Virtual Reality: Are VR Casinos the Future?

One topic that is increasingly emerging as the “next big thing” is virtual reality – or VR for short. Virtual Reality lets the user immerse himself in virtual realities thanks to VR glasses. A Bruce Springsteen concert can be experienced up close on the stage as well as the steppes of Africa from the perspective of a safari traveler. We are investigating the question: are VR casinos the future?

VR casinos are already a reality

So far, virtual reality has primarily been used in the gaming area. It won’t be long, however, before this trend finds its way into other areas such as education and entertainment. Of course, this trend has not escaped the gambling industry either. Online casinos and casino software providers are already working on their own VR casino offers or have already opened them – still largely unnoticed by the public. In the following article we want to take a look at how virtual reality can already be used today and what offers are already available in the VR casino area.

Technical requirements to use VR offers

In order to be able to use virtual reality, it is necessary to have so-called VR glasses. There are currently some solutions on the market. Probably the most complex solution is to buy pure VR glasses. A cheaper option is to buy glasses that require you to put your smartphone into the glasses. With this variant you can enjoy the VR world via the display of your smartphone. In the following section we want to give you a brief overview of the currently most popular VR glasses.

Oculus Rift

The company Oculus is the pioneer in terms of VR glasses development. This didn’t escape the notice of Facebook either, and in 2014 the company was acquired for a whopping two billion dollars. The glasses offered by Oculus are the Oculus Rift. These glasses are pure VR glasses and must be connected to a desktop computer. It is important to mention here that the PC must have a good graphics card and sufficient memory.

The best way to order an Oculus Rift is through the company’s website. The price for one device is $ 599 plus shipping. Since the demand for the glasses is extremely high, the delivery time is often several months.

Samsung Gear VR

In contrast to the Oculus Rift, with the Samsung device you have to insert your mobile phone into the glasses – this is then used as a display. The Samsung Gear glasses are therefore also a lot cheaper. At Amazon you can purchase the glasses from around € 87.

The Samsung VR glasses work with all smartphones of the Galaxy S6 and S7 series, but not with any other smartphones.

Google Cardboard

The Google Cardboard is the inexpensive version of Google. It works on the principle of the Samsung Gear, but is made of cardboard and therefore not nearly as good in quality as the Samsung model. However, the price is extremely moderate at $ 15.

The Google Cardboard is compatible with a large number of smartphones, including the iPhone. Those who simply want to test virtual reality should buy these glasses.

Other models

A search for VR glasses on Amazon brings a multitude of results. The spectrum on offer ranges from cardboard glasses to glasses that are very similar to Samsung Gear, but much cheaper. First and foremost, it is important that you check whether your smartphone fits into the respective glasses.

In order to be able to enjoy VR via smartphones, the corresponding apps must also be downloaded. Samsung has a very large number of VR apps, but there is also a very good selection in Google’s Android shop. At the moment there are primarily a variety of games available. The offer is being expanded daily, however, as more and more software developers discover this market for themselves.

Virtual Casinos – What is it?

After we have given you a brief overview of the technical details of virtual reality, we now want to take a look at how VR can be implemented for online casinos. We recommend you watch this short video.

This video is a promotional video from the Slotsmillion casino. The Slotsmillion is the first casino in the EU area that already offers a VR casino. In this video you can see the game lobby of the future. The player enters a very real looking casino with lots of slot machines. In addition, you will hear the appropriate casino sounds in the background. In the video, the player in the casino can walk around between the machines as normal. If you take a closer look at the machines, you can see well-known slots from providers such as Netent.

How do the games in VR Casino work?

The games work in VR casinos just like in a normal online casino. After you have entered the gaming lobby, you can go to the game of your choice and virtually take a seat at the slot machine. The virtual slot game is now displayed as if you were sitting in a game library in front of the machine. So you see a screen with borders, but you can also look around freely. You can adjust the turns and bets either with your mouse or with a game controller. In terms of game rules and winnings, VR games work exactly the same as slot machines on desktop or mobile games.

Where can you gamble in the virtual casino today?

The first and so far only provider in German-speaking countries to offer a VR casino is Slotsmillion. Slotsmillion Casino we have already created a detailed review. Since all tested points such as bonus offer, reliability, payouts, customer service and others apply to the VR Casino as well as to the online casino, we will only go into the VR Casino from Slotsmillion here.

In order to be able to play the VR Casino at Slotsmillion, it is necessary to open an account with Slotsmillion and then download the VR software. The VR software only works on computers with Windows operating systems. The VR Casino software is not compatible with Apple’s MacOS. You must also have Oculus Rift glasses. The software does not yet work with the other glasses presented above. If you don’t have an Oculus Rift, you can still play the Slotsmillion VR Casino in a 3D mode on your computer. Although this does not bring you the real VR experience, it is still a good way to test the VR Casino. You can use either a mouse and keyboard or a game controller as a controller.

Slotsmillion VR Casino currently has around 40 games on offer. Table games are currently not available, but very well-known slots such as Starburst, Jack Hammer or Foxin Wins. For a product that is only at the beginning of its development, the range is already extremely extensive. Since this is a virtual casino, it is also possible that you will meet other players in the gaming lobby. Of course, this increases the feeling of reality. However, other players will never be able to see your game screen or your account balance.

If you want to request withdrawals or make a deposit, unfortunately you cannot do this in the VR Casino yet. For this you have to switch to the classic casino mode.

Conclusion: are VR casinos the future?

VR technology is only just beginning, but it will certainly keep us busy for the next few years. Since the gaming industry is usually very quick to adapt new technologies, we also expect the range of VR casino solutions to increase significantly in the next six to 18 months. Slotsmillion Casino is certainly the pioneer in the area of casino VR, and the range of games and the technical implementation is absolutely remarkable. In any case, we will keep you informed about the latest developments in the field of gambling and virtual reality.