Online casinos have enjoyed a level of popularity in recent years that was unexpected by many business analysts and industry experts. In part, one of the big drivers for the industry’s ongoing success began in 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic reached almost every country at the start of the year, it forced millions of citizens to comply with government restrictions on movement. Lockdowns took place on a regional or national scale, with only essential journeys outside being sanctioned. What this meant was that millions of households needed to find their own forms of indoor entertainment to pass the time.Â
Online casinos offered an exciting distraction during the height of the pandemic. Anyone with a smart device and a reliable internet connection could log on to sites and games for a few hours, escaping the period’s boredom. Today, the worst effects of the virus seem to have passed, but online casinos continue to enjoy high levels of visitors. One of the reasons for their continued success is the use of sophisticated audio-visual techniques. This article explains how online casinos use them to attract paying customers.Â
Hypnotic sounds and special effects in slot machines
When adults visit a virtual casino to play real money online slots they have a wealth of machines to choose from. Slot machine companies have invested considerable sums of money in the design of these machines to ensure that they look like their real-world counterparts, often using graphics design packages that provide photo-realistic images. The sound effects are carefully choreographed to bring excitement and the release of dopamine in the brain when a winning spin is achieved.Â
These machines’ visual effects have also been thoroughly planned to attract gamers. Flashing lights and colorful imagery immediately attract and keep the attention of gamers. The patterns of these flashes can be almost hypnotic and, when combined with event-based music and sound effects help to encourage extended play sessions.Â
The move to VR casino environments
Some leading online casinos have already started to transition to fully immersive virtual reality gaming environments. This design process often consists of taking multiple photographs of some of the world’s best brick-and-mortar establishments to gain a comprehensive idea of the layouts and contents of the gaming environment. Allowing customers to enjoy a fully realized 3D gaming world that mirrors visiting a high-class physical venue is expected to be one of the key ways to encourage continued growth in this sector of adult entertainment.
Video chat functionality for a more social experience
As internet speeds have improved and homes enjoy higher bandwidth, online casinos began to add to some of the features that they offer to customers. One key area is to provide video chat functions that can be accessed during gameplay. Customers can exchange light conversations with the human dealer and other players when they enjoy a game of cards or at another group game table. This provides a valuable social side to the gaming experience and helps to create an atmosphere of excitement that mimics a traditional physical venue.
