Virtual Reality Slots: Opportunities and Threats
A hallmark of the gambling industry has been its consistent ability to stay ahead of the curve in order to become as attractive as possible to the legions of gamblers around at numerous points throughout history. This is especially true in the realm of technology, where many leaders in the casino world are intent on covering new ground, all in pursuit of as much gambling revenue as possible. Online slot games are a great example of this, becoming one of the industry’s highest earners and just under two decades. The amount that these games have progressed is genuinely outrageous, especially when you consider their humble beginnings as land-based physical slot machines back in the last few years of the 1800s. In fact, Charles D. Fey, the man widely regarded as the father of slot machines, would be completely and utterly shocked if he were to see how far his creation has come.
But here’s the thing: the online slot industry continues to innovate each and every year, meaning that new titles are consistently one-upping each other in a variety of different sectors. The different bonus features, for instance, have got steadily more complex and rewarding since the decade has gone on, something that has consequently resulted in it being even easier to secure the almighty jackpot that so many people crave. Online slot graphics have also been steadily evolving, with the clunky and pixelated appearance of early titles being replaced by super HD and impeccably smooth aesthetics. Some slots, like Centurion by Inspired Gaming, for instance, can now rival genuine bona fide computer games in the realm of graphics, testimony to the good work put in by online casino developers. This has paved the way for an even more exciting development in the online slot world – virtual reality slots. Read on for a lowdown of some of the opportunities and threats that can be derived from virtual reality slots.
Overall industry growth
Come on; you would be seriously silly to think that something like virtual reality online slots wouldn’t attract a whole load of new gamblers to the industry. With the recent emergence of commercially viable VR technology such as Oculus Rift, virtual reality is somewhat of a buzzword these days anyway, so just imagine the pandemonium when it appears alongside online slots!
Many top tier gambling analysts predict that virtual reality slots could have a positive impact on overall industry growth in the same way that mobile slots did around a decade ago. For those that don’t know, mobile slots singlehandedly doubled the online slot market on their arrival. Pretty good, eh?
Even more chance of revenue
And you know what more gamblers means, don’t you? Oh yes, more revenue being made by online casinos and developers alike. Virtual reality slots, if done well, of course, are sure to be an absolute hit with slot gamblers from across the spectrum, something that naturally means a lot more money will be spent spinning those reels – only a good thing for the companies responsible.
It is also, however, a good thing for us gamblers too, because it means that developers will be free to make sure their slot jackpots are as large as possible. And this in turn will only serve to drive even more players to the cause, which consequentially can result in exponentially rising jackpots. It is a delightfully cyclic result and one that will drive the excitement around virtual reality slots even higher.
Virtual reality online casinos
But what would the emergence of virtual reality actually look like in regard to online casino and online slots? Many people struggle to see where the technology would fit into this world, and whilst we can agree to a degree, there are also some seriously exciting ways in which virtual reality could end up being used. The most obvious way (and one that has already begun to be utilized) is to set up whole virtual reality online casinos, ones you can walk around in, and even order a drink at, although, of course, they are ultimately just a virtual reality.
Instead of visiting a website, for example, and scrolling through the various online slots on offer, gamblers could instead walk through the doors of a casino in virtual reality, and walk past slot machine versions of their favorite online slots. In order to play one, you would simply have to sit down at it like you would in a Las Vegas slots hall – nice! The cool thing here as well is that you could choose to visit your favorite casino in virtual reality, or you could even design your own!
Genuine virtual reality online slots
Now, this is the part of the virtual reality slot world that we are most excited about, as it could completely revolutionize the way we like to spin the reels. At the moment most online casino developers’ eyes are on the type of virtual reality we set out in the last point, however we cannot wait for things to get even more advanced than this.
Imagine playing your favorite online slot, from right inside the game itself! This is the direction that VR online slots could take in the future, and we cannot wait for developers to get stuck into it. Bonus games could be played from inside the bonus feature itself, something that would cause pretty outrageous excitement if you ask us.
Virtual reality and the increased risk of addiction
One of the only negatives about virtual reality and online slots is the fact that this technology could end up making the online casino world really rather addictive. The dangers of addiction would also be way higher, as gamblers could well remain plugged into VR slots for several hours at a time.
Personal security threats of virtual reality slots
Something else that people are slightly worried about when it comes to virtual reality slots is the added threat to their personal security. If somebody ever managed to maliciously hack a VR device the end result certainly wouldn’t be great…
