Online casino gaming has really taken off over the last few decades and become a major form of entertainment globally. This has certainly been seen around New Zealand, for example, where playing at online casinos has enabled people far away from land-based venues to get in on the action. When you consider that the global online gambling industry is expected to be worth around $153.6bn come 2030, it is clear what a rapid ascent it is on.
But why has this entertainment niche flourished so much lately? While there are multiple reasons for this, the choice of safe internet casinos to game at is a major factor. As this Rizk casino review shows, there are some top sites for people to choose from, which offer awesome bonuses, superb customer support and plenty of games to enjoy.
Another reason for iGaming’s rise over the last few years has been its adoption of the latest tech to continually move forward. The latest development many are talking about is the metaverse – but how could it affect online casino play?
What is the metaverse?
In simple terms, it is being touted as the next step forward for the internet and how the real/virtual worlds interact. The metaverse itself exists totally online but is experienced by players in the real world through the use of VR headsets. By using these headsets to navigate the network of connected 3D virtual worlds contained in the metaverse, players get a truly immersive experience.
But how might all this affect online casino gaming?
Improvements to game experience
While just what 2022 might have in store come year end is not entirely clear yet, the metaverse will bring a new level of immersion and realism with it. This is, of course, great news for online casino players and the online casino sector. Although previous leaps forward (like live casino games) have addressed this somewhat, online play still doesn’t quite have the same feel as being in a real-life casino.
It is hoped that the metaverse will finally answer this tricky issue, which iGaming has been grappling with since its inception. By putting players firmly into the online casino they are playing at and enabling them to interact with other players, the metaverse could make online gaming as atmospheric as in real life.
A new way to interact with online casino games
As well as the experience iGamers could get, the metaverse might also have an impact on how we interact with casino classics virtually. At the moment, for instance, people either sit in front of a mobile phone, laptop or PC screen when playing these kinds of games. This can get a bit tiring after a while, though, and is not how you would interact with such games in a real-life setting.
The metaverse is set to change all this and give us a new way to get involved with games online. By putting players firmly inside the game in a virtual setting, we are no longer playing in front of a screen but interacting with the casino in a more organic, simple and natural way. This is a big move forward for online play and could mark a significant change.
Offline features coming into online play
One major impact of the metaverse for online casino play is how it could bring previously lost offline features back into online gaming. As well as the real-world casino atmosphere, online gaming has also lost characteristics like being able to observe other players’ body language at the table. This is entirely understandable, when you consider the tech online casino platforms have had to work with until now.
The metaverse, though, could transform this and bring real-life characteristics back into online play. As you will be playing in a fully immersive virtual world and interacting with players whose avatars are controlled by their offline body movements, you will start to be able to read body language once more. This could be a great bonus for those who value it as an aid to work out opponents’ strategies and be more successful when gambling.
The metaverse is set to transform online casino play
If you thought that live casino games were next-level awesome, wait until you try what the metaverse promises to offer iGaming! When you also factor in how it could speed up the adoption of cryptocurrencies into the industry, it is clear just what a huge impact this latest tech development could have for online casino gaming.