Even with it already being a cornerstone of casinos worldwide, online roulette has seen a meteoric rise in popularity, especially over the past decade. This is partially thanks to the rapid advancements in technology that have transformed the way we play this fan-favourite live casino game, allowing for sleek interfaces and live dealer experiences to redefine how players engage with this classic table game. In order to understand exactly how this has been achieved, we have explored how various technologies have propelled online roulette into the digital ages, as well as identifying what the future may hold for this casino staple.
A Brief History Of Roulette
Although it is now more prevalent than ever before, roulette has been an iconic table game ever since the 18th century. This game has been synonymous with its sophisticated gameplay style, with the simplicity of predicting where a ball will land on a spinning wheel proving to be an exciting concept for many over the last few centuries. With the advent of the internet, though, the game made its way online, with these capturing the basic elements of roulette as closely as possible.
However, as technology continued to evolve, so did the online experience provided by roulette, with new features and options being introduced that had not previously been imagined in traditional settings. Nowadays, there are so many versions of online roulette, from live casino variants which see dealers leading play through high-definition live streams, all the way to more nuanced multiplier-infused options that assign random bonuses to numbers on the roulette wheel!
Technological Advancements Driving Online Roulette
The first generation of online roulette games featured basic 2D graphics and rudimentary functionality. When looking at today’s titles, though, these instead feature visually stunning interfaces, intricate wheel designs and smooth animations, all of which are made possible thanks to the cutting-edge technology available today. Players are now able to experience roulette in HD and even 4K in some instances, making the game more realistic and engaging than it has been before.
Smartphones have completely revolutionised the way in which people access online roulette, with all platforms now being mobile optimised, as well as there being a series of dedicated apps that now allow players to play online roulette wherever they wish. This seamless transition between desktop and mobile devices has been made entirely possible thanks to modern technologies, which, in turn, contribute to the popularity of table games even further.
However, one of the most groundbreaking innovations when it comes to online roulette was the introduction of live dealer games. These bring the authentic casino experience directly to players’ screens now, with multiple camera angles, interactive chat features and real dealers allowing for live roulette to bridge the gap between virtual casinos and physical ones thanks to the traditional experiences associated with the latter being translated with impressive accuracy.
In recent years especially, online roulette has now allowed players to tailor their gaming experiences even further, with certain versions allowing them to choose the table theme. These developments have come hand in hand with a series of gamification elements, too, with achievements, bonus challenges, and even leaderboards now being introduced to certain online roulette variants. As a consequence of this, this has only made these live casino games all that more interactive and engaging, with these newer technologies driving the game to new levels.
The Future Of Online Roulette
When it comes to the future of online roulette, there are plenty of other developments and advancements that we could see introduced to this sector of casino games. A potential next frontier for these online casino games is augmented and virtual reality. These have seen significant surges in popularity over the last few years due to VR headsets now being more widely available, with these being able to transport players into immersive virtual casino settings, in which they could play online roulette and interact with the croupiers. On the other hand, AR can instead overlay a digital roulette table into a real environment, merging both physical and virtual experiences together in an innovative way.
The future of roulette is also likely to see a whole host of more nuanced variants introduced to the iGaming world, with this being something that is already evident when factoring in some of the most popular titles today. Although jackpot and multiplier mechanics are features in some online roulette variants, these styles of elements, plus many more innovative ones, could be included in a majority of new releases going forward, all of which can reinvent the way this classical table game is typically played.
Despite it not directly relating to the game of roulette specifically, blockchain technology is likely to be integrated further, with this verifying the fairness of every outcome and spin of the roulette wheel. What’s more, due to cryptocurrencies now being more notable than ever before, this oculus introduced these as new payment options for those roulette players who prefer to use such methods.
