To understand the future of AR Casino Games, one must first understand what Augmented Reality is. Augmented reality refers to a computer-generated image which is overlaid onto real life surroundings, giving the user an alternate view of their environment. It is almost like walking through a 3D movie.
In online casinos, perhaps the best development made to date was the introduction of the live dealer. This allowed players to interact with a real-life dealer based elsewhere for example; if you were looking for online gambling in France, a land based casino, or studio. It also allowed interaction with other players thus creating the most realistic experience for the player to date.
The Man Behind AR
Augmented reality software might seem like a very futuristic concept to some, but it has actually been around for several years. Professor Tom Caudell from Boeing Computer Services in Seattle has been credited with creating the software. He was attempting to find a way to assist in the manufacturing process, and he started to utilise some virtual reality technology, which led him to create software that could superimpose positions of where things were to be placed in the process of building.
Initially the software was extremely complicated, and the equipment was cumbersome, however in 1999 software called ARToolKit was released by developer Hirokazu Kato. The software allowed video tracking of real-live actions, and combined those with interactions with virtual entities. This was far more straightforward than the initial attempts at software and was compatible with simple devices for example a camera with an internet connection. In 2000, the very first AR video game was released, and in 2008 the first augmented reality apps were released for mobile phones, although it was the release of the hugely popular game Pokemon Go in 2016 that really brought AR mobile games into mainstream society.
A Step Forward
Whilst up until now, live dealer playing at a CAD casino has been the most realistic player experience, AR casinos will take the players experience to a totally different dimension. Players will be able to experience the reality of an actual casino superimposed over their own surroundings. The shift in popularity from land based casinos, to the more convenient and secure online gambling is clear, however online gambling has its drawbacks.
Online players miss out on the experience of visiting a land based casino, with all its thrill and excitement. AR casinos are set to change all this. Infinity Augmented Reality Inc., in partnership with Google, is in the process of changing the way we play online. Using augmented eyewear with built in cameras that can pan 360 degrees, players will soon be able to step into a world within their own world and enjoy the real live casino experience from their own living rooms.
Navigating a New Path
There are major obstacles for the casino companies to overcome going forward such as creating brand new software, and finding cost effective ways to ensure that the software is affordable to the average joe. Historically the casino industry has always had large overheads spending extravagantly to make their interiors and exteriors lavish and luxurious, so spending money is nothing new for them.
The very best software developers have been recruited by the industry to ensure that their games are of the highest quality. Software is already available for mobile devices and tablets that produce virtual images or videos and overlay them over what is already there, and players experiences of the game are taken to new heights with complimentary sounds and images enhancing what is already there.
Although AR casinos are definitely still in their early stages, it is clearly the way of the future eliminating that final downside of online casinos, and allowing players to experience the thrill and excitement of a real casino.
