The Next Big Thing in Live Casinos
With the arrival of widespread broadband internet, live casino games have become incredibly popular. Instead of heading over to your local casino, you can play from the comfort of your own home. Now, a new technological revolution is just around the corner.
Want to find out how the live casino game is about to change forever? Then read on!
What are live casino games?
CasinoGuide UK defines live casino games as casino games that are played online, such as Blackjack or Roulette. Unlike normal online games where you would play with an AI dealer, live casino games are run by real-life humans.
Generally, they will run the game as they would in reality, but in front of a webcam. The idea is to emulate the feeling of playing in a land-based casino as much as possible. Not only does the dealer have a webcam, but they also have a microphone, which they might use to joke with other players at the table or to tell interesting anecdotes.
An authentic atmosphere
The main goal of a live casino game is to create an authentic atmosphere that closely represents that of a real casino. The dealers are generally highly trained and know exactly what they are doing. You can expect them to be just as professional as a dealer would be in a real casino.
Often, they will wear uniforms and will have realistic looking tables. Many times, live dealer tables look indistinguishable from ones used in land-based casinos.
The next big thing
Live casinos are meant to simulate the feeling of really being there in a casino. They do that fairly well, but it’s never going to feel like you are actually there. At the end of the day, you are still sat at home in front of your computer.
But all of that could soon change! Casinos are now starting to use virtual reality technology to create a truly immersive live casino experience. If you are lucky enough to own a virtual reality headset like the Oculus Rift, you could soon be transported into an exciting new virtual space.
How real is VR?
VR is so much more than just better graphics. When you put on a VR headset, it actually feels like you are occupying a new physical space.
No longer are you simply sat in front of a computer playing Slots or Roulette. From your perspective, you are actually inhabiting a new space. Thanks to this new technology, live casino games could achieve what they set out to do from the beginning: to make you feel like you are really inside a casino.
How long until it’s widespread?
So what’s stopping every online casino operator from switching all of their live casino games over to VR?
The main issue is the barrier for entry is fairly high. If you want to have a truly immersive experience with something like the Oculus Rift, you’re not only going to need to buy the expensive VR headset, but you also need to have a really good PC to run the hardware on.
At the moment, a decent VR setup would easily cost you four figures. This means VR casinos currently appeal to a very niche audience. As with any new technology, VR is surely going to become much more affordable in the coming years. Remember how expensive HDTVs were when they first hit the market?
Once VR is more affordable and is in the homes of more potential customers, you can expect casino operators to start rolling out more VR live casino games.
What games can you expect?
Since this is all relatively new, you can expect casino operators to go with fairly safe choices for the first VR games. Things like Blackjack, Poker, and Roulette have a wide player base, so expect to see games like that to begin with.
As the technology becomes more widespread, you will start to see some of the more obscure games.
Try VR live casinos today
If you are lucky enough to already own a VR setup, there are a few VR casino options already available to you. The VR casinos available now are only scratching the surface of what VR is capable of. As the market grows and more money is put into development, we will start to see some great things in the world of VR casino gaming.