As the global gaming industry continues to expand, the iGaming sector is poised to see some of the most impressive gains. According to Statista’s gaming estimates, iGaming’s value has more than tripled in less than a decade. By the end of this year, it’s believed to be worth nearly $98 billion. By 2029, this number is expected to be closer to $134 billion.
The biggest reason iGaming is seeing such growth is increasing access to reliable platforms. In the US specifically, while iGaming is currently legal in only eight states, over 57 million gamers regularly play because there are now numerous sites that offer variations of popular casino games. That said, while this influx of gamers is helping boost the iGaming landscape, it can put a heavy strain on the sites themselves. In response to this, many sites are adopting their own mirror sites.
If you’re interested in iGaming and want to know more about the mirror sites you may have to use, here’s a comprehensive guide to help:
What is a mirror site?
As its name suggests, mirror sites are exact copies of an original website or files that are available on another server. Sometimes also called website spoofing, cloning, or scraping, this initiative requires regular updates so the mirror site reflects the most updated version of the original. Mirror sites are typically used for backup and archival efforts since this ensures that the data they hold is always available. Typically, website mirroring is done using speciality software that can download everything on a site, from images to HTML. Some of the most common tools to do this include Google Cloud Storage and Wget.
How does a mirror site help iGaming?
Because mirror sites feature the exact same content, one of their biggest benefits is that they can take on some of the traffic that may otherwise overwhelm a website. As highlighted in this post about Thunderpick mirrors, these sites can lessen network congestion and enhance the accessibility to the primary site. This means that should the original site be temporarily unavailable, players can still access their accounts and take part in activities like casino games, esports betting, and sports betting through the mirrors. Having this extra means of access is critical in iGaming, given that it ensures players can make timely bets, join time-sensitive matches, and stay on top of their deposits and withdrawals.
What are the limitations of mirror sites?
It’s important to understand that while using a mirror can ease the burden on a site, it doesn’t prevent every crash. If a mirror still doesn’t have enough bandwidth to cater to a large audience, then it’s still likely to experience operational issues. For instance, if an iGaming mirror is geographically closer to a significant population of online gamers, it may still be prone to things like slow loading times. Additionally, a mirror site cannot help prevent crashes related to hardware.
For instance, earlier this year, the game developer Alderon alleged that many of their players had experienced crashes due to “defective” CPUs. Because the affected players reportedly had stability issues with their rigs, their games were at risk of suddenly shutting down. Understandably, even the most carefully set up mirror will not be able to compensate for individual setup concerns.
What to look for in an iGaming mirror site
Because of the huge volumes of personal data and money that pass through iGaming sites daily, they’re a hot target for cybercriminals. One of the ways that they try to take advantage of this sector is by setting up mirrors to impersonate legitimate sites. When an unsuspecting player logs on to this site, they can then fall victim to phishing attacks and malware.
To prevent this from happening to you, it’s important to only use mirrors that have been directly vetted and linked by the original site. These mirrors are often linked right on the primary website and regularly mentioned in essential collaterals across their different platforms, so you can easily verify their legitimacy.
How to stay safe on an iGaming mirror site
Of course, even while on a genuine iGaming mirror, you still want to observe your due diligence online. Especially since iGaming sites often require that you input sensitive information, like bank details, which you want to safeguard. Having said this, it’s a good habit to use a VPN whenever you’re logging into any site, whether they’re the originals or mirrors.
As seen on ZeroTier’s solutions, a VPN can link multiple devices into a single network that’s protected from malicious entities who may want to exploit your online movements. With a VPN, this means that players can use mirrors from different trusted gadgets, while also reducing the risk of their data being visible. As an added benefit, because VPNs hide your IP, they can even allow gamers to access region-locked iGaming sites.
