The Progression of Gambling To Gaming (with stakes)

Online casinos have seen rapid growth in recent years. With the constant improvement of technology, internet connection speeds surging and the rise in the number of mobile devices seemingly endless, the possibilities for online gambling seemingly know no bounds. The same is true when it comes to video games and online gaming. Both sectors have seen huge advancements in the last few decades, and have been moving closer and closer together, with huge overlaps between the gambling and gaming sectors.

This has been so apparent lately that the two terms - gambling and gaming - are often used interchangeably to describe either pastime.   It’s no surprise that this merger is becoming apparent. The gambling industry has a long history of borrowing technology and elements from gaming to increase playability and user experience, and the trend is becoming more and more frequent.

Introduction of 3D animations

3D animation is not a new technology. The film industry has been using 3D animation for many years now, with pioneering films like Toy Story giving a depth and reality to characters and environments that was not possible in traditional 2D animation. Using powerful computer software, animators are able to make characters and objects move around three-dimensional settings with astonishing reality.

Since its inception, 3D animation has since been picked up by video game producers to enhance and improve games, giving players a more immersive and real feeling experience. The gambling industry was not far behind and has been developing 3D animation to give bettors the same experience, especially on video screens in slot machines. Take for example Sky City Casino, which is a popular option, especially in New Zeeland. They offer Dead or Alive 2, which is a cowboy theme slots game released all the way back in 2009 but still remains popular to this day. The graphics have only progressed further from then offering more exciting game modes for bettors. You can read casinoreviews.net.nz’s full review of Sky City Casino here if you’re interested in finding out about Dead or Alive 2 or any of the newer games offered.

Using gaming genres

With 3D animation slowly making the move into the gambling world and more and more games incorporating it into their play, it was only a matter of time before casinos developed games that relied heavily on concepts and elements borrowed from the gaming genre. One pioneer in this field was Japanese casino CasiTabi. CasiTabi is an RPG 3D casino that allows players to play through various adventures in the casino - unlocking new worlds, acquiring powerup and defeating bosses - at the same time as betting real-world money. Exactly like traditional RPGs, different worlds have various levels of difficulty so players can advance through the zones according to their ability. This new format opens up limitless possibilities, with digital worlds not being bound by physical space like traditional casinos. This means the players get to choose from thousands of games and styles, and the casino sources games from a variety of different developers. This mighty progression had its humble beginnings way back with slot machines allowing players to choose from different themes and styles of play.

Virtual reality

Online gambling presented many opportunities that were not previously available to players. But one thing that was lacking was the feeling of being inside a real casino. Video games developers have long been pushing the trend towards a more immersive experience with virtual reality gaming available for some time. It was not long after VR became an achievable and popular format for gaming that the gambling industry began to follow in their footsteps.

The world’s first virtual reality casino was launched in 2016, offering players a chance to experience the bright lights and music of a real casino, without having to leave the comfort of their own living rooms. While this is still a relatively new innovation for the gambling industry, and home VR sets have not yet reached the popularity that many predicted, many casinos and gambling platforms have followed suit and launched VR casinos of their own.

Virtual sports betting

The line between gaming and gambling has become totally blurred with the rise of virtual sports betting. Virtual sports rely heavily on video game technology. It is essentially the same as a video game, but with the avatars being controlled by advanced computer algorithms rather than human players. Ultra realistic environments and in-game physics give the feel of betting on real sporting events.

With technology advancing to a stage where it is becoming hard to distinguish between video game sports and real sports, virtual sports betting creates more options for players. Fixtures can take place around the clock and with a higher frequency than actual sporting events.