Where are VR slots & VR casinos today? Insiders provide answers

"Game changer", "groundbreaking", "gaming experience of the future": headlines like these were more common a few years ago when it came to virtual reality (VR) and gaming. The first VR slots or even entire VR casinos were proudly presented at international trade fairs and made quite an impression. Many predicted a revolution. However, the whole thing never really caught on. Insiders recently revealed why this might be the case and which top innovation is really likely to stick around for the long term.

Many people who have been playing in online casinos for a while will remember a time when VR slots or VR live casinos were considered the next big thing. Well, a few years later, things look a little different - and you can't help but wonder: what has actually happened to the "groundbreaking" gambling technologies?

But what about the possibilities around VR slots, AR slots or even mixed reality games that were hyped not so long ago? A few years ago - especially before the new Interstate Gambling Treaty (GlüStV) came into force in 2021 - there were plenty of VR offerings.

• Some top casinos had already set up special VR areas where you could immerse yourself in virtual arcades with the right equipment.
• Major developers such as NetEnt and Microgaming (now Games Global) were experimenting with VR games and PokerStars VR, which is now known in a slightly different form as Vegas Infinite by PokerStars, also had a certain heyday.

But today? Surprisingly little remains of all this. The big VR gaming boom seems to have disappeared without a trace before it could even really take off. Some industry insiders have recently commented on this in the international trade press. We want to take this as an opportunity to take a closer look at why the former "gaming experience of the future" may have failed. One thing is certain: while VR slots may not have taken off as hoped, blockchain is unlikely to leave the field of gambling any time soon.

What does virtual reality and augmented reality mean in the casino context and how does it work?

Simply put on VR goggles, enter a digital gambling hall and stroll between flashing machines or roulette tables - almost as if you were in Las Vegas.

• This is exactly the idea behind virtual reality in the casino sector: a completely digital environment that takes the gaming experience to a new level.
• Augmented reality goes one step further by superimposing virtual elements onto our real world - such as interactive playing fields on the living room table.
• In mixed reality, the digital and real worlds merge even more and interact with each other more freely. Digital objects can adapt to the physical environment and react to it, for example in the form of a hologram croupier who deals virtual cards to other players.

Some online casinos ventured into these technologies almost ten years ago, with gaming providers playing a key role. Brands such as NetEnt, Microgaming and several others optimized special offers for VR glasses. In a press release from NetEnt, VR was announced as the focus of the company's presentation at the ICE 2018 trade fair. Around a year earlier, the company had already spoken of a "growing trend" in an official statement and predicted a "rapidly growing virtual reality market".

►The result: you could play various classics such as Starburst or Gonzo's Quest right in front of your eyes or virtually immerse yourself in the respective playing field and/or enter different levels/areas there. There were 3D graphics and lots to discover. When you won, you found yourself in a rain of gems and coins. These games integrated the casinos into a detailed virtual environment. Players could move around freely in locations with bars, lounge corners and numerous slot machines. Various room categories such as "Best Games" or "Tablegames" provided additional orientation.

★ However, according to the VR casino visionaries at the time, this was only the beginning: In the future, even more immersive game concepts would be conceivable, in which the user could interact not only visually but also with haptic feedback. For example, using gloves with tactile resistance or motion sensors that transfer your own behavior directly into the game and thus replace keyboard or gamepad controls.

That is why we are not (yet) all playing in VR casinos today

So why hasn't VR caught on?

• The short answer:because it's not easy enough.
• The long answer: Well, as industry insiders confirm, the technology has several problems to contend with - from the price and convenience to the question of whether users are even interested in this form of gambling.
  
  

Expensive equipment, little benefit - the major stumbling blocks of VR casinos

The truly groundbreaking technologies of our time - such as PCs, the internet and smartphones - only became established when they became affordable, intuitive and really useful. VR glasses? They are still expensive, difficult to set up and only really appealing to a very limited target group. Even Apple couldn't convince with the Vision Pro. Instead of an innovation suitable for everyday use for the mass market, they presented a high-end headset costing 3,500 dollars for an elite niche - a far cry from what the first iPhone meant for modern communication.

Marketing professor and entrepreneur Scott Galloway put it in a nutshell even before the Vision Pro was released:

"The final nail in the coffin for this headset-driven VR hallucination."

The reality is correspondingly sobering: Anyone who puts on VR glasses today is quickly confronted with classic problems - they are clunky, restrict freedom of movement and can even cause nausea due to the so-called motion sickness phenomenon. According to studies, this affects up to 20 percent of male users, and women even more frequently. A massive disadvantage for a technology that is supposed to be immersive and intuitive.

The question that no one could answer: Why at all?

Providers of VR and AR in gaming should have started with a clear vision from the outset: We'll solve this or that problem with it! Matt Howard, CEO of OrbitalBet, summarizes it as follows:

"If you can't answer what improvement you're going to make or what problem you're going to solve, then nobody's going to invest money in those things."

And therein lies the problem. Most players are perfectly happy with their existing options. Instead of putting on bulky goggles, configuring them and then immersing themselves in a virtual gaming world, all they need is a cell phone or laptop to get started with a few clicks.

Rich Criado, former VP at Fanatics Game Studios, agrees:

"The average casino customer isn't going to put on this huge headset, plug it into a computer, charge it up and do all the things you have to do just to play a game when you can play on your cell phone."

So while gamers and technology enthusiasts are excited about VR, the classic casino target group is rather reluctant when it comes to major technological changes. Too expensive, too complicated, too little added value.

Is that it for VR and AR?

Probably not. At least the Facebook group Meta doesn't seem to be giving up just yet. In July 2024, it announced a collaboration with eyewear giant Essilor Luxottica (which owns brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley ).

Could this be the moment when gaming jumps back on the VR-AR bandwagon? It's still too early to say. But if the technology can be made more suitable for everyday use and offer real added value, VR in casinos could perhaps become a hit after all.

Insiders are certain: the future really does belong to blockchain

Not every futuristic technology turns out to be a pipe dream. While virtual reality and augmented reality in gambling have so far tended to fail due to a lack of mass suitability, there is another trend that is proving to be much more robust: blockchain . Some time ago, we asked ourselves whether blockchain would revolutionize online gaming.

Cryptocurrencies have developed rapidly in recent years. Since 2019, the value of Bitcoin - the best-known digital currency - has risen by more than 2,500 percent. Countries such as Malta and Japan have already integrated crypto into their financial systems - and Bitcoin, Ethereum and co. also offer enormous advantages in the gambling industry: lightning-fast transactions, minimal fees and a high degree of anonymity. These are arguments that go down well with players and operators alike.

Cryptocurrencies have therefore established themselves in gambling, but the actual role of blockchain technology as the foundation of many applications is still not quite so clear. Matt Howard sums up the dilemma:

"Many companies have asked themselves: should we build an entire platform on blockchain? But what for? What makes blockchain better than the technologies we already use?"

In fact, blockchain is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it enables tamper-proof transactions and a high level of security, but on the other hand, it cannot hide its weaknesses in the high-speed business of online gambling. In sports betting and casino games, thousands of transactions have to be processed per second in some cases. Every single blockchain transaction here requires the creation of a new block - a process that is not only time-consuming but also energy-intensive. Too much focus on the concept could therefore be detrimental - it simply does not have enough added value overall.

Nevertheless, blockchain is likely to remain an integral part of the online gambling industry due to its benefits around casino or sports betting payments alone.

Would VR slots or AR machines be conceivable in German online casinos?

The idea of playing in German online casinos using VR or AR can be quite exciting. But how realistic is this scenario given the current legal situation?

Despite many restrictions, there is no explicit exclusion of VR- or AR-based games in German online gambling. However, such offerings would have to meet the strict requirements of the GlüStV of 2021. And this could be problematic, particularly in terms of player protection and addiction prevention.

Considering these conditions, it seems rather unlikely that VR casinos will ever be given the green light in Germany.

Conclusion: what remains, what is coming?

VR technologies are not yet completely off the table in gambling, but there has been no major, rapid breakthrough. Blockchain has already had a much more lasting impact on the industry - particularly in the area of payment methods.

"Older millennials are approaching 40 and they've grown up playing video games where they control the outcome. So will they be interested in a game that's primarily about pressing a button over and over again? Probably not."

The challenge is to give users a sense of control - without changing the fundamental randomness of the gameplay. One example of an already quite popular manifestation of this idea are the buy features, which more and more slots are offering in different variations.

Source of the image: Screenshot from https://www.netent.com/en/netent-pioneers-online-casino-with-real-money-virtual-reality-slot/

Central text sources: https://igamingbusiness.com/tech-innovation/gambling-tech-innovation-slowed-whats-next/, https://www.derstandard.de/story/3000000230597/warum-vr-und-ar-headsets-schon-immer-zum-scheitern-verurteilt-waren, https://www.netent.com/en/netent-pioneers-online-casino-with-real-money-virtual-reality-slot/, https://www.netent.com/en/netent-displays-strength-and-breadth-of-products-and-services-at-2018-ice-totally-gaming/