What Meta’s New Glasses Could Mean for Casinos

A decade ago, the launch of Google Glass prompted casinos around the world to ban wearable technology. Since then, the race for smart glasses has intensified, and Meta has now entered the market with Ray-Ban display glasses paired with a Meta Neural Band wrist controller. Meta’s glasses are more functional and accessible than the technology Google first envisaged with its Google Glass.

These are the first smart glasses to include a display and offer an AR experience that has been outside of the reach of consumers till now. Only the wearer can see the display. Meta’s neural band allows users to navigate on-screen menus with subtle gestures. The bringing of a digital world into physical reality poses a problem for casinos.

They could be a threat to casino integrity

A player wearing the Meta glasses would have a built-in camera and full-color, in-lens display. When it comes to privacy, those who don’t wear smart glasses are unlikely to want to be around other players who wear devices with cameras and microphones. In the future, AI facial recognition technology in glasses will even be able to detect lies told by poker players by analyzing their micro-expressions. In iGaming, Android casino owners and developers already have their focus on this evolution in technology. They are preparing themselves to tackle the challenges presented by it.

In a game like blackjack, the AI could see the dealer’s and player’s cards and calculate the perfect strategy. A perfect strategy doesn’t necessarily guarantee a win, but will casinos see this as foul play?

Another clear breach of casino rules would be a player viewing the live stream of another player’s hand at a poker table.

There’s no doubt that players could use the glasses to help them with strategies and real-time odds. It would make traditional detection difficult and give them unfair advantages.

The Meta glasses will obviously not be detected if players wear them while gambling online from home. It is possible to actively detect bots and software, but not these glasses.

Casinos could ban them

With advances in technology and improvements in the game development process, land-based casinos are becoming more innovative. However, the new devices are likely to be banned because regulators and casino operators recognize that they pose a threat to integrity and privacy.

As sunglasses are frequently worn by poker players, it could be difficult to distinguish between them and the new glasses. It would require physical checking of every pair. Land-based casinos could impose a blanket ban on all sunglasses. This is likely to be unpopular with old-school poker players and fashion-forward individuals.

Casinos could embrace the opportunities they offer

The new glasses will offer personalized experiences. AR overlays could show loyalty rewards and promotions directly to players. They could overlay tutorials to help new players learn rules and basic game strategies.

With the AR and VR market booming, casino games could become playable on the glasses themselves via casino apps. Playing on a holographic HUD display would be the ultimate in discreet gaming while using public transport.

More operational efficiency could come from compliance teams using the glasses for real-time monitoring, and the neural wristband could replace physical cards for access.

It may be possible for casinos to partner with Meta for exclusive AR content or to use the tech to drive engagement in online gaming.

The dilemma for casinos

Casinos are usually quick to jump onto new technology if it elevates the user experience or drives engagement. However, they have a fine line when balancing innovation with integrity. It is possible for them to turn what could be a potential threat into a competitive advantage. Rather than banning the technology, they could integrate it into game interfaces and loyalty programs.

AR works perfectly for the on-floor vibe in retail casinos, especially for dynamic tutorials for first timers and for loyalty programs. But online gambling is where scale lives, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the biggest breakthroughs take place first there and then in person.