How Virtual and Augmented Reality Could Transform UK Online Casinos

What Are AR and VR?

Likely, you have already had some experience with AR and VR. A few games have really helped to boost the profile of these technologies.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are technologies that change how we experience the world or even escape from the world we know. While they might sound similar (and are regularly discussed as a pair), they’re quite different in how they work and what they do.

Augmented Reality (AR) adds digital elements to the world around you. Imagine wearing glasses or using your phone to see things that aren’t really there. AR mixes real-life views with computer-generated images and other information. For example, you could point your phone at a piece of furniture and see how it looks in your living room before you buy it. It doesn’t take you out of the real world but enhances it. This has been one of the main uses of AR, picturing how things might look in a specific place. The AR market is expected to continue to grow between now and the end of the decade.

Virtual Reality (VR) has the power to put people in a completely different world. When you wear a VR headset, like the ones from Oculus or PlayStation, you can feel like you’re inside a video game, standing on the surface of an alien planet somewhere, or diving deep underwater. For games, it can really pull you into the experience.

AR and VR in Casinos

We’re in the early stages of this, with some experimentation still being carried out by the big brands. Online casinos will likely implement more of this kind of technology in the coming years.

We have seen brands switching to a live dealer casino scenario in some cases. This means that people can connect to another person and the feel of the casino is much closer to the feel of visiting an in-person casino. There are dealers on the other end who are dealing with the cards or spinning the roulette wheel.

Gambling operators and developers are working on more ways that they can potentially increase this immersive feeling. It is easy to see why VR and AR would be a big draw for certain players who are looking for an authentic experience.

AR may be used in the future to make it look like the roulette table is in your home or that the cards are being drawn in front of you.

On the other end of the spectrum, VR can provide a totally immersive experience where people may be able to feel like they are entering a casino. Once the headset is on, it is possible to give an experience similar to walking into the casino and heading to the tables.

There are some games where there won’t be a great deal of difference on the face of things. Slot games won’t always be enhanced by VR technology – it will still be a case of looking at the same symbols, but companies are exploring the potential for mini-games and other features.

For games like poker, VR could be a game changer. It has the potential to give people different avatars, and the experience of sitting around a poker table will at least be a lot closer to its original experience. The players’ faces can’t easily be put into the game, so it is not like you’ll be able to read the poker faces! That doesn’t mean that it won’t be helpful, though. VR can also show players more information, such as whether an opponent has been using an aggressive style and how often they fold compared to waiting to see the flop. All of this information might be available while somebody plays.

Casino Simulators Already on the Market

People with an Oculus or other headset can find some games on the marketplaces already. Some of these are casino simulators rather than giving players any chance to win real money. This proves that there is a market for those who want to play the games and aren’t concerned about financial rewards.

These simulation games are like others we have seen on consoles and in gaming before. Some people enjoy playing games like blackjack just for the fun of it or to work on their strategies.

Casino simulators also don’t have to stick to the same regulations as some of the other brands out there, as they are not dealing with money. Most of them don’t involve any real gambling, but they do set an interesting precedent and show what is possible.