There are few things that have been around in the world as long as gambling, but these days it looks nothing like it used to.
Casinos and bookmakers have adopted new technology as it has developed and now traditional betting, like going into an office with a small paper slip, is more of a rarity.
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The scale of online gambling
Compared to having only a handful of big names per country to handle casino and sports betting, there are now thousands of sites online. The online betting industry is worth in the region of £60 billion a year and is set to jump to over £100 billion in the next few years.
The size of these sites ranges from small slot providers to companies that offer everything from live sports betting to full casino players. Prominent names in the industry like Paddy Power can offer events and prizes; you can check here the latest casino bonuses and offers to compare for yourself. In many cases, this is because the online site is part of a traditional betting company, so they have a lot more weight behind them.
The tech of live casino games
The casinos of Las Vegas have an atmosphere all of their own, but realistically, most people aren’t going to be travelling thousands of miles to play, at least not regularly.
The modern online live casino brings the community and spectacle to players in their own homes. The latest technology allows players to interact with a live host, plus other players, for any card, dice or wheel game found at a physical casino.
In some cases, the technology actually amplifies the whole experience. For instance, games like Crazy Town from Evolution use various computer-generated visuals to make their bonus games stand out.
VR and AR in online casinos
The latest developments in the industry are pushing what can be done with live online games. Developers and providers are starting to integrate VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) into their games. VR puts the player into a 360-degree virtual environment as they play, while AR uses devices to overlay extra features and graphics directly onto a live stream.
One of the best examples of both features in one game is Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt, again by Evolution. AR is used to add a virtual character and other features into the live studio alongside the host, and the game’s VR mode basically gets players into the studio themselves, although a VR headset is required on the player’s side to make this work.
The future of tech
It’s hard to tell which direction online gambling will take with technology, just as it’s difficult to know exactly what the next big technology will be. But the recent past shows the industry is not afraid to try out exciting new technologies. And the potential for more interactivity, like players rolling their own dice on a table or having video feeds around a virtual poker table, is definitely a direction we could see soon.