A total of nine horses are in contention for the Betfred Oaks on Friday, with Desert Flower on track to bid for a classic double.

The Charlie Appleby-trained daughter of Night Of Thunder took her unbeaten record to five in landing the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, her first start since ending her two-year-old campaign with victory in the Fillies’ Mile.

In fourth at Newmarket was Saeed bin Suroor’s Elwateen, running a big race on her second career start. She has been supplemented at a cost of £30,000 by her Shadwell connections, who as expected have taken out Falakeyah.

Aidan O’Brien has three leading chances of making it an 11th win in the Epsom showpiece, with trial winners Giselle and Minnie Hauk having looked good at Lingfield and Chester respectively while Whirl impressed at York.

The Betfred Coronation Cup on the same card features eight, headed by Francis-Henri Graffard’s Calandagan, whose last three starts have been runner-up finishes in the Juddmonte International, Champion Stakes and Dubai Sheema Classic.

Last year’s St Leger winner Jan Brueghel is one of the possibles for O’Brien, with Marco Botti’s Giavellotto another of note.

Latest Going: Good, Good to Soft in places

4:00 pm Betfred Oaks (Group 1) 1m 4f 6y

Desert Flower (IRE) 3 9 2 Godolphin Charlie Appleby William Buick

*Elwateen (IRE) 3 9 2 Shadwell Estate Company Ltd Saeed bin Suroor Jim Crowley

Giselle (IRE) 3 9 2 Brant/Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Westerberg Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Go Go Boots 3 9 2 Mr Bobby Flay John & Thady Gosden Oisin Murphy

Minnie Hauk (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Qilin Queen (IRE) 3 9 2 TBT Racing Ed Walker Tom Marquand

Revoir 3 9 2 Mr J. H. Richmond-Watson Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch

Wemightakedlongway (IRE) 3 9 2 Cayton Park Stud Limited Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland

Whirl (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien Ireland

* supplementary entry

Latest odds: 7/4 Desert Flower; 4 Giselle; 11/2 Whirl; 6 Minnie Hauk; 8 Elwateen; 10 Revoir; 16 Qilin Queen, Wemightakedlongway; 33 Go Go Boots

2:40pm Betfred Coronation Cup (Group 1) 1m 4f 6y

Al Riffa (FR) 5 9 2 Al Riffa Syndicate Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland

Ancient Wisdom (FR) 4 9 2 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

Bellum Justum (IRE) 4 9 2 King Power Racing Co Ltd Andrew Balding James Doyle

Calandagan (IRE) 4 9 2 Exors of the Late H.H. Aga Khan Francis-Henri Graffard France Mickael Barzalona

Continuous (JPN) 5 9 2 D.Smith,Mrs J.Magnier,M.Tabor,Westerberg Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Giavellotto (IRE) 6 9 2 Scuderia La Tesa Limited & Vaibhav Shah Marco Botti Oisin Murphy

Jan Brueghel (IRE) 4 9 2 Westerberg/Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith Aidan O'Brien Ireland

You Got To Me 4 8 13 Amo Racing Limited Ralph Beckett David Egan

Latest odds: 8/13 Calandagan; 7/2 Jan Brueghel; 6 Giavellotto; 13/2 You Got To Me; 20 Bellum Justum; 25 Ancient Wisdom; 33 Continuous

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Anyone who’s been in the casino sector will certainly agree that it has taken the world by storm so that what was once a niche industry now enjoys a global following.

In fact, as per a study by Statista, the global market is expected to hit $107.70bn in 2025 and possibly expand to $133.00bn by 2029. It’s true that various factors have contributed to this growth, and in this article, we will be looking at them.

The growing popularity of responsive designs

Let’s assume you were playing your favorite casino game on a desktop and wanted to shift to a smaller device like your tablet. You definitely would not want to keep pinching or zooming the game just because the device was smaller.

This is where responsive design comes in to help. It ensures players can have seamless experiences while accessing online casino games regardless of the device.

In fact, this is not just a popular trend in the casino industry – close to 90% of website owners across the entire e-commerce sector are implementing it, proving the prevailing need for responsiveness.

Actually, according to BusinessDasher, about 67% of users are more inclined to transact with brands if their platforms are responsive. Realizing this, operators are coming up with games featuring such designs as a strategy for attracting and retaining customers.

That way, players can find experiences that align with their preferences, which can encourage retention and result in further industry growth. Since this seems to be the new norm, we could see more people joining the industry in the coming days.

The role of mobile devices

It’s no surprise that game developers are using the mobile-first approach nowadays, given that more than 60% of all internet activities happen on mobile devices. It is magical that players can carry near-real casino experiences around in their pockets.

If, about fifty years ago, you were to ask a gamer whether that would be possible, perhaps the answer would be no. Mobile devices have contributed to the growth of the casino industry, majorly because of their convenience.

With just a simple touch of a button on your smartphone, you will be able to access the entertainment from any place at any time. In fact, experts claim that more than 60% of online gamers are already doing that.

And don’t forget that operators are adjusting to this shifting preference by providing mobile-friendly casino games so players can access them seamlessly even through such mobile devices.

This is without mentioning the impact of the continued innovation in the mobile industry that is set to bring about advanced gaming devices. If these trends continue, you can actually expect online casino games to continue growing.

Better graphics and gameplay elements

Do you remember the classic pixelated slot machines that featured static fruit symbols? You’d get bored just a few minutes after interacting with these games.

Good enough, this industry’s developers didn’t ignore preferences for engaging gameplay features. As a result, games have emerged with high-quality design and graphics, soundtracks, and captivating 3D animations.

Even more intriguing is that top industry names like Microgaming and Playtech have adopted advanced coding and AI technology to develop some of the best titles ever. That allows them to integrate diverse themes that appeal to multiple preferences.

In fact, it’s almost impossible to think about something and not find a related slot. From movies and ancient cultural themes to adventure games, players can engage in the gaming environment while appealing to their tastes for different themes.

The bonus evolution

If you think that only the gameplay graphics are changing, you might need to reconsider your thoughts because bonuses have also evolved. You will no longer encounter games with the basic, traditional bonus perks.

These elements are vital because they determine how engaged players can be on a particular platform. At a time when competition is on the rise, such perks can really help you differentiate your brand.

The best part is that business performance could also increase if players become loyal because of such offers. In fact, some experts believe that increasing retention by just 5% could lead to profits of between 25% and 95%.

To add to that, you must be planning to add some games to your product portfolio. If that’s the case, having most of your website visitors as returning customers can really improve the chances of your launch being more successful.

This is because returning customers normally tend to welcome new products more easily than new ones. Therefore, since bonuses have proven to be helpful in attracting and retaining players, operators will continue innovating them, resulting in the further appeal of the games.

Our final word

Is it now clear why more than one in four people worldwide casino game? This industry has been innovating new ways of engaging players since time immemorial, explaining its burgeoning growth.

A good example is how responsive designs are becoming the order of the day. At least, you can be sure to find a seamless experience, whether you’re playing on a laptop, desktop, or mobile phone. Looking ahead, if more such innovations emerge, the games will continue to become even more popular.