AR and VR in Gaming: Customer Acquisition and Retention

A few years ago, artificial reality was perceived as a technology of the distant future, and today, playing AR roulette is available to everyone. All people need is just to download the application to their smartphones. The entertainment industry was one of the first to appreciate the potential of immersive tools and began to actively implement them in its products. According to statistics, more than 15% of all developments in the AR and VR segment are accounted for by the iGaming sphere. It confirms the demand for innovations among players.

Experts from the Online Casino Market company have collected comprehensive information on artificial environments, their algorithms, and the most effective ways to use such tools in promoting gambling projects.

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About the Technologies

In the professional IT sphere, one can come across the concept of extended reality.

It is used to refer to 3 basic verticals:

VR

It is a simulation completely isolated from the real world. Players can become part of such an environment only with the help of special devices. Interaction within the digital ecosystem is possible exclusively with virtual objects.

This direction has not yet received widespread distribution due to the high cost and bulkiness of peripheral units. Such industry leaders as Meta, HTC, and Apple are actively working to eliminate this problem.

Self-contained glasses and helmets without wires are increasingly appearing in the market. This gives gamblers greater freedom of movement within the simulation. One of the most famous and successful developments in this field is the Oculus Quest 2 device.

AR

The tool completes various virtual details in the real world. Remaining in a familiar environment, customers can interact with digital elements along with physical ones.

AR algorithms are more in demand than the systems of full immersion. This is due to lower production costs and the lack of need to buy additional equipment. The solutions can be launched on all the latest versions of smartphones.

Examples of the most well-known apps and services in this category:

1. AR Roulette for iPhone — one of the first immersive casino products in the market.
2. Filters for photos and selfies on Snapchat.
3. The Pokemon Go mobile game uses geolocation and access to the user's camera to embed virtual parts (collectable characters) into the real world.
4. The Walking Dead: Our World project, which offers adrenaline junkies the chance to run away and hide from zombies in their usual habitat, for example, on the way to the store or to work.

Mixed Reality

It combines VR and AR components. When immersing themselves in a simulation, clients can simultaneously interact with the physical and virtual worlds and objects in them.

One of the best representatives of the niche is the Microsoft HoloLens 2 helmet, a powerful expensive product that is not available to the mass market. The equipment is used in the scientific field, medicine, and automotive industry.

Apple is working on a similar project. The manufacturer wants to create a structure that will help players independently switch between AR and full immersion.

A similar device, Quest Pro, is also in the Meta line. Only an experimental prototype is currently available.

The Impact of VR and AR on Customer Retention

The Statista agency predicts that the VR and AR industry will be estimated at more than $100 billion by 2027. The expected growth rate is about 53.13% annually.

Even at the current level of technology development, the vertical shows impressive results.

This is confirmed by many studies:

• 65% of AR users worldwide perceive the tool as a way of entertainment (research by Snap);
• 94% — increase in conversion after the launch of entertainment with elements based on immersive technology within the framework of the Shopify platform;
• 94% of buyers out of the total sample of 100 million people are confident that they will continue to make purchases using AR with the same frequency as now or even more often (data from the Deloitte Digital agency);
• 70% of ad memorisation is due to the use of augmented reality (research by Deloitte);
• banners with such elements attract 2 times more consumer attention (according to professionals from Deloitte Digital);
• people spend 2.7 times more in the application with an immersive experience (analysis from Houzz);
• 200% — increase in conversion after the launch of AR advertising by the Nestle brand;
• 56% of Yandex.Market shoppers report that interacting with a product in an artificial environment boosts their confidence in the product’s quality;
• 22% — a falling rate of premium offers’ return rate on the Build.com website after implementing AR options;
• 2% recovery — the total index from all purchases after implementing virtual reality elements in the Macy’s online store.

The CEO and co-founder of Seek published an article on the impact of AR on e-commerce. The document analysed a large amount of data from brands in a variety of verticals, from the food industry to tourism and clothing stores.

In each case, the introduction of AR into the marketing program did not result in a one-time jump in conversion but rather a stable and long-lasting result.

Today, showcases and gamified advertising based on the technology are used by almost all global brands, including:

• Gucci;
• Miu Miu;
• Burberry;
• IKEA;
• L’Oreal;
• Lenovo;
• Google;
• Microsoft.

A public report from Span says that 70% of immersive product users are Generation Z, and 55% of Snapchat creators are under 25. This is a key factor in favour of further development of the AR and VR market — the ability to attract and retain a young progressive audience with a higher capacity to pay.

It is worth noting that the growing attention to virtual and augmented spaces in gambling is not revealed so vividly as in other business niches. This is explained by the dynamism and flexibility of the industry itself. It is in the iGaming segment that the vast majority of breakthrough IT technologies are tested and implemented.

According to AnalyticsIQ, about 36% of the casino audience is regular visitors to entertainment platforms with VR and AR elements. This market is estimated at 16.4% of the total capitalisation of the sector.

How Immersive Technologies Affect the Loyalty of Players

A Statista study found that more than 70% of users participating in virtual simulation sessions are completely satisfied with their pastime. The same material says that the average duration of sessions on such digital portals is 20% longer than on traditional gaming sites.

Reasons for the higher engagement rates:

1. The most personalised experience. Operators can adapt the entire visual range to the needs of a specific consumer. This approach increases the people’s sense of uniqueness and significance.
2. The effect of complete immersion. Virtual simulation promotes greater concentration on the process. The gambler's emotional perception is enhanced several times, adding exceptional impressions to each action within betting rounds.
3. A clearly defined social aspect. VR and AR portals are good places to make contacts and find new friends. In a digital environment, users get a unique opportunity to directly contact croupiers and other participants.
4. Mass availability. Entertainment with a wide variety of virtual objects is supported by almost all modern gadgets. For example, to launch Gonzo’s Quest VR slots from NetEnt or Thunderstruck II VR from Microgaming, players do not need additional equipment, just a stable connection to the Internet.

Ways to Engage Audiences via AR and VR Tools

A report from the Deloitte Digital online publication says that immersive technologies not only provide a stable influx of new loyal consumers but also reduce marketing costs by about 20%.

It is possible to use the artificial space to promote websites with slots in a variety of ways:

• organise excursion tours to get acquainted with the atmosphere of the online establishment before registering there;
• launch interactive advertising banners with gamification elements;
• provide limited demo access to the latest releases;
• create showrooms with the ability to test any product;
• integrate exclusive VR rooms with full personalisation for VIP clients into the platform;
• organise multiplayer tournaments with the involvement of celebrities and influencers.

The Main Things about the Impact of Immersive Tech

They demonstrate impressive results in many advertising projects. Customer retention indicators and loyalty scores remain consistently high in the long run.

Key aspects that entrepreneurs need to take into account:

• 70% of VR and AR platform visitors are fully satisfied with the experience they receive. At the same time, the average duration of sessions in digital simulations is 20% more than on traditional iGaming sites.
• The artificial environment provides an unprecedented level of socialisation. Players can interact with dealers and other participants exactly as if they were visiting a land-based establishment.
• Digital simulators provide unique impressions with the highest level of personalisation. The technology can literally adapt to any movements and even emotions of the person.

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