How VR Will Take The Casino/Sports Betting Industry By Storm

Mark Zuckerberg has picked another winning horse with virtual reality as he announces plans for the metaverse. The Facebook founder has said that with virtual reality, humans will finally be able to make eye contact and connect in a whole new way over the internet. However, we're inclined to believe VR doesn't just stop at social media. When an affordable generation of reliable hardware finally hits the shelves, consumers will feel the impact on all forms of media.

Let's explore just how VR will affect casino and sports betting and which games we can expect to see changes in from the beginning.

"blackjack table" by thewrongglass is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Online Casinos

With an industry as big as online casinos, it's hard to imagine where VR will make the biggest changes. However, it is likely that games such as blackjack, slots and slingo will see some of the biggest changes. While it might be a small change, it could mean the world for immersion as players will be able to sit down at a blackjack table through VR. Slots will equally be affected as whole worlds can be created for the player to inhabit while the reels spin on the screen.

Slingo seems like it has the most potential for change as games like Fire & Ice, Starburst, and Berserk will deliver a more action-packed experience. With haptic suits, the action can be felt and players will be able to manipulate the world around them. With the help of VR, slingo will morph worlds right in front of the players' eyes. If that's not a selling point, we don't know what is.

"Team One Esports" by Luringa is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

eSports

Let's make one thing clear: eSports is already gaining popularity by the second. Tournaments are worth millions of dollars and players sign contracts that dwarf the average citizen's salary. It's a big deal. But with the help of VR, it will become an unstoppable juggernaut. Fans will now be able to sit in an arena to watch players compete with their whole bodies. In this, games like Overwatch, Street Fighter, and Counter-Strike will appeal more to your conventional athlete, so competition can broaden.

With the new season of Overwatch league starting in May, it might only be a matter of time before one of the leagues is VR only. However, that might be a dream that will have to wait until Blizzard's next instalment in the franchise.



"Team One Esports" by Luringa is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Conventional Sports

Imagine everyone in the world being able to watch the World Cup from the stands. If the 2022 World Cup in Qatar promises to bring in viewership like the 2018 World Cup final, we'll see over a billion viewers tuning in at some point. Imagine being able to sell virtual seats to the game to all of those people.

This would be a business that could work for every major sport; if you can't physically make it to the game, we can sell you a virtual seat for a fraction of the cost. This can be taken further by selling virtual season tickets. If you have access to a VR setup, you can watch every single game your team plays that year - from the stands. Virtual reality opens up the possibility for a whole new breed of superfans and we're all for it.

So there's certainly a lot possible with the help of VR technology. What will and won't be implemented is anybody's guess, but changes are certainly on the horizon.