VR And Augmented Reality In Online Casinos

No one knows for sure how VR and augmented reality will change the digital world as we know it. But we know it IS coming… Many game studios have taken on the technology and implemented it in their products with various results in the last couple of years. A lot has happened since the release of Google Glass eight years ago. Although it was a huge commercial flop, it did pave the way for augmented reality as we know it today.

The virtual world has may not taken off in the way tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple may have hoped for yet. But there is no doubt that the VR revolution is just around the corner. And it will inevitably be a significant part of our lives. It will most likely dominate over industries such as gaming, film, training, e-commerce, medicine, real estate, and of course, online casino.

Casinos And Gamification

Gamification is a pretty unknown term outside of the industry. But it basically means adding computer game or video game elements to the online casino context. Why do we want to do that? The main reason is to appeal to potential new players and new target groups. Even though the online casino industry itself has changed dramatically over the last ten years, the basic mechanics of slot games has stayed pretty much the same. Ever since the rise of land casinos and slot machines even. Place your wager and press Spin, and that’s it… But the gamified casino game likes to be a little more engaging and interactive than that. So it’s not only the design and packaging of the slot that tells them apart but the actual gameplay, just like in video games.

Still Not Quite Like A Video Games…

However, the game developers don’t want to scare you away by introducing a wholly new and skill-based way of casino playing. So you don’t have to be an expert gamer to take home the big prizes in the new gamified slots. The gamification elements simply create a feeling of added value by letting you participate more in the game features. This can be anything from aiming and shooting at targets in a bonus round that would otherwise only be a “pick & click” feature in a regular slot game.

Gamification In Different Forms

A gamification slot that you may have already seen is actually based on a classic arcade game: ‘Street Fighter II: The World Warrior’. You start by selecting your game avatar and travel the world to fight each enemy character on the world map. As you play, you boost your Wild Meter to perform more powerful attack moves.

It’s not only the casino games that can have gamification features. Several online casinos sites started developing their own gamification features to keep their players entertained even over a decade ago. You can usually recognize this concept in the casinos’ loyalty programs. Instead of just depositing and playing, you can do so much more. Like choosing an avatar, taking quests, and playing unique side games. Even completing achievements to earn free spins, bonuses, and more.

E-sports Betting

Sports betting has been around for a long time, but have you ever thought you could bet on Esports? With the increasing growth in popularity of Esports all around the world, casinos have seen an opportunity to reach a new target group. That is young gamblers and e-gaming enthusiasts. The trend took root in 2017 but has only recently started establishing for real.

While most sectors of the igaming industry have taken a big hit during the pandemic, esports betting has become more popular than ever. One example of this is that the UK’s gross gambling yield for esports grew by 2,922% between 2019 and 2020. From only £50,223 in 2019 to a crazy £4,616,610.

The trend also goes the other way around when it comes to merging casinos and Esports. And several Esports betting platforms now host online casino games in addition to their primary business. You didn’t see that one coming, right?

Safer Gambling And Enhanced Security

When it comes to internet safety, it has really happened a lot ever since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was recognized law in 2016. It started a big chain reaction of procedures and measures taken to take back the power of people’s private data online, as well as people’s safety. Today, we are proud to say that we have come a long way since the wild west of the internet pre-2016. Nowadays, all serious companies take their cybersecurity and customer protection seriously.

The stringent KYC (Know Your Customer) processes to prevent fraud and other criminal activity will continue throughout 2022. We also see that responsible gambling functions, like self-exclusion and betting limitations, will continue to evolve and spread to new jurisdictions over the next couple of years. Other security measures to expect are two-factor authentication and facial recognition. More operators will also continue to transform into Trustly casinos and Pay N Play casinos for faster and safer payments and withdrawals.

Smart Watch Casinos

Until recently, most people have mainly used their smartwatches to track their health and let their watch do the metrics for them. But as the smartwatch technology keeps developing. The gadgets can now also be used to make other applications and services even more available than before. The game provider Microgaming has developed Smartwatch versions of some of their most popular slots. Like ‘Thunderstruck’ and ‘Dark Knight Rises’. But other than that, the casino game catalogue for smartwatches is still pretty limited. Would you take your casino playing to your smartwatch?