Until it was supplanted by AI as the hot topic in technology, virtual reality was the sector that was getting all of the headlines. It promised to completely transform the way in which we could do everything from learn new skills to experience the world around us.

It was also technology that had many false dawns. But, in the last few years have seen it well and truly enter the mainstream.

Unsurprisingly, it has been the gaming industry that has been quick to explore the possibilities that it offers with a number of titles emerging across a wide range of genres.

Where the gaming world goes, the online casino sector is often quick to follow. After all, it’s an industry that relies on bringing innovative ideas to the table to satisfy existing players as well as to attract new ones.

It’s also an intensely competitive sector so any advantage is quickly seized upon.

While it’s still relatively early days and adoption of VR in casinos is very much still in its infancy the effect is starting to be seen. And anyone keen to learn more about casinos online could do well to find out more about this particular topic.

A more immersive experience

Ever since the first online casinos appeared on the scene there has been one over-riding aim. This has been to make the experience of playing in one as realistic as possible.

In the early days this was not an option. The games were simple and the graphics straightforward. As technology advanced everything became better and more highly refined.

Then came the breakthrough of the so-called “live” online casino. This involved playing games like roulette and blackjack that are run by real dealers and streamed direct to players’ PCs, phones or tablets.

Now VR is taking things a little further still. This means not simply getting the impression that as a player you’re in the casino with the dealer, you could be transported to any casino in the world. Maybe it’s the rococo opulence of a gaming room in Monaco that surrounds you or the brasher delights of somewhere on the Vegas strip. In terms of game immersion, this is hard to beat.

There are also other applications that are being tried out. These include slots games that take you into the themed worlds that they portray. So instead of seeing the treasures of the pyramids on screen, players can find themselves surrounded by them as they’re transported back to ancient Egypt.

And it’s not just slots that are set to benefit. New games are also undoubtedly in the pipeline as well as variations on existing favourites like roulette, blackjack and craps.

It all comes at a cost

While this sounds like a great time to be a casino player as well as a casino operator, there are also certain considerations that need to be taken into account.

The first of these is something that has always presented something of a hurdle to the wide-scale adoption of VR technology – the cost.

Until relatively recently VR headsets have been expensive to buy as well as being quite unwieldy to wear. Add to this the possible need for more powerful computers to run VR games and this can start to exclude many players.

For the developers of new games, there is a similar increase in costs but, in their case, it’s in the hours involved in creating games with full VR functionality. This would be fine if they could be confident that there would be enough players to justify the investment. But this isn’t always a given.

The third consideration concerns the possible regulatory issues surrounding the new technology. Increasingly, the industry is being required to self-regulate in order to keep players safe. The extra-immersive environment of a virtual reality casino can bring a whole new range of considerations into the equation.

These are all aspects with the potential to hinder the wider-scale adoption of VR in online casino as well as raising certain ethical issues.

Looking to the future

Despite these caveats, it seems that now that VR is with us it’s going to be here to stay in the casino sector. As more and more people acquire the all-important VR headsets ever greater momentum is going to be built up.

This, in turn, will encourage an increasing number of developers to put in the time, effort and investment to create the next generation of casino games including learning the specific principles that have to be considered.

With online casinos keen to attract a younger demographic than currently play in them, the addition of VR games will provide added appeal.

So it all adds to a generally bright outlook for virtual reality in online casinos, despite the numerous hurdles that will need to be overcome in the process.