Casino gaming has been around for centuries. The first modern casino, Il Ridotto, was established in Venice in 1638 and centred around providing visitors amusement in the form of performances, gambling games and dining.
From there, the concept spread across Europe and to the surrounding continents, players were drawn in by the opportunity to win prizes and have a fun time with friends and new acquaintances. Casinos can be very sociable places, and in the last couple of decades the transition to online has changed the experience. Online sites such as 777casino give visitors the option to enjoy their favourite games from the comfort of their own home.
This doesn’t mean that online casinos provide less opportunity for socialisation, instead online casino operators have adapted to find ways to give players the chance to interact, socialise for entertainment and form communities with shared interests.
We look at the social elements of online casinos now, and what measures are in place to keep the social element alive, including the use of features such as chat rooms, live dealers and many more:
Firstly, why would a player choose to visit an online casino rather than visit their local land-based venue?
When online casinos first emerged in the 1990s, players began to enjoy the convenience of being able to enjoy games such as poker and blackjack at home at a time that suited them. Technology developments have now meant we can play anywhere we like from smartphones, laptops and tablets providing there’s a reliable internet connection.
Online casinos have come a long way since they were first developed for the world wide web. There is now an incredible variety of games on offer and sites compete by offering great welcome bonuses and promotions.
Certain features on modern online casinos replicate the social experience had in a land-based casino or at the very least, offer the chance for players to communicate with others online.
Live chat feature
Many online casinos have now incorporated a live chat into their games. This is different from a customer service live chat, that connects you to a support team for answering help questions.
The live chat allows players to interact with one another in real time. They may want to discuss game results, tactics and seek advice from more experienced players.
Safety is of course a priority when using live chats. Casinos will often have community rules that players must abide by and will monitor chats to ensure these are followed. Rules can include not sharing personal details and not using offensive language.
Live chats help foster a sense of community and connection. While you may be playing as an individual, you are able to enjoy the casino alongside others with similar interests in games as you.
Social media site integrations
Most internet users now have their own social media profiles and many use social channels regularly to consume content and catch up with friends and family. Online casinos are keen to capitalise this high social media usage and use social channels as a way to promote their games and engage with their audience base.
With some online casinos, players are able to connect their casino account with their social profile. They can do this to log into their account more quickly, share their game achievements with friends and invite others to join the site or participate in games with them.
A player must give the online casino specific permissions to post to their social account on their behalf and they can adjust or revoke these permissions when they want to through their social channel’s privacy settings.
Facebook is a popular channel for this type of integration, other popular sites include Instagram and Twitter.
Multiplayer games
Some online casino games are focused on providing experiences for solo players, this is often the case for online slots games. However, some have multiplayer player options and online poker tournaments are one example of this.
In tournaments, players compete against one another to show off their skills and win prizes in real time. They are able to see their progress through the site’s leaderboards and compare their ranking with other players.
Virtual avatars
You can create your very own persona online and some online casinos allow you to add a virtual avatar to your casino profile that acts as your online identity. On some sites, you can even attend virtual events and participate in clubs as your virtual avatar character.
Live casino games
Streamed live casino games are growing in popularity. In a live game, you don’t just interact with other players in real time but you can also speak to the game dealer, who is a real person streaming from a physical location. This gives players a familiar real-life casino experience and offers the opportunity to ask questions and engage fully in the game process.
