An online casino is a mesmerising place of bright colours, exciting noises and flashing lights. Like a skillfully designed casino floor, it is also constantly changing to attract and entertain gamblers and entice them into spending their hard-earned money. Top brand new technologies will fundamentally change the way we experience online casinos. Let’s take a look at what lies ahead for us under the neon lighting.
Virtual Reality (VR)
You could walk through a virtual Las Vegas, and sit down at the slot machine with the noise of other players whispering around you, even though you’re actually sitting in your bedroom. When you’re watching the wheels spin around in anticipation of a huge jackpot, playing online slots real money games can already feel like you’re experiencing the real thing. But, a VR headset could totally transform online gambling by offering realistic casino environments:
Immersive Experience: Once outfitted with the typical VR interface (either a headset, screen, and controls, or an augmented-reality overlay) and settled onto a sofa or chair, the player steps into the complete three-dimensional, spatially-crafted, and interactive casino world, with all its trimmings (dealers, croupiers, waiting staff, architectural surroundings). You can feel the texture of a 3D-rendered slot machine as you press the button or pull the lever to get the wheels moving. You may need to learn a few extra iGaming terms to get used to this new way of gaming, but you should pick it up in no time.
Social Interaction: Thanks to avatars – digital representations of other players – social interaction could be part of a VR casino experience. Think of catching up with your favourite mate, or celebrating a winning run with virtual high fives.
Game Diversity: VR can facilitate an array of new and exciting games, such as navigating through a maze to win a bonus or playing live, in the same room, as other players from around the world.
However, there are some obstacles preventing current VR technology from becoming the next big thing. High-end VR headsets are pricey, the need for processing power will likely reduce the amount of detail present in the virtual environment, and getting the gameplay to run smoothly and not make players feel queasy is crucial to avoiding negative impacts.
Augmented Reality (AR)
VR immerses players in a virtual environment, whereas AR enhances the real world by overlaying digital content upon it. Consider holding your phone over a deck of real playing cards and watching as they animate or change colour, or holding it up to a barcode or product and watching as information about it populates your screen. AR has a number of ways it can be leveraged to enhance online gambling:
Interactive Gameplay: Aspects of the game can be overlaid over the real world (by using AR) Players can use their mobile phones to scan the slot machine and trigger additional features and bonus rounds, for example.
Catering to Taste: AR might tailor gambling for the individual user. Perhaps select your living room with your smartphone camera and that same space could transform itself into an online gambling floor featuring the decoration and tables of your choice.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Tailored Experiences
If AI was being used at an online casino, it could study your playing habits and tailor your experience to entertain you better.
Individualised recommendations to gameplay: Based on a player’s preferences (eg, risky or risk-averse), behaviour (eg, adherence to the rules) and betting patterns, AI could recommend certain games and advise on gameplay strategies that would likely increase enjoyment and heighten the chances of winning. This means that a beginner player could get easy settings while they’re learning the ropes, while a more advanced player will be given a bigger challenge.
Improved Integrity: AI could detect unusual activity, therefore preventing fraud and modifying the bets accordingly. This could be really beneficial for online casinos that want to build up more trust among their customers by having hard evidence to support their security claims. But, it could also be there for the safety of the players too. For example, AI could identify players showing signs of problematic gambling, and provide them with responsible gaming information.
A Blend of Innovation and Responsibility
These disruptive technologies will shape the future of online gambling. VR will immerse the player into a whole new world; taking the player to unknown worlds. AR, on the other hand, will blur the line between real and virtual worlds and provide players with opportunities for socialising. AI will take personalisation to the next level, adapting its approach to each player.
But with it comes responsibility: whether that’s overcoming the current limitations of VR hardware, researching better AR security models, or ensuring that AI-powered gambling addiction remains checked by responsible degrees of restraint. Whatever happens next, it’s definitely an interesting industry that we expect to see progress over the next few years.
