ICE 2024 Recap: What’s Next for Gaming and Bitcoin Casinos?

The final ICE showcase in London has finished, and while it’s sad to see the end of an era, I know many of my friends in the industry are excited for Barcelona in 2025. Per my previous post, I was unfortunately not able to attend. However, my friends and colleagues who could attend sent me a number of photos and filled me in on everything I missed out on. I’m sure this is just the tip of the iceberg, but I wanted to share with you some exciting things we can expect from top game providers and Bitcoin casinos this year based on what I learned.

• New Live Casino Games: A number of new game providers are attempting to enter the fray, and our standard-bearers are releasing some new games you might be excited about.
• Improved Mobile Play: More crypto players are playing on their phones at Bitcoin casinos than ever before. And game providers are building this into their technology to bring you a more streamlined way to play.
• More Customization: Freedom of choice is the year’s theme for 2024, and we can expect this from game providers and casinos alike. 

From the latest trends to the innovative strides of industry giants, there’s much to uncover and anticipate. Join me as we take a deeper look into these exciting developments, exploring the trends and innovations that are set to redefine the gaming landscape in 2024 and beyond.

New Live Casino Games

Jumanji – The Bonus Level by Playtech

I’m super pumped to play this new game set to be released this year!

It’s no surprise to me that I heard Playtech was pushing their new Jumanji Live game. I am personally very excited about playing this game as soon as it gets its full release! There are numerous bonus rounds, and they hit so often that it keeps the game’s pace more exciting than many other live casino games. It’s themed around the newer films starring Dwayne Johnson, so this game is definitely aimed to appeal to a younger demographic of players. 

Find the full list of live casino games by Playtech at the following BCK-recommended casinos

• Trust Dice
• Spin Samurai
• Winz.io

New Evolution Live Casino Games

Shout out to my friends at Evolution for sending over a demo video of Lightning Storm for me to watch.

Additionally, Evolution was in attendance to promote a couple of new games they are expecting to release this summer. One of these games, Lightning Storm, I’m really excited about. And I WISH I could have been there in person to learn more about it. Based on what limited information I can find, it appears to be a wheel of fortune game with bonus rounds. However, it seems like there are various bonus rounds that are set to hit more often than your average Evolution game. The theme of the game is also intriguing to me, as it appears to be based on Frankenstein’s lab, and you get to build your own monster. 

The other game that was mentioned to me is something called Balloon Race, and I’m much less excited about this one. For starters, you must qualify to play the main game (similar to Crazy Coin Flip). This game might appeal to slot players looking for something new, but it’s not for me. 

Play Evolution games at these great casino sites now.

• mBit Casino
• FortuneJack
• Wild.io

New Twists on Classic Games

Demo art of Fantastique World by Eeze.

As more players continue to gravitate towards live casino games, it’s not surprising to learn that there are more new names entering the fray. However, don’t expect anything truly innovative from these new game providers just yet. Instead, we can expect to find new themes and twists to games we are already familiar with. 

• Cabaret Roulette by Winfinity: This game is similar to Lightning Roulette in that you can win massive multipliers with every spin. However, the setting and theme for this live roulette variant is the Moulin Rouge, which is sure to appeal to a number of players.
• Fortune Pusher by Ezugi: Ezugi apparently had a number of arcade-style games on display at ICE 2024, one of which was Fortune Pusher. This game is designed like the arcade games of old, where you would insert your coins in hopes of pushing more over the edge to collect them. 
• Fantastique World by Eeze: This is a new wheel of fortune live casino game featuring a 3D fantasy world. While the game mechanics may not offer much in terms of innovation, the stunning visuals should be more than enough to draw a number of players. 

Slots Highlight – Aztec Clusters by BGaming

Aztec Clusters by BGaming is live now!

Because BGaming is one of the most popular game providers at top Bitcoin casinos, I did ask a couple of my friends to check in on them at ICE 2024 to see what they were showcasing. Their big thing this year was presenting their new slot game, Aztec Clusters. Why this game? It required a lot of work to make. In fact, the team at BGaming analyzed over 10,000 hours of streamers to bring us this new slot. This game is purposefully designed to bring players everything we love rolled up into one perfect slot. So, I feel like we have to check it out!

Here’s what Aztec Clusters bring us:

• A 6×8 layout that uses the cluster pays mechanic.
• Numerous multipliers in the base and bonus games.
• A Dig-Up feature that will trigger other random features:
  • Sticky Wilds
  • Scatter Symbols
  • Multiplier Boosters
  • Symbol Destroyers
• The freedom to spin how you prefer:
  • Choose regular spins
  • Add sticky wilds to every spin
  • Use the bonus buy feature

I love the amount of thought that has gone into this game, and it’s great to see a game provider like BGaming work so hard to create slots tailor-made for players based on our preferences. 

You can play Aztec Clusters now at these BTC casino sites.

• BitStarz
• CoinPlay
• Stake

Improved Mobile Play

Mobile play at Bitcoin casinos has never been better!

One game provider that is proving to make a name for itself is Galaxsys. They were apparently at ICE 2024 to promote their new Ninja Crash game. I wasn’t familiar with this game or the game provider, but my friends told me that I had to test it out. Based on the name, I was expecting your typical crash game. However, that’s not what I got. Instead, it’s a multiplier game where are slicing through desserts to increase your multiplier. If the dessert you slash is a 0x, your game ends. In Crash Ninja, YOU ARE THE NINJA. You will tap or click (based on the device you are using) to slash through the fruits. 

This game is what I mean when I talk about taking casino gaming innovation to the next level. While you can play on your laptop or PC, it’s ideal for mobile play. You can easily tap the fruits and desserts on your device. I personally play a number of mobile games that are similar to this on my phone, so it makes sense that casino games would bring this technology in as well. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen this game provider listed at any Bitcoin casinos yet. But it’s new, and with a game like this, I’m sure we will start seeing them appear soon.

More Customization

Huge shout out to my two friends sending me pics and info on this!

The final big thing my friends and colleagues were talking about from ICE 2024 was the name GT Studios. Again, this wasn’t a name I was familiar with, but everyone was excited to explain to me how this technology will be a game changer at Bitcoin casinos this year. The main buzzword I heard from everyone was customization. So, I did a little research to learn more about what exactly they were talking about. 

According to the only press release I could find, “GT Studios takes pride in offering exclusive games meticulously designed to provide a tailored iGaming experience.” That flowery language still seems rather vague. However, a couple of my friends sent me pictures of their booth at ICE 2024 to give me a better idea of what they mean. The way it was explained to me was that via this gaming technology, you can create your very own avatar – gender, skin color, apparel, etc. From the image, they remind me of Mii characters back in the day. 

However, this is exactly what a number of casino sites will be looking for when it comes to the current gamification trend. Create your own unique BitStarz avatar, unique to you, wearing BitStarz apparel, etc. Level up in the VIP program to earn a special costume. Climb to the top of the leaderboard challenge to claim a one-of-a-kind frame for your avatar. These concepts of customization, gamification, and freedom of choice for players are the hottest trends I’m seeing right now at casino sites. So, I’m really interested to see how this type of technology will be incorporated into our gameplay. 

Final Thoughts

Ugh! I wish I could have gone to ICE 2024 so bad! Look at how excited I am about everything that was presented, and I wasn’t even there. It’s okay. There’s always next year. And from what I’m hearing, the first ICE in Barcelona is set to be the biggest event yet. Fingers crossed that I can make it for ICE 2025. 

Which new game/trend from ICE 2024 are you most excited about coming our way? For me, I’m most interested in this concept of gamification and customization happening. Personally, I can’t wait to create my own mini-me at my favorite Bitcoin casinos. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

As always, be sure to check back often for the latest updates in iGaming and Bitcoin casinos. Bookmark the BCK news page to stay updated with all our posts. Or sign up for our weekly newsletter to have exclusive news and casino promotions delivered to your inbox. 

Till next time!