Will virtual casinos save the gambling industry?
Online gaming is getting more and more popular, with the growing army of fans and players worldwide – but some problems are hidden deep beneath the surface and we will try to find both the cause and the solution. With VR casinos knocking at the door and plans to transfer even more casino games to this concept, it looks like everything goes as planned, but is it so? At the moment, virtual reality exists in many industries and is only matter of time to see it as a common thing in almost every house. The next logical step would be to play virtual reality casino games with a live dealer or against a real opponent, and that’s the point to introduce poker in the whole story. Still, the generated revenue is falling down compared to recent couple of years. The population of online gamblers is growing older and the industry needs to find the way to attract a new generation of casino players.
Harsh times for the casino industry
The Millenials, generation of people born between the early 1980’s and the early 2000’s, although grown up surrounded by video games, show little or no interest at all for slot machines. In fact, the millennial generation from USA often visits Nevada, one of the 3 states where gambling is legal, but instead of playing slot machines, they are more focused on high-end nightclubs with internationally acclaimed DJ’s and extravagant pool parties. With the most gambling games that offer only the minimal fun quotient, we came to the point where almost nobody wants to pay to play, unless attracted by a large progressive jackpot. It really seems that branded themes, hard-earned licenses and bonus games with free spins are not so attractive – therefore, the gambling industry has faced harsh times and is looking to improve its situation.
VR poker game: is it even possible?
Without any doubt, the gambling industry needs to embrace both new media and new platforms to attract younger players. A new vision is shaped and planned to change the wheel of fortune: poker has the potential to save the industry, but combined with virtual reality. With the Oculus Rift VR headset well-positioned on the market and available to the widest range of casino fans, they will be practically able to gamble in a VR casino. As one of the pioneers in this field, Slots Million has recently created the first ever fully functional, real-money, virtual reality online casino. Set against the backdrop of Blade Runner-themed futuristic city, Slots Million offers virtual casino lobby in the clouds, where you can explore the environment, interact with fellow players and play the casino games, of course. At the moment, you can only play slots, because they are simpler to render in 3D virtual reality, but we will probably see some card games in not-so-distant future. And yes, it is possible to transfer a poker game into virtual reality, because we’re talking about the most social and interactive form of gambling.
What to expect in the future
If everything goes as planned, virtual reality will bring a revolution in poker game. It will raise the poker training to another level and reinvent relationship between a student (or a novice player, call it as you like) and its trainer (better say, an experienced poker player willing to share his knowledge). It will also bring together both social gamers and real-money players, two groups traditionally treated as separate demographics by the gambling industry. The Global Poker League, brand new and unique competition, brought also unique gadget called the Cube that has some elements of virtual reality built-in. With the adoption of virtual reality hardware, the market will grow massively in the period from three to 5 years of its inception. As predicted, hardware market will be $ 2.8 billion worth by 2020. With all that in mind, we firmly believe virtual casinos will add a new value to the gaming industry – if they manage to keep focus on the quality and gameplay, of course.
At the bottom line, virtual reality has a great chance to level up the entire industry, whether with the growing selection of games or through the improved social interaction. With the army of poker fans searching for new ways to play this game of skill, we firmly believe that VR will manage to save the gambling industry in the years to come.