Online gambling is one of the UK’s favourite hobbies, with 38% of the population gambling online monthly in 2024. A key part of this player experience is the incorporation of music and sound effects to enhance storylines and create immersive environments. According to the leading iGaming expert and Head of Content at CasinoTopsOnline, Giuseppe Faraone, “Music plays an integral role in your online gambling experience.” He went on to say, “Without sound, a game would feel incomplete, and the playing experience would suffer.” The combination of graphics and sounds is crucial to create an engaging experience. For iGaming companies, the benefits of using audio within their games include building a brand and enhancing storylines. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of the role music plays in online gaming.
What is iGaming?
Throughout the article, we’ll be referring to iGaming, the industry made up of any form of online gambling, ranging from sports betting to casino games. For many players, the biggest draw of gambling online is the ability to play their favourite games anywhere at any time. The iGaming industry is always at the forefront of technology developments, incorporating technologies from artificial intelligence to virtual reality. As a result of constantly improving technology, the quality and range of sound effects and music is constantly improving.
The Background of Sound in Gaming
Since the first slot machine was invented in 1894 by Charles Fey, music and sound effects have played an essential role in the gaming experience. On these earlier machines, there were around fifteen sound effects, with the most notable being the ‘ringing bell’ that signified a win. In current online slots, there are an average of 400 sound effects, including the iconic sounds from physical machines. In modern online slots, there are other specific sounds associated with winning, such as victory jingles, which are usually high-pitched to indicate a sense of urgency.
As well as an increased range, there has also been an improvement in the quality of audio effects. While in the earlier days of development, soundtracks were usually monotonous and low-quality, current audio effects come in high-definition and include 3D audio. 3D audio, also known as spatial audio, simulates the way humans perceive sounds in the real world by producing audio from different directions. The incorporation of spatial audio allows games to create an immersive, surround sound experience.
How are Music and Sounds Incorporated in iGaming?
Music and sounds are used throughout the iGaming experience, from the ‘cha-ching’ noise of a till indicating wins to background music enhancing the casino environment. Let’s explore some of the ways that music is used throughout the industry to enhance the playing experience.
Creating an Immersive Environment
When imagining a casino, we think of a bustling Las Vegas environment with bright lights and a cacophony of sounds from machines and players. It can be hard to capture the same energy within online casino games, but through sounds and music, providers are able to create a realistic casino environment.
In the case of virtual reality casino games, sound plays a crucial role in creating a developed virtual environment. In these games, players use VR headsets to immerse themselves within a computer-generated casino setting and interact with features like other characters, cards, and chips. To create an immersive setting, VR games use a combination of background noises, including ambient player chatter, and sound effects based on player actions, like the ‘clinking’ of spinning reels. Through the combination of visual and auditory effects, VR games create a realistic, immersive casino experience.
Multi-sensory Experience
iGaming players look for a multi-sensory experience that combines visuals and graphics with intricate sound design. The sound effects and music used throughout games look to complement visual effects and advance storylines and themes. To effectively combine audio and visual effects, providers use sound effects that are triggered by player interactions. For example, when a player spins a wheel in roulette, they will not only see the movement of it but hear the accompanying sound effect. Through combining visual and sound effects, iGaming providers can offer an immersive, multi-sensory experience.
Theming and Branding
Music plays a crucial role in games that are themed around specific music or a band. There are several slots based on disco music that utilise the genre’s music to enhance the theming. Games, most commonly slots, can also partner with bands and artists to theme a game around their music. For example, fans of ACDC can find multiple slot games themed around the band’s music, allowing fans to combine their enjoyment of the music with the experience of gameplay.
The music and sounds used in an online game can help to build the game’s story. For example, if a casino game is themed on a safari, it could utilise different animal noises to signify this. A brand can also become recognisable through sound effects associated with its game. If a game repeats a sound effect when a player wins, for example, this can quickly become associated with their brand, which is useful for advertising and image purposes. When a brand has sounds associated with it, they’re able to draw on this recognition throughout their marketing materials.
Understanding the Psychology
Some psychological reactions are depending on the sounds included within online gaming, such as a connection between winning and the sound of opening tills or coins clinking. Studies have found that playing casino games with the sound on increased the heart rate of players and sped up their rate of play. Participants in the study also rated games with no music or sound effects as less exciting and less enjoyable than those that incorporate sounds.
Faster tempo music adds a sense of jeopardy and anticipation, keeping players on the edge of their seats. Whereas slower tempo music creates a feeling of calm, allowing players to take time over their decisions. Card games that require strategy and thought, like poker and blackjack, usually use slower-paced music to allow players to think. According to NHS studies, music can help improve mental health, and online casinos also capitalise on this to boost players after losses.
Voice-overs also have a psychological effect on players by mimicking a sense of human instruction. While they’re most commonly used during the tutorial phase to help players understand the mechanisms of a game, voiceovers are also used to reinforce player responses. Online casinos are increasingly using customised audio to respond to a player’s actions and progress in gameplay. For example, when a player wins a slot game, there might be a voice-over response of “Good job!”, encouraging them. Voice-overs help create a sense of human connection between players and the game while recognising their wins.
The Future of Sound in iGaming
Already, the industry has adopted artificial intelligence to improve customer service and analyse player habits. In the future, AI seems set to be used in all areas of the industry, including sound. Experts believe AI will be used to customise audio experiences for players and situations. For example, wins might trigger more up-tempo music, or late-night playing might include slower-tempo music. If a player responds well to a certain type of music, by increased playing, this could be automatically incorporated into the soundtrack using AI.
The Importance of Music in iGaming
While sound effects and music might not get the same attention as flashy graphics and visuals, they are crucial to the player experience. By using sound effects in combination with graphics, providers can create an immersive game-playing experience. For players who enjoy the atmosphere of land-based casinos, these sounds play a vital role in replicating it within the online world. The importance of music in iGaming has been highlighted by psychologists through studies that indicate the inclusion of audio makes games more exciting and enjoyable. As well as psychologists, the importance of audio has also been recognised by industry experts who point towards its “integral role”. Overall, for players, the immersiveness and enjoyability of the iGaming experience are enhanced by the addition of sound effects and music.
