​​The exciting VR future of online casinos

When players want to be able to experience the very best gameplay out there, they inevitably look for bigger and bigger thrills. The problem is that everyday life can so often get in the way of trips to the likes of Vegas and Macau. Until now with the launch of VR casinos…

What is a VR casino?

Imagine an online casino that is so much more than a space where anyone can play virtual versions of the games others enjoy around the world. Picture instead a truly interactive, immersive experience that’s so much more than a phone or tablet screen. The beauty of this is that anyone can go anywhere and do so with nothing more than the click of a button. Perfect when it’s time to go on an adventure that will make any evening one to remember for all the right reasons. 

Putting on a VR headset has the potential to change a casual evening on the sofa into something that the player will never forget. Rather than playing on their phone with the TV on in the background, they’re transported to a whole new world. It could be real, it could be fantasy, but it definitely won’t be boring. 

How does a VR casino work?

True VR brings experiences to life by blurring the boundary between the digital world and the physical world. Games that allow players to activate all five senses while playing offer a transformative experience that makes each game so much more real. 

A trip to a virtual Venetian will give every online player a chance to smell the sweet aroma of the atmosphere and lose themselves in the moment. They could feel the texture and touch of the poker chips with their fingertips. They could even feel the soothing touch of the aircon against their skin if the VR is advanced enough. For now, VR may be primarily about sight, but give it time, and the other senses will be catered for in style. 

Betting with real money and being able to feel it in the palm of the hand is something every player loves. They want to be able to lose themselves in the tension of the game and find new ways to create drama at the table. The incredible thing about this approach to playing is that it could soon become the norm for millions of players from all walks of life. 

What about the social side?

The more advanced VR casinos become, the more they will be able to offer in terms of immersive play. Having the ability to hear the hustle and bustle of a live casino that is populated by VR avatars of real people is something that will change the industry. Hearing hot tips and fresh takes around the table, not to mention some banter and cheering, is something everyone loves about the physical experience. VR has the potential to extend this experience to everyone in the world, regardless of where they’re physically located at the time the roulette wheel is spun. 

New friendships, old acquaintances, and lifelong friends can all come together to create an atmosphere that is sure to bring players back over and over again. The key here is to let players experience the buzz and atmosphere in real time, while also allowing them to modify it and impact it as if they were in person. Hearing and seeing VR representations of the other players as they react to the drama on the table is something that will make all the difference. This is live gameplay as it was always meant to be — side by side with real humans — not artificial gameplay surrounded by bots. 

Is VR gameplay in casinos safe?

Every online casino operator is investing heavily in rolling out evermore sophisticated VR experiences because they’re what players want. With this comes a clear responsibility to make sure that everyone is safe and protected. Players who want to be able to sit at the table and have a flutter without having to worry about privacy and security breaches will always be protected from day one. VR casinos are built on the same safe, secure, and encrypted payment systems as the online casinos that are available on any mobile device right now. 

The key point here is that when a player signs up and steps into the VR world for the very first time, they’re going to get the same level of protection as if they were in the real thing. No shortcuts are taken, and no corners are cut — everything is done in a way that secures the privacy and identity of the players the right way. This is just what’s needed when VR casinos are set to become the norm in the next few years.

Can players opt out of VR?

VR will never become mandatory or even expected because it may not be for everyone. There are still those who prefer the radio to the television and plenty who appreciate the artistic merits of black and white images over technicolour. Regardless of what any given player favours or wants to avoid, they will find something that is suitable for their individual tastes and playing preferences. This is essential in an era in which technology is set to blur the boundaries with the physical world in truly breathtaking ways.

Opting out of VR casinos as they become increasingly mainstream is something that operators will ensure players can do. Something as simple as clicking a button that says whether or not you want to be physically immersed in the game is all it would take. Those who want to feel like they are there will be able to slip on their VR headsets and head off on an adventure, while others can relax with a simple phone or tablet. Ideal when it’s all about accommodating as many people as possible in the most inclusive way. 

How soon will VR casinos become the norm?

Good question! This depends very much on who you ask, with VR companies beating a drum by saying that they’re already up and running. While there are some early developments that are certainly worth shouting about, this is a tech rollout that’s still very much in its infancy. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s important players don’t go away from this guide and then face disappointment when they’re not inundated by offers to play VR casino games. 

The beautiful thing about knowing that this is very much something of an emerging trend is that avid casino players can watch it thrive and grow over the months ahead. Tech startups are often looking for beta testers who will be willing to provide detailed feedback on the gaming experience. Crowdfunding campaigns are also regularly set up to try and find backing for new physical devices that will stimulate the senses. 

Will everyone have their own Sphere?

The Sphere in Las Vegas may not be a casino, but it’s the closest thing out there right now to a completely immersive VR experience. Vibrations, air currents, lighting, temperature, and scents all combine with a screen that is designed to completely fill the human vision. The idea of a VR headset equipped with sufficient physical stimuli for all five senses is that it will be able to make this type of experience both portable and personal. 

While it may seem like a long way away at present, there is nothing like a little bit of optimism to get players excited about what could be to come. Go back just 20 years, and it may well have sounded crazy to predict Netflix and that iPhones would become so cheap and affordable that everyone would be glued to them night and day. Come back to the present day, and it seems like the tech everyone has in their hands is just a natural extension of the old Nokia handsets from the turn of the century. This brings this article to a prediction…

What will VR casinos look like in 2025?

They will be closer to fruition than they are right now, especially in terms of the level of physical stimuli and immersive qualities they have to offer. Embedding the type of functionality that blurs the digital-physical boundary is the difficult part. Once hardware and software are built to achieve this, there are no limits to the number of classic casino games that can be brought back to life. 

Rather than seeing this as an extension of online casino gaming, why not think about it as an extension of the physical world? The idea is, after all, to make playing casino games anywhere in the world truly accessible with the click of a button like never before. It’s not about adding fancy effects to phone-based games — this is about bringing players from around the world together to enjoy experiences that mean so much more. 

The future has never moved towards us so fast, and it will certainly be fascinating to watch as VR elevates gameplay.