The online gambling industry has always been at the forefront of new technologies. As virtual reality becomes more advanced and affordable, we can expect to see it being used in online casino games. Is VR just a fad, or is it here to stay?
Virtual reality – the future of online gambling?
Virtual reality has become a major trend in recent years, and there is no doubt that VR represents the future of entertainment. As the technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, more and more people adopt a VR headset. According to Frontiers in Psychology, VR is currently being used in everything from military training to treating anxiety and depression. Virtual reality has especially been applied in gaming, where large tech companies like Sony, Oculus and HTC have been pushing the technology for years.
The casino industry is an industry that always looks forward. It was one of the first industries that embraced a mobile-first approach at the very beginning of the mobile revolution. These days, multiple game providers and online casino operators are jumping on the trend. NetEnt, a leading online slot provider, developed a virtual reality version of one of their most popular slots in 2017. This version of the game gives the player a 360-degree field of view, allowing them to interact with the slot in a completely new way. Other providers and operators have also released VR versions of their games, and some casinos even have a complete 3D lobby that can be navigated in full virtual reality.
More immersive live casino experiences
In recent years, live casino games have become a widely popular way of playing table classic casino games. With HD cameras, real cards and professional dealers, live games offer an immersive gambling experience that mimics the feeling of being in a real, brick-and-mortar casino. Live casinos allow players to enjoy everything from roulette and blackjack to poker in an authentic casino environment, and they can even chat with the dealer and the other players at the table as they play.
Live casino is not a new technology, per se, but live casino games are becoming more complex and technically advanced. Evolution Gaming, the world’s leading live casino provider, has over the last few years released a series of “game shows” that take full advantage of state-of-the-art streaming technology. Crazy Time is a widely successful wheel game that features an enormous wheel, a pachinko wall and many other concepts, and Monopoly Live offers a fully animated bonus round that takes players around a virtual Monopoly board. One can expect that games like these will offer full virtual reality support in the coming years.
Online casino games, like the ones featured in this review of TeleVega casino, are becoming more sophisticated by the day. With virtual reality, augmented reality and cutting-edge live streaming, slots and live casino games will be more immersive than ever before.
