In the two decades since online gaming first emerged it’s come a long, long way since the earliest days. When they began casino games were essentially two dimensional video games with very little player involvement beyond pushing a button or two to bet or make a move.
But as technology advanced at an ever-increasing rate the leading online casinos embraced the changes to provide an ever more immersive and involving experience for all – and that’s why, according to figures, online gambling is the most popular form of the activity in the UK today.
Going live
One of the biggest changes of recent years has been the introduction of tech that has enabled the “live” casino experience. This was a reaction to the feeling that an online casino can never quite recreate the thrill and excitement of its “bricks and mortar” rival.
But now more and more of the leading casinos are offering the option to play games including poker, blackjack and roulette with real dealers in real time. What’s made this possible is a piece of tech called a Game Control Unit (GCU) which works with the sort of number recognition system used by garages and car parks. Together these digitise the live action and produce data that can be seamlessly incorporated in the online play.
All the signs are that this more interactive form of play is drawing ever more players to the sites, possibly at the expense of the real casinos.
Super slots
Of all of the games you’ll find at online casinos it’s the slots that are the most popular – and therefore the biggest money-spinners for the casinos. There are even sites dedicated to online slots, Wink Slots offer a huge variety of games, meaning every visitor is satisfied. There are a number of reasons for their popularity including the fact that they can be themed to appeal to a particular group of people as well as just how easy they are to play. Some even have an auto play feature so the games can actually play themselves while the player looks on.
This also means that slots developers and casinos invest a great deal of money into making them better to play and more exciting too, often taking their cues from video games developers by including different levels to reach, hidden features and even video inserts in the middle of the game. So it’s all a far cry from the three reel “fruit machines” of yesteryear.
The VR revolution
Looking ahead, there is one technological breakthrough that many feel is certain to transform the online gaming experience even more and it’s come from the emergence of virtual reality into the mainstream.
Now that headsets have become affordable for most, huge investments are now going into creating virtual casinos where players will be able to “enter” a version of the real thing and play their favourite games whenever and wherever they want to.
It’s an exciting prospect and one which could spell even more trouble for land-based casinos. After all, why travel all the way to Las Vegas or Macau when you could get the same experience in the comfort of your own home?
So it looks like the tech revolution in online gaming is far from over. In fact it could just be beginning.
Going live
One of the biggest changes of recent years has been the introduction of tech that has enabled the “live” casino experience. This was a reaction to the feeling that an online casino can never quite recreate the thrill and excitement of its “bricks and mortar” rival.
But now more and more of the leading casinos are offering the option to play games including poker, blackjack and roulette with real dealers in real time. What’s made this possible is a piece of tech called a Game Control Unit (GCU) which works with the sort of number recognition system used by garages and car parks. Together these digitise the live action and produce data that can be seamlessly incorporated in the online play.
All the signs are that this more interactive form of play is drawing ever more players to the sites, possibly at the expense of the real casinos.
Super slots
Of all of the games you’ll find at online casinos it’s the slots that are the most popular – and therefore the biggest money-spinners for the casinos. There are even sites dedicated to online slots, Wink Slots offer a huge variety of games, meaning every visitor is satisfied. There are a number of reasons for their popularity including the fact that they can be themed to appeal to a particular group of people as well as just how easy they are to play. Some even have an auto play feature so the games can actually play themselves while the player looks on.
This also means that slots developers and casinos invest a great deal of money into making them better to play and more exciting too, often taking their cues from video games developers by including different levels to reach, hidden features and even video inserts in the middle of the game. So it’s all a far cry from the three reel “fruit machines” of yesteryear.
The VR revolution
Looking ahead, there is one technological breakthrough that many feel is certain to transform the online gaming experience even more and it’s come from the emergence of virtual reality into the mainstream.
Now that headsets have become affordable for most, huge investments are now going into creating virtual casinos where players will be able to “enter” a version of the real thing and play their favourite games whenever and wherever they want to.
It’s an exciting prospect and one which could spell even more trouble for land-based casinos. After all, why travel all the way to Las Vegas or Macau when you could get the same experience in the comfort of your own home?
So it looks like the tech revolution in online gaming is far from over. In fact it could just be beginning.