There is a significant focus on industry innovation at the moment, and with player expectations at an all-time high, this has seen a surge in product-developing virtual reality in igaming. Predictions show that the growth in VR gambling will be exponential in coming years, with an incremental increase of an estimated $360 million between 2017 and 2022. Could this be an industry disruptor?
Operators leading the way
Casinos are now beginning to readily adopt VR technology, with SlotsMillion leading the way with the UK’s very first VR casino. Other operators such as Starburst haven’t been far behind them and are providing high-quality and unique VR experiences for players.
Developers haven’t taken this technological advancement lightly either. Industry leaders such as Microgaming are launching products such as VR Roulette to test things out. The likelihood is that there will be more blue-chip companies in the industry that will roll out their own VR brands or bolt-ons to their existing operator sites to appeal to players who have shown industry in this technology.
What’s the future?
The potential for VR technology and online betting is limitless. The focus has mainly been on casinos for now, and on certain types of games. However, there is no reason why operators and developers wouldn’t create wholly immersive experiences for other casino games, or sporting events and push the tech to its limits.
The reality is that there are so many potential upsides for operators taking this on board, that it would be remiss of them not to include it as part of their overall brand strategy.
What does this mean for affiliates?
It’s an affiliate’s job to be ahead of the game and to provide the player with information of value or unique services as part of the sale chain in their portals. Some affiliates are already developing a marketing strategy specifically for casino’s who are adopting this kind of technology.
Start looking at an SEO strategy to build your ranking on virtual reality casino terms, prepare FAQ sections with content on VR gaming, and be the first to release the latest news on VR operator releases.
Start to approach VR operators if you haven’t already, to build relationships with them and include there product reviews on your site. If possible, gauge the interest of VR with your existing player database. When adding reviews of these games or operators – allow for the visitor to leave user-generated content on your site. Not only will this give you a better idea of their interest level for virtual reality, but it also has SEO value.
Do your research as a whole, and don’t leave it too much longer. A successful affiliate is one that is aware of industry changes and more often than not looks at early adoption to win the long game.
