Augmented Reality (AR) technology has emerged as a transformative force in various industries. The world of online gambling is no exception. As the capabilities of AR evolve, there is a growing interest in exploring its potential application in iGaming. With the ability to overlay digital elements onto the real world, AR has the potential to revolutionize the way we play. It can blur the boundaries between the virtual and physical worlds. Today, we’ll delve into the exciting possibilities of AR in the casino gaming landscape. We will explore the games that could integrate this immersive technology to create captivating and interactive experiences for players. From iconic card games to thrilling slot machines, we will envision how AR could enhance gameplay. And we’ll look at how it will create unique visualizations, and provide a new level of engagement for casino enthusiasts.
Slot machines
Many online casinos are built almost exclusively around slot machines. Even those that are not, like Betway, have hundreds of them players can explore. Slot machines are available in an incredible variety. They cover every theme, every topic, and they are available in countless innovative formats.
Slot machines would work in AR just like traditional movies would. They are inherently tied to a screen, so they could only work as a projection. And since you have almost nothing to interact with, playing a slot machine in AR wouldn’t be a novel experience – except maybe for the size of the screen.
Video poker
Same as above, video poker is a game that’s been invented with screens in mind, so it wouldn’t work in an AR or VR setting.
Roulette
Roulette would be a much better choice for an AR casino game than slot machines. This is probably why Microgaming, one of the veterans of the iGaming industry, has chosen it for its first VR game, back in 2015. VR Roulette was a huge success at the industry events where it was presented and collected all the awards in its category. It’s not the game’s fault that it was never released 🙂
Imagine your headset projecting a roulette table in front of you. Imagine a live dealer (or an avatar) handling your chips and spinning the wheel in front of you. It would be an experience almost as immersive as sitting in a real casino.
Blackjack
Blackjack is another popular game in both online and real-life casinos. It is one of the few casino games that work both in a random number generator and live dealer format. When played against an RNG, it is fast-paced and unpredictable. When playing against a live dealer, it’s cosy, exciting, and fun. And, of course, unpredictable, too.
Blackjack could be great when played in an AR setting. The software could project a felt-covered table on any surface around you, and a dealer – a real-life person or an avatar – sitting behind it.
Baccarat
Baccarat is pretty boring when played against an RNG, and for many, it’s a pretty uninteresting game when played at a casino table. Not for high-rollers, though. It’s a game where high stakes keep flying around, where fortunes can change hands almost instantly. And it’s pretty fast. Dealers often delay revealing the final card in the game to heighten the tension and provide gratification to the players.
Baccarat would be an interesting choice to be played in AR. On the one hand, the game is only truly exciting when played in a real-life casino. It could work in AR but it wouldn’t be as exciting as it could be. Perhaps this is the game that would work best in virtual reality – the full immersion it offers could turn to play online baccarat into an experience on par with sitting at a table at Venetian Macau.
New forms of gambling
The classic games available in casinos were invented long before computers or screens were even a thing. They were built to be played at tables, surrounded by other players, facing a dealer. These are the games that work best in augmented reality or virtual reality.
The modern-day games that are available in casinos were built with screens in mind. Even the slot machine, invented more than a century ago, had a display where players could watch the reels turn – and this improved a lot in time, as video slots and online slots were invented. Slot machines and other similar games work great on devices with screens but projecting them in AR doesn’t add anything to the experience.
Perhaps new formats will be invented when AR becomes mainstream. iGaming developers have proven over the years that they are ready to expand to new platforms and that they are inventive and bold enough to experiment. The AR platform, while not entirely new, is at the beginning of its road when it comes to mainstream adoption, so there’s a lot of innovation to be done on it. So, it’s safe to say we can expect new forms of gambling – and many new forms of gaming – to hit it in the coming months and years.
Final words
The integration of augmented reality (AR) technology into the world of online casino gaming holds tremendous potential. Games like slot machines and video poker don’t offer an enhanced experience in an AR. In turn, roulette, blackjack, and baccarat could be improved by this immersive technology. The ability to project a virtual gaming table with a live dealer in front of players creates an engaging and realistic experience. The same goes for roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. As AR continues to evolve and gain mainstream adoption, it is likely that new forms of gambling and gaming. These will be developed specifically for this new platform. iGaming developers have a history of innovation and experimentation. The AR platform provides a fertile ground for their creative endeavours. The future of AR in casino gaming is promising. It offers players unique and captivating experiences that bridge the gap between the virtual and physical worlds.
