Over recent years virtual reality (VR) gaming environments have developed substantial in terms of platform immersion, socio-interaction and game personalisation.
While casinos in virtual reality platform look very attractively, issue has to be fixed first. In fact, players have to buy all equipment that is quite expensive and not everyone will be able to have it.
Real-money games
Real-money games create another dimension to VR Casinos due to the offerings of table and slot games from NetEnt, Microgaming and Lucky VR, top-tier software providers.
Almost no equipment is needed for a space, aside from the VR headset and a computer powerful enough to run it. And almost any casino app will require you to download the program, and create an account – inputting personal information (eg, your name and photo ID to verify your identity) and payment details (such as your bank account number or credit card number to prevent unauthorised access).
Most VR casinos are social gambling spaces, but others such as SlotsMillion accept real-money bets. All these sites enjoy high levels of security – and you can read the privacy policies to ensure your information won’t be made public. You can play for free first before you make a deposit, to help decide whether or not VR gambling is for you.
Social interaction
The social aspect of gambling is also enhanced in Virtual Reality casinos to an unprecedented extent – players can wander through a virtual casino floor, encountering slot machines, table games or live performances – things that are sadly absent from the hum-drum interactivity of online gambling.
In VR, players are also able to communicate verbally via voice chat and see the avatars of their friends, potentially bringing a new social element to the mix. Friendships can even develop beyond the virtual world – you can high-five with your buddies when you win and commiserate with them when you lose, enhancing your gaming experience and making it more fun and memorable!
While iGaming has already an unlimited field of possibilities with its mass reach and to date creative genius of people, but it is important here to say whether Virtual Reality (VR) can do more for iGaming.
It is obvious that many online games that we see on the app stores and on the web are coming out with more creative ideas that can enhance iGaming experience. However, I believe that VR is holding back in terms of reaching wider audience since the machines themselves are quite expensive and not many would be tempted to get one or use a rented machine just to play an online game. Also, even if the machine is purchased, there should be a system to control iGaming and to verify people who are playing challenging games such as table games or poker as these games can be more risky to play without certain limitations as age, prepaid credits to spend and immersive experience that might fit some but not others.
To conclude, even if VR can have an interesting impact for iGaming it indeed has massive challenges to be addressed before indulging ourselves completely in VR. Age verification, gamification and different safe payment methods to prevent irresponsible gaming should be implemented.
Authenticity
Having authenticity in the virtual gambling environments, as in the casino example above, is absolutely vital. Blockchain makes it possible for a player to check the game results and transactions, and to ensure that she/he did not gamble irresponsibly.
The realism of VR casino games can be used to immerse players in shared and synchronous activity, which in the online gambling industry is a primary contributor to player enjoyment and sense of community.
On the other hand, as the cost of VR headsets start hitting the sub $100 mark, the number of people accessing VR casinos will sky-rocket in an equalising global domino effect. All in all what VR will do for the gambling industry is transform casinos by bringing the luxury of an online casino to the mainstream, increasing patronage for casino games on mobile phones (which will continue to rise as casino operators and players benefit); and level the playing field for new start ups into this industry.
Accessibility
Virtual Reality casinos, as they are called, turned out to be a new chapter in the wide world of online gaming. Propelled by a technology that let players feel as though they were there and constantly devising casino promotions that appealed to new audiences and brought in new revenue streams, virtual reality casinos are dramatically changing the way we enjoy games on the web.
With an eye for detail, some practised casino players opt for social casinos over the traditional online gambling halls. This is because social casinos provide a more immersive experience that allows individuals to explore and browse virtual environments, whilst also selecting games that suit their style. Moreover, these platforms provide players with the opportunity to partake in triumphs and commiserate defeats with fellow punters – all in the name of offering an authentic casino experience through online play.
Despite the obstacles, such as high hardware costs and regulatory details, as well as technological developments and their adaptation to existing regulations – in the end, VR casinos will be paving the way for re-designing the gambling as we know it. If these VR casinos provide a sense of luxury casinos in the comfort of the player’s home, reducing the social stigma and expense associated with gambling worldwide; if they invite the player to ‘try’ something and ‘explore’ new places, or give to those, who are forced not to go out of their homes because of their physical restrictions and disabilities, the chance to participate in the gambling life – it is mostly the victory of casinos but victory for the customers (or players) too and the ‘algorithm’ of their temptations.
