The dystopian world that authors like Philip K. Dick and William Gibson created are no longer science fiction – they are becoming our (virtual) reality slowly but surely through something known as the metaverse.
Although we are not quite projecting human consciousness onto the web, the metaverse has changed the Internet in a significant way – from 2D to 3D. Consider the Internet to be one universe (albeit virtual), which can be accessed through the use of augmented and virtual reality headsets… not so far from where we are today with video games.
The conversation started to gain traction when Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s foray into the metaverse in 2021. Should this become something that grows increasingly popular, it will shift how we view and make use of the worldwide web – from marketplaces to playing slots online and indeed, all online gambling.
What Exactly Is The Metaverse?
The Metaverse is a virtually created world where you can do pretty much everything you can do in real life – meet up with friends or strangers, play games, conduct business and even buy virtual property.
What the Metaverse will do is connect people on a global scale – all in one virtual room.
For instance, this is what Facebook (Meta) is wanting to do – modify their platform in a way that lets people interact on a much deeper level than just instant messaging or liking a picture.
How Would A Casino Look Like In The Metaverse?
Crypto-based games is not a new thing in the digital world, and online casinos are also catching up with this trend. Some online casinos have already started allowing players to use cryptocurrency to deposit and withdraw funds.
This also means you could place wagers and win in cryptocurrency if the casino was in the Metaverse. Chances are though, that well-known tokens and coins will be accepted, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum for now.
Even in the Metaverse, you will need somewhere to store your cryptocurrency, and your wallet is called MetaMask. Although this won’t be the only wallet available as time progresses, it would be wiser to have only one that manages all your funds across the board.
It is also likely that the types of games you would be able to play in the Metaverse would be the most popular ones online – slots, lotteries, blackjack, roulette and other table games.
How Would A Casino Work In The Metaverse?
Picture a land-based casino, with its bright colors, ear-popping sounds and flashing lights; filled with people taking a chance to win big.
The Metaverse would have all that and more in the casino – even letting you gamble with friends or other people.
Online gambling is so popular because it lets people have fun and be entertained without having to leave the comfort of their homes. Then came live dealers, so that people could still have some human interaction if they chose. Metaverse casinos will do all this but provide players with a fully immersive experience.
You could purchase items, interact with other players and make real-time bets, all on your VR headset.
Pros And Cons Of Online Gambling And Metaverse Casinos
A big plus is that people from all over the world can get access to any games they choose, whenever they want. So someone in a country far away from anything resembling Las Vegas could get a chance to experience what it’s like in these types of casinos.
There is something to be said about a traditional casino, and many gamblers still prefer it because of the vibe – the sights and sounds, the excitement or tension in the air, the ability to feel and touch everything that is going on around you – this won’t be possible in the Metaverse.
Certain games like Poker, for instance, would suffer as it does online. Players will not be able to read body language or pick up on other non-verbal cues in a virtual room.
What the Metaverse will do is allow anyone with a headset and an Internet connection to play until their heart’s content. We know that this type of casino is not far away, and we can be assured that the changes will definitely occur over the next decade.
The one thing we can be certain of, however, is that our online gambling experience will be changed forever.
