Best Virtual Casinos

Virtual casino – another frivolous technology or a new trend in the gambling business?

Online casinos now occupy an important place in the gambling industry and the revenue of this sector exceeds 50 billion euros. People have learned what safe play is, how to choose reliable operators and with little hesitation spend time on online slots or poker when they can’t visit a land-based casino. Gambling sites try to recreate the right atmosphere with design and sound effects, offering visitors a huge variety of entertainments: slots, betting, card games and lotteries. But sometimes a player wants to actually be among the gaming tables, wander the halls, talk to other visitors. For a long time online casinos couldn’t offer that, until virtual reality technology reached the stage where it could provide the one element that was missing for users – the virtual casino.

Online gambling got even closer to players

Since the internet appeared, gambling has tried to keep up with IT innovations, and now the internal architecture of virtual casinos has been opened to visitors – their digital outlines even surpass real interiors, thanks to the unlimited imagination of programmers and designers.

💻 How online casinos evolved into VR Casinos

In 1994 the gambling business began to conquer the internet and grow with the World Wide Web. If you remember 📟 the first online slots 🎰, they weren’t known for fancy graphics or functions. They were three-reel one-armed bandits. No scatters, no wilds, no bonus rounds, no free spins. The novelty was that you could spin the reels on your computer without leaving home. But the first online gambling software developers – who, by the way, worked at Microgaming – understood that those primitives wouldn’t keep players for long, not least because more interesting slot machines were appearing in land-based venues. Other companies also joined the work on online casino software and serious competition developed. Games began to include various bonus symbols and the chance to win free spins and bonus rounds, 🃏🏆🀄 many slots even got storylines, 🦇🤵🃏 characters of their own, and games based on famous events, TV shows, myths, legends and Hollywood blockbusters became popular.

Online slots became brighter and more interesting every year

Year after year online slots became more colorful and detailed, and some started featuring various types of jackpots. The most tempting is the progressive one, which grows across the whole network where the slot is offered. Nowadays there are many slot machines that are fun to play thanks to sharp graphics, interesting events and vivid characters. They make you forget that the results on the screen are just animations of calculations, based on the math inside the slot.

Friendly live casino dealers

It seemed software makers and idea generators in online gambling had outdone themselves, offering players very comfortable leisure options. But it turned out there was still room to grow.

📖A bit of VR history

The first VR gamers

People talked about artificial reality as something possible as early as the 1960s. The term was used by computer graphics artist Myron Krueger, and science fiction writer Stanisław Lem gave a synonymous meaning with the word “phantomology” in his work “Summa Technologiae”.

Sensorama, a virtual simulator, 1960

In the 60s the first device simulating an artificial world, called the “Sensorama,” was built. Short film clips on a screen created environments, a fan simulated wind, sounds were played from audio recordings, and there was even an attempt to add smells. A few years later, in the 70s, primitive computer graphics began to replace films. The first simulators that modeled flight, rides or walks appeared. The first virtual walk took place in Aspen, United States. By the late 80s people could already manipulate on-screen objects and in 1989 the term “virtual reality” was documented for the first time. Subsequent IT innovations accelerated the field further. Writers and directors fantasized more in their works and films, setting characters’ adventures in imagined digital worlds interacting with artificial intelligence. Some painted utopian futures, others predicted apocalypses and machine uprisings, but over the decades in which the technology was applied at various stages, humanity gained support for construction, training methods for skill development using simulators, options for marketing and visual advertising, and especially VR found application in entertainment.

❔😖❕What is virtual reality?

To clear things up and avoid confusing VR with AR (augmented reality) let’s briefly look at both definitions.

So VR is an artificially created world where everything is fully controlled by the developer or development team.
When elements and sensory data are added to the real world via apps, that falls under the definition of “augmented reality”. Don’t confuse the two.

⚛A new era of gambling – casinos in virtual reality

Implementing VR in gambling gives players the chance to visit the gaming house of the new millennium. Entrance is relatively more accessible than to many real casinos. For example, in Russia it’s cheaper to buy the necessary gear 📺🎧💿🎮 than to travel to a zone where gambling is legal. In other countries visiting a respectable casino can cost a lot. So virtual reality can be seen as a promising stage in the development of online casinos.
If ten years ago attempts to introduce VR into the gambling industry might have seemed unprofitable and fraught with difficulties, the release over the past three years of a number of gaming products and accessories (Sony PSVR, Oculus Rift headsets and glasses, Stream VR software and others) allows this step to be seen in a different light and with a bias toward success.

Gambling in virtual reality is a real breakthrough and a sign of a new era of online gambling.
The relevance of this trend and the ability to offer players their favorite entertainments on a new, even more spectacular level than in land-based clubs made software companies think hard.

💠VR casino software developers

Seeing all the fields already using VR, gambling software makers couldn’t stay away, since the direction is huge and it’s hard to imagine where it will lead. VR gambling products are interesting for consumers because what recently seemed like science fiction is now being realized – zeros and ones take on increasingly realistic visualization and let you touch them.

🙆‍♂️Microgaming creates VR games

Microgaming, which stood at the origins of online gambling, still keeps its finger on the pulse and is directly involved in developing next-generation casino software.
For several years Microgaming watched developments in the VR sector and finally in 2016 decided it was time to act decisively to keep its leadership among companies that make software for digital casinos.

That product was a roulette, and the developer was awarded at ICE Totally Gaming.

Virtual roulette from Microgaming

Microgaming offered its VR developments to the first casino whose owners decided to adopt the new technology. That venue will be discussed later.

✌️VR slots from NetEnt

NetEnt’s slots have often won top spots in contests and player preferences. The developers didn’t delay with their 3-D and VR products. Several of their slots are already playable in virtual casinos.
All the adventures of the main slot hero in Jack and the Beanstalk are now even brighter thanks to Jack’s 3D World. It excites not only when big winning combinations land but during gameplay itself, and the bonus adds many more impressions. NetEnt creators worked hard not only on visualizing the slot environment but also on sound effects, which shows in the top-level acoustic quality.

Jack and the Beanstalk in 3-D

NetEnt’s hit Starburst is also available in virtual reality and ready to deliver incredible impressions of traveling to a digital parallel world where your avatar can touch symbols, and jewel fragments from fantastic stars fly around, lighting up the scene with a mesmerizing display of colors. And again, it all happens with first-class sound and SFX.

👍CASEXE virtual reality products

One of the first companies to offer services for integrating branded VR software into existing platforms and helping create new sites is CASEXE. The company positions itself as reliable, flexible, versatile and customer-friendly, with a staff capable of building a virtual casino from templates or developing unique, exclusive projects to client specifications.
CASEXE works in accordance with regulators and cooperates with licensed developers who already make VR gambling games. That’s not only Microgaming and NetEnt but also iSoftBet, Playtech, NEX and other gambling providers starting to enter the sector.

😵VR casino games

For obvious reasons the first VR casino games were table games and slots that are most popular in casinos. But don’t doubt that soon we’ll see experimental products, and some may exceed expectations. Meanwhile, here’s what works today and what is expected soon.

⚀Gambling and gaming

Entertainment service owners note how well VR blends with online gaming, esports and gambling products. There are already offers aimed at combining all three directions. That will add more excitement to gaming by offering the chance to win real money, and give gambling more dynamism and engagement through various game genres.
Those are plans for the future, but developers still have work to do, primarily transferring the attributes without which a casino is hard to imagine – in reality or in a digital world.

⚁VR Roulette

Roulette is a symbol of every casino, so it’s no surprise that gambling software developers decided to port this game among the first to virtual space. As mentioned, Microgaming took care of that. Their work is impressive, and if you play in a VR casino, make sure to approach the table with the red-and-black segmented wheel and place a few symbolic bets.

⚂Blackjack in virtual reality

Blackjack (21) is already available for play with the Oculus Rift headset. The first VR version is called Blackjack Bailey VR and can be downloaded to pass time without registering at a casino. But real-money play in virtual blackjack will deliver much more excitement and the chance to win a decent payout, since this card game allows skill and experience to influence outcomes.

⚃VR slots

Online slots have broken records for bet volume for years, rivaled only by betting. It’s hard to say how many slots have been created over the years, but in the collection of 4LUCK you can find any slot for free play.

VR slots, just like the real thing!

Slot creators long ago moved beyond 2D graphics and for years have competed on the quality of 3-D slots, with some specializing in three-dimensional animation. Now the next step in IT development allows tackling even more complex products, such as VR slots.

⚄Virtual horse races at William Hill

The bookmaker William Hill was well-known and popular in the UK long before the internet (it was founded in 1934), and with the expansion of the global network it was among the first to take a place in online gambling, offering poker rooms and an online casino that ranks highly in the rating of gambling sites.

Their product aims to be even more unique than some others – virtual horse races. Live race recreations have long been on gambling platforms, but the next step is to put the player in the thick of the action and let them observe from a jockey’s perspective.

⚅VR Poker

Poker with a dealer is somewhat easier to develop in VR, while hold’em or omaha tournaments between real players are harder, but Casino Poker VR has managed to do it. The drive to create such a service is explained by the game’s popularity and players’ search for new ways to take part in tournaments or private tables, and work on bringing VR into social networks helped bring virtual poker closer. Poker VR continues to be upgraded so visitors feel as comfortable as possible and have access to as many play modes and services as possible.

👉About VR casino SlotsMillion

Among the pioneers offering VR gambling services is SlotsMillion. Its owners already invite visitors into the digital dimension of gambling.

VR Casino SlotsMillion

Put on the headset and launch the virtual casino and you find yourself inside the gaming house – not only is the interior strikingly realistic but the view from the windows opens onto a fantastic world stretching to the horizon. SlotsMillion offers over forty games adapted for VR. There’s also a 3D mode playable on PC with a monitor.
There are other casinos that let you play 3D slots or get unforgettable VR experiences, like Jambabet Casino, Cherry Jackpot Casino and others. You can find which gambling sites support VR and their ratings among real players in special sections on the 4LUCK portal.

📦Bonuses and no-deposit offers in VR casinos

Not many operators let you visit a virtual gaming house yet, so serious competition in this segment is only beginning, but VR casino customers can still expect bonuses and loyalty offers. For now extra funds or free spins are usually given after making a deposit of a certain size, but as virtual casinos grow in number, no-deposit bonuses will surely appear.
Still, you don’t have to deposit right away. You can register and just wander the virtual space, feel the atmosphere and decide whether it’s enough to start serious real-money play in a VR casino.

🔵System requirements and VR casino hardware

Innovative tech requires high computing power. While you can play in a normal online casino on a PC with a weak processor and a couple of gigabytes of RAM, VR casinos demand hardware a couple of orders of magnitude higher.
Minimum PC specs are:

• a CPU similar to or better than Intel Core i5 – 4590, i.e. 4 cores at around 3.3 GHz;
• 8 GB RAM or more;
• a GPU GTX 970 or better;
• USB 3.0 and HDMI 1.3 ports (some headsets work via older ports, but that may affect the smoothness of the displayed image).

And of course you’ll need accessories for perceiving virtual reality visually: a headset or glasses, and possibly gloves.

🎮About VR headsets and controllers

A little background: the creation of the first VR helmet takes us back again to the 1960s.

VR helmets in the 1960s

Back then Ivan Sutherland – an engineer and programmer – built the first VR helmet prototype in his lab. It had to be suspended because the screens, chips and other parts made it heavy. Now VR headsets are much more comfortable and work on different principles.

Oculus Rift glasses

The first widely accessible VR headsets were released by Oculus Rift. The DK2 model connects via USB 2.0, uses a 7-inch display with 960 x 1080 resolution per eye, 60 Hz and about 100-degree field of view. Newer versions push higher frame rates – 90 Hz – which eliminates stutter and ensures smooth gameplay, and the field of view and display resolution are larger.
Besides a headset or special glasses, a full VR kit includes gloves or controllers, positional sensors, headphones and a microphone.
❕Check offers from different companies. Some prices can be pleasantly surprising. There’s also the option to buy a special casing to hold a smartphone and install an app that turns the phone screen into a VR display. But that will be significantly inferior to a proper VR headset kit.

➕➖Pros and cons of VR casinos

Any recognized innovation is meant to move civilization forward and help not only in work but also in leisure.

1. fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere of gambling;
2. conveniently control movement in the digital world and interact with the service;
3. communicate not only in chat but also by voice;
4. use the most cutting-edge achievements in gambling;
5. play and win in fantastic casinos without leaving home.

We won’t paint only rosy pictures and ignore negatives. As an independent observer of gambling tech innovations, we can point out

1. virtual reality can be even more immersive and addictive than land-based casinos or online casinos;
2. spending on play can become higher than usual and beyond reasonable limits for the reason above;
3. a possible detachment from reality.

So, ❗ when visiting a virtual casino don’t lose your sense and don’t stake more than you can afford.

📈VR casino prospects

VR immersion accessories aren’t cheap yet. While there are fairly inexpensive models, price often comes at the cost of quality or missing headset elements. Widespread consumer availability will take some time, so if you want to buy VR accessories but have limited funds, it might be better to wait rather than spend on low-quality gear.

VR headset

Remember that ten years ago the average person in Russia and neighboring former Soviet countries had a button phone, and a smartphone was seen as a gadget for the wealthy. Innovations spread faster in more developed countries, but they eventually reach less developed regions too. VR gear is becoming more affordable not by year but by month. New developments and more competing companies gradually push prices down.
Gambling is not the only sector moving this way. The gambling sphere is following other segments of the IT market. As mentioned, companies in the gaming industry plan to combine spectacle and engaging gameplay with gambling and social interaction. In the future functionality inside virtual spaces will be extended.

The 4LUCK site lets you watch not only new online casinos but also new gambling platforms that support virtual reality technologies.

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