Welcome back! In my last article I spoke a bit about how future technology could be implemented to enhance the online casino experience. In particular, I spoke about virtual reality goggles, such as the Oculus Rift, and how they could be used to transport the user into a virtual casino without requiring them to go anywhere. Imagine putting on a pair of glasses and suddenly finding yourself in a realistic-looking casino that’s all to yourself. But while this might sound like a brilliant idea to some of us, others will probably find it a bit inconvenient. After all, even putting aside the fact that you need to dedicate some time specifically to casino games without being able to multitask while doing it, the whole ‘virtual reality’ thing might be a bit too much for those who are more interested in the money aspect of gambling than in the casino experience one. But what if I told you that there is a way to get the best of both worlds?

Holograms – No Longer Sci-Fi Nerds’ Wet Dream

Holograms have been around in science fiction ever since the 19th century, but they didn’t really become a staple of the genre since “Star Wars” (“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi… You’re my only hope”). And it’s actually quite easy to see how – the idea of a three-dimensional image that could be projected upon any surface sounded really advanced, but not as advanced as something like artificial intelligence or faster-than-light travel. It seems like something that would be feasible within our lifetimes, maybe not exactly in the form that we’ve seen on “Star Trek” or “Total Recall”, but at least one that is close enough. And wouldn’t you know it – that prediction turned out to be true! At E3 2015 (the largest gaming convention in the world), Microsoft thoroughly demonstrated their brand new HoloLens. Basically, this is a pair of glasses (not goggles like the large and heavy Rift, just a pair of relatively ordinary glasses with plastic lenses) that allow you to see holograms right there in the living room. For example, take a look at this guy playing “Minecraft” on his coffee table:

Impressive, isn’t it? The HoloLens have multiple applications (another one I liked was the ability to open a “portal” to the “Minecraft” world on your wall and peek through it in three dimensions, as if it’s really a hole in the wall connecting you to a physical world on the other side. But my favourite feature of all is the HoloLens’ ability to create physical objects that aren’t really there, and to give the user the ability to interact with them by touching them. In the demo presented at E3 (which showed something rather similar to the image above), the presenter was able to move the “Minecraft” world popping out of the table with his fingers, pulling it up in order to reveal the caves underneath the surface. Something like this could revolutionize gaming, and not just videogaming!

Are You Talking About A Holographic Casino?

You bet I am! Imagine a casino created out of holograms right there in your room! Imagine sitting down behind your computer, doing your own thing, maybe writing that report that your boss has been nagging you about for, like, half a week now, perhaps listening to music or watching a movie or something like that… And meanwhile, you look down at your desk, where a Blackjack hand has been dealt to you. You tap your fingers down on the table every time you need a new card, hoping to get that much needed 21. You also have your chips, which you can physically drag around in order to readjust your bet. Sure, it’s not the same without physical feedback (which holograms can’t provide), and there’s bound to be some lag every once in a while, but it’s literally as close as we’re going to get to playing blackjack at home without a friend who’s willing to pay up when we win. Or imagine a slot machine that’s right there in the corner of your house, allowing you to physically pull the level and watch the rolls start going. And once again, keep in mind that we’re only limited by our own imagination – the slots aren’t really there, so they could do plenty of fun stuff that physical slots can not, like a cartoon slot jumping around happily when you win big. Of course, that’s not necessarily limited to your home – I mean, I’m sure that the HoloLens will require wi-fi in order to perform these particular functions, but imagine being outside at a bus stop and having a slot machine right in front of you. Sure, you’re going to look ridiculous constantly reaching out and grabbing nothing, but who cares – it’d be way more engaging than slotting on your phone! The HoloLens, and the other holographic devices that are sure to follow in the next 10 years, could revolutionize online gambling, revitalizing it and making it more accessible than ever before!

If 10 years ago somebody had come to me and said “Hey, Charlie, in the future we’re gonna play casino games on our phones”, I literally would have laughed. Not even me, a science fiction expert who has seen “Star Wars” so many times that he can play the movie immediately as a one-man show, could believe that our clunky old phones that barely supported games like “Snake” could ever play casino games. But then the smartphone revolution happened, and all of a sudden everybody could see the potential of those little devices we previously used exclusively for talking. As technology marches onwards, we quickly discover new ways to use it that would’ve seemed ridiculous only a few years prior. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few devices that are being developed right at this very moment that could revolutionize the future of online gambling.

VR Headsets

Virtual reality has been a staple of the science fiction genre for many years. The idea of putting on a simple pair of goggles and stepping into a completely new reality was one that has captivated the minds of writers for decades. I mean, who among us hasn’t seen “The Matrix” and thought that something like that would be positively awesome? Well, in 2012, a small group of developers finally decided that it was possible to replicate this experience, at least as far as we can with currently available technology. Their project, the Oculus Rift, managed to gather almost $2.5 million on crowdfunding website Kickstarter, proving that there is tremendous interest in the market and jumpstarting a tiny VR revolution, inspiring countless imitators. The Rift is, basically, a screen that you strap onto your head, which projects a different image into each eye and creates the illusion of three dimensions, all while having an extremely sensitive gyroscope which allows the image to move in accordance with your head. Imagine putting the Rift on and suddenly being in the middle of a garden that allows you to look around as if you’re really there. Add a pair of headphones and the immersion is complete. Additionally, some companies have added other peripherals to enhance the experience, such as the Omni Treadmill, which allows you to walk around in your virtual world. And with the level of graphical fidelity that can be achieved on modern computers, it’d be relatively simple to design a small virtual world that looks almost identical to reality.

So, How Can They Be Used For Casino Games?

Obviously, a VR headset could easily be used for a more immersive online casino experience. While online gambling has moved away from this concept (mostly out of necessity), it was originally meant to emulate a real casino from your home. And what better way to do this than with virtual reality? Imagine putting on the VR set and a pair of headphones and transporting yourself to an online casino, using your keyboard and mouse to play casino games. You walk up to a real, human dealer, ask him to give you cards, then look down at the table in order to check out what you’ve got. You go to a slot – any slot you choose in the entire casino – and pull the lever down, causing the reels to start spinning in ways they never could in real life. Remember – while a 100% accurate casino experience could potentially be replicated using VR, I don’t think that would be the way to go. Virtual reality, much like the Internet itself, is a place of infinite possibilities, and I think that it’d be a bit of a waste to use it realistically. Imagine playing a slot where the characters jump out from the reels whenever you win, giving you a thumbs up or a hug. Imagine playing something like the South Park slot, and suddenly the entire casino starts being rendered in the show’s simplistic style. Or perhaps you play the Nightmare on Elm Street slot and the casino goes dark, with Freddy’s claws scraping against the wall behind you. While it won’t be very useful to people who just want to play casino games for the money, those looking for the casino experience would be absolutely thrilled by it!

Join us next time for a look at a concept that, to me, is even more exciting than virtual reality – holograms!