Take a look at some of the biggest technological advancements in casino history
You might be sitting at home, curled up on the sofa, fancying a quick spin of the reels, or a thrilling game of Poker. You can’t bear the thought of getting dressed up, leaving the house and attending your local casino, so it’s a good job that you don’t have to. With the click of a few buttons, you could fire up your chosen device, head over to an online casino and start playing some of the great casino games that they have to offer.
It’s easy to take the accessibility of this experience and the quality of the games for granted, but we have many technological advancements to thank for it. Of course, there’s a time and place in our hearts for both online casino games and a trip to a land-based casino, and technology has enhanced both experiences and continues to do so. So, keep reading as we take a look at some of the biggest and most influential technological advancements in the history and future of casino gaming.
Online casino technologies
The first online casino site launched back in 1996, and with it a new era of casino gaming was born. As of 2020, the global online gambling market was valued at $66.72 billion and continues to grow, since more and more people enjoy the convenience of playing their favourite games online, and the excitement of the new regular gaming releases on the platforms.
Take Slots for example. You won’t find any land-based casino that can offer the same variety of slot games as an online site. One minute you could be playing on a classic fruit machine and the next, you could embark on a blockbuster adventure into a themed slot inspired by one of your favourite movies. Video Slots are jam-packed with features, like free spins and mini games, designed to provide you with thrills and spills, and maximise your chances of winning some incredible prizes. We can thank technology for the fairness of online slot games, since they employ a random number generator (RNG), which ensures that the outcome is always completely random and cannot be affected or tampered with by the casino site.
If Slots aren’t your thing and you prefer a classy, traditional table game, then fear not, since online gaming platforms can immerse you in your favourite game, making you feel like you’ve taken a trip to the land-based casino. This is all thanks to live casino games, that enable you to play table games like Roulette and Poker, for example, in real time, in the company of a professional live dealer. Of course, this experience would not be possible without the incredible technology behind the game like the array of cameras that provide you with different viewpoints of the table and the Gaming Control Unit (GCU) which keeps the dealer informed about your moves.
Virtual and augmented reality
You might think that you’ve just taken a trip to the future, but it’s true, many online casino sites have begun to implement virtual and augmented reality technologies into their platforms. Augmented reality games enable you to project images (using your device) into the real world, meaning you could be holding up your phone and viewing a Roulette wheel in the real world, through your screen, you just won’t be able to see or touch it in reality.
Virtual reality (VR) headsets are becoming more of an obtainable household gaming device, since they can now be purchased for around £300. Once you don your headset, you’ll be immersed within a casino and feel as though you’re actually there, which will provide you with the ultimate immersive experience. This technology is still in developmental stages, in terms of its implementation into online casino platforms, but since technology is evolving so rapidly, it shouldn’t be long before you’re experiencing the future of casino games.
