VR at Online Casinos: Developers See Something Bigger, Bolder and Better
Since the first online casino games started to appear in the mid-90s, there has been one goal above all others, to use technology to bring the casino industry into people’s homes, via PCs, laptops and, later on, mobile phones. Arguably, this goal was reached in the middle of the last decade, with the advent of live dealer online casino games. They were a huge success, effectively creating another genre of online casino games.
Since the first online casino games started to appear in the mid-90s, there has been one goal above all others, to use technology to bring the casino industry into people’s homes Click To TweetWith all the possibilities VR offers we must now ask is it enough to transport the casino to the home? Ten years from now, will it be exciting to use VR to play roulette, blackjack, and so on, as if you were in a real casino? That’s debatable, because VR, AR, MR and XR, offer us so much more in terms of player engagement than simply replacing one reality with another.
VR presents the online betting industry with new opportunities and new questions about how technology can engage their audience. Readers of this site will be well aware that virtual reality is leading us to fascinating new places in the future that go well beyond the idea of simply transplanting us from one place to another. Movers and shakers in the iGaming industry are now looking hard at the possibilities.
VR presents the online betting industry with new opportunities and new questions about how technology can engage their audience Click To Tweet
One possible answer might be found by looking at the hugely popular adventure-themed game Gonzo’s Quest Slots from NetEnt, where you get a glimpse at how VR and gameplay could be combined for a more thrilling gambling experience. Gonzo’s Quest could already be considered to be ahead of its time, with its 3D graphics and brilliant gameplay, but the opportunity to bring players ‘into the adventure’ with VR is something else entirely.
If you have followed the rise of eSports and video games generally in the 21st century, you will have noticed that they have become more and more competitive and monetised Click To TweetIf you have followed the rise of eSports and video games generally in the 21st century, you will have noticed that they have become more and more competitive and monetised. There is now a vast industry in eSports betting, and even a shadow industry of skin betting among non-professional gamers. Traditional iGaming casino games never really had competition before, if you make the exception of sports betting, but now competitive video gaming has changed that landscape and the key players in iGaming are well aware that they must grasp the possibilities VR offers now and act fast to evolve their existing offerings to combat competition from video games.
However, the iGaming industry has a history of forward-thinking and has recognised this before it has become an existential threat and right now developers are working on the next generation of skill-based games, adventure games and new casino concepts that will incorporate VR into the online gambling arena. If you think that traditional table and card games are best confined to the dustbin of history, then you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find when you visit an online casino in the 2020s. It’s not a stretch to say that we will be strapping on VR headsets to play adventure or fantasy casino games for money by the end of the 2020s.
If you think that traditional table and card games are best confined to the dustbin of history, then you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find when you visit an online casino in the 2020s Click To TweetCasino operators believe that it’s mission accomplished in terms of bringing the real casino experience into the home, and they now want to breakdown another barrier. And, with affordable, easy access VR set take off with a bang in the 2020s, the possibilities are limitless for developers and the online iGaming industry.
