clouds for online casino gaming in Canada and other markets is that this gives platform providers greater control. If they want to roll out software updates, make changes to how individual games operate, or do any other behind-the-scenes tinkering, they don’t need to require each user to download a patch to their device. This is good for all parties, particularly because it also means avoiding the obstacles associated with issuing software via app stores, as was the norm in the pre-cloud era.

This degree of control also has security benefits. When the software largely remains server-side, it’s much harder for malicious third parties to mess with it, whether their aim is to exploit individual players or cheat the entire casino company.

The Last Word

There are so many upsides and so few drawbacks to converting online casino experiences in Canada to the cloud that this changeover is effectively inevitable, and has already been completed by the country’s most prominent gambling operators.

The same trend has taken hold worldwide, with HTML5 gaming making more sense than any local client. It’s just one small slice of the vast cloud market, but it showcases the potency of prioritizing server-side software hosting.