Virtual reality made a spectacular comeback in 2012, making the hearts of tech and gaming enthusiasts race one more time. The technology promised full immersion into digital worlds, a new era of entertainment, social interaction, and remote work. The initial enthusiasm has generated countless ideas built around the emerging new technology, ranging from virtual worlds to VR parties, concerts, cinemas, and even music festivals.
And around this time, the idea of the first VR casino emerged and was quickly transformed into a prototype.
And that’s where things seemingly stopped.
VR Roulette
Microgaming, one of the oldest casino solutions developers and an early adopter of new technologies, presented its “VR Roulette” at the ICE Totally Gaming 2016. The product was massively successful, winning all the hearts and many awards at the show.
VR Roulette used the Oculus Rift DK 2 headset with Leap Motion 3D controller, paired with Microgaming’s design excellence to present a fully interactive virtual roulette table with a robotic dealer that players could use just like in real life. And then… nothing.
On the one hand, VR headsets have spread much slower than expected (thanks to their prohibitive price at the time) to turn into a viable platform in due time. On the other hand,
Not all casino games “work” in VR
What games do most online casino players choose? Most of them go for the best online pokies as they are quick. simple, and easy to play. A lower number of players prefer blackjack, roulette, and other table games, either in an RNG-powered or a live dealer setting. Plus, there are those who prefer other games like bingo, keno, or video poker.
Out of these, only the classic table games, like roulette, blackjack, and baccarat would truly “work” in a fully immersive environment, the others – video poker and slot machines, among others – work better on a personal screen.
Will there ever be a VR casino?
It’s very likely that we’ll see a fully immersive casino in the (near) future – but it will probably be a lot more like a virtual casino resort – similar to those in Las Vegas or Macao – in the metaverse. We’ve already seen virtual recreations of existing places – like the model of the Notre Dame in Paris used as a concert venue for Jean-Michel Jarre’s 2020 virtual concert Alone Together – or fantasy lands, like Pāpiliōnem, the magical island that was home to the 2020 edition of the Tomorrowland music festival. And we’ve seen concerts held not just in VR but inside video games as well – like Travis Scott’s “Astronomical” event in Fortnite. This means that we could soon also see a virtual counterpart of, say, the Venetian or Caesar’s Palace, complete with its gaming floors and concert venues, with resident performers and virtual crowds filling the stands and gathering around the gaming tables without having to pay for expensive plane tickets and hotel rooms. And in such an environment, even slot machines and other games would make sense.