It’s fair to say that the world of online gambling has come an awful long way since its early days in the mid-1990s. The first launched in 1996 and looked, well, a world away from what we have today.
There was an unmistakable “early internet” look to it, and in a world of dial-up, it wasn’t exactly the most reliable. Of course, since then, technology has improved, and there has been a real boom in online casino play.
Today, online slots are more immersive than ever before, with bonus rounds, fancy graphics and new, innovative ways of playing.
Take games like Thunder Coins XXL: Hold and Win or the 12 Masks of Fire Drums slot, they’re chalk and cheese to days of old, with high-tech graphics and intriguing bonus games.
But games such as this, and the likes of live casino and table games, are not the ceiling, despite the question often being asked as to whether online gambling can get any more life-like. We look into how online casinos can become even more like the real thing over the next few years…
The realism race: from graphics to “being there”
If we look at what’s already working in the industry, it’s clear to see the direction of travel. People do want that authentic feeling, and live casinos are the most obvious example of that.
These games transformed the industry with real dealers, real cards, reel wheels and all streamed in high definition from real casino floors or dedicated, purpose-built studios..
They create more of that sense of occasion, tension and interactivity among players and croupier that you simply don’t get with RNG games.
So that’s the avenue games providers and online casinos will take, attempting to widen that realism further. We’re already beginning to see more camera angles, better production and “behind the scenes” type features that bring us closer to the action.
Exploring how more television-style features and formats can come into play may also see that further shift, such as dynamic overlays, personalised camera preferences and gameshow-style presentation.
Virtual reality: the obvious next step, but not the only one
That, combined with virtual reality, seems the natural progression. VR has already been making its way into online casinos and wider gaming, in many cases to great success, and a bigger role out in online casinos seems a perfect solution.
The likes of blackjack, roulette and craps, in particular, are ideally suited to VR, while even being able to glance around the room and watch other players play the likes of poker or slots will bring the experience closer to reality.
Adoption hasn’t been as fast as had initially been anticipated, but rather than the games themselves, it’s the cost of headsets that seems to be the biggest barrier. As they become more accessible and the prices lower, we may start to see it become more of a part of the mainstream.
Interestingly, there’s also a place for AR – augmented reality. This doesn’t require a headset, but is more about bringing the game into your own environment, a drop-in realism if you like, where you can integrate casino games into your world via your phone or glasses. It feels like a natural next step from mobile gaming.
Haptics, sound, and the psychology of presence
It isn’t just in the visuals, though, where online casinos can be brought more to life in the coming years. There are so many sounds we associate with a casino floor, from the clacking of chips to the dealing of cards and even just the background buzz, cheers and excitement.
Spatial audio can play a real part here, changing depending on where you are in a virtual room and again bringing that sensory experience more to life.
Haptic feedback isn’t something we’re seeing yet in casinos, either, but there is space for it. The thump of a roulette ball landing or the tap of placing a bet can be replicated through controllers or wearables, giving online play a more tactile feel.
Personalisation powered by AI
Naturally, AI will be powering much of this. In fact, the technology has long been powering online gambling behind the scenes in the form of customer support, fraud detection and so on. But it could make experiences more life-like, too.
We could see things like AI dealers, that you can have natural conversations with, we could see them be helpful too in things like explaining outcomes more transparently, perfect for beginner players. There’s a lot that can be done with AI to improve the overall experience.
Social gambling: casinos as communities
The rise of social casinos has been large over recent years and that will only continue, but online platforms are trying to make things even more social.
We’ll likely see a richer variation of community events, whether it be private tables, friends lists, shared tournaments or voice chat, similar to what we find in console gaming.
Some of it does exist in pockets already, but what also needs to happen is for it to become more and more natural.
What the future holds, realistically?
So, it’s clear to see that there are directions that online casinos can, and will, explore to make the industry even more life-like.
That will take time, and it won’t all come at once, but we are already seeing certain things integrated, and that’s having a positive impact on the industry.
Virtual reality will likely play the biggest part in the progression, but it also needs help from the hardware becoming more accessible.
If headsets become more mainstream, then it could really prove a landmark move for the immersiveness and life-like nature of online casinos.
