The gambling and gaming industries may seem like two very different worlds. After all, one is associated with adult entertainment and the thrill of trying to win real money while the other is thought of as a pastime people just do for fun. However, when the mechanics of modern gaming is broken down and the system of virtual rewards is considered, the lines between them begin to blur. Here’s a look at why gambling and gaming actually have a lot more in common than most people may realize.
The Expansion of Online Gambling
The online gambling industry is currently experiencing a revolution. According to Kane Pepi, many platforms offer an enhanced player experience that includes perks like instant payouts, no KYC checks, and even blockchain-based crypto casinos that use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin as a payment method.
While the gambling industry has been rapidly expanding for many years now, it’s the digital growth and the massive shift toward online gambling that’s brought about the most change. With thousands of online platforms available out there now and a seemingly never-ending range of card, table, and slot games to choose from, digital gambling has become every bit as diverse as gaming is.
Some of the largest gaming development companies in the world now specialize in developing casino games. The footprint of iGamers is now huge: estimates suggest there are now more than 150 million online casino players worldwide. All that translates into a massive amount of people who gamble online. However, what is now becoming more intriguing is that similar considerations that drove the growth of online gambling are now fueling similar trends in gaming—especially in mobile gaming.
How Virtual Rewards Work in Gaming
The psychology of modern gaming is more akin to gambling than ever before. Even when gaming was still largely stuck in old-school phases of simple consoles and classic retro games, the concept of leveling up was very much apparent. When it was just Mario trying to get to the next stage to free the Princess and collecting gold coins along the way, things still felt quite innocuous.
However, fast forward to the modern world and games like Minecraft and Roblox have a generation of younger people stuck to their screens like glue, chasing Minecoins and Robux like they’re a grand jackpot draped in flashing lights and beeping enticingly from a slot machine. While leveling up may have evolved into virtual rewards, gaming currency, and other types of prizes that provide players with a goal to attain, the concept has always been the same.
Whether it’s gambling or gaming, providing a system where a player is incentivized to seek a reward and keep playing until they attain it is an age-old psychological trait. The only difference in the way it applies to gambling comes from the fact that gamblers are taught to play responsibly, manage their bankrolls, and place limits on their playing time and budgets. However, when it comes to gaming, since it’s thought of as a far more innocent pastime, the need to establish healthy boundaries may not always be as apparent.
Other Similarities
Aside from the psychological traits developers model games on and which utilize a system of rewards to stimulate player engagement, gaming, and gambling also have other similarities, especially when compared to online gambling. These include:
- Games based on either skill or luck;
- Interactive features;
- Pay-to-play options;
- Bonuses and promotions;
- Catchy sound effects and eye-popping graphics.
While there are many of these kinds of similarities that make gambling and gaming very similar, there is also, of course, a major difference between them. In that sense, proper gambling inevitably requires players to first invest money into the game with a reward that isn’t always guaranteed. On the other hand, video games can be played entirely for fun, without any form of payment or wagering needing to ever enter the equation.
For this reason, it is important to note that the two activities are quite separate no matter how closely some of their traits may resemble each other. Despite those differences, it’s suggested that younger gamers can learn healthy restraint and the limitations of responsible playing from an early age.
In that way, even if many do go on to become gambling enthusiasts as adults, the propensity to play responsibly will already be inculcated into their psyche. The gambling arena has expanded so much, with everything from local to offshore sites, crypto gambling, and every kind of casino game imaginable available to players. So, it’s more vital than ever that players know how to properly enjoy the activity. After all, gambling can be an amazing pastime, full of fun and excitement, with the opportunity for very real rewards, and the ability to provide nostalgia there for all players to enjoy.