How Has Gambling in Videogames Changed?

  • Category: Pics  |
  • 17 Dec, 2019  |
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Something about gambling seems age-old and unchangeable. Maybe this is because it’s been a pastime of people around the world for centuries. While gambling as a concept has stayed generally the same throughout human history, the games have changed. Before video games, gambling happened discreetly, in private and with fewer people.

Now, gambling has gone digital. Here’s a brief history of how gambling in video games has changed over the years, from the early days of face-to-face play to the future of full digital immersion.



1 How Has Gambling in Videogames Changed?

Gambling in Games of the Past

Before the 21st century, video game bets were still made in person. They were made based on how far an individual could get in a game, or on who wins or loses. For example, there were bets made over early fighting games like Final Fantasy.

Some older games also presented gambling as part of the story. For example, with titles like Grand Theft Auto, gambling was a part of the gameplay. This meant that the player could use the fake money they earned in-game to “gamble”. Wagering in these early games was a simulation.

In the early video games, there were no wagers involving the player’s real money. Sure, players could wager – but these bets took place between friends as forms of social betting.

Then came the internet.

Gambling in Games of the Now

The internet marked a new era of videogame betting. In particular, online video games flourished, and the types of possible wagers expanded as well. The availability of online bank accounts and internet connections allowed wagers between players who had never met in real life.

Nowadays, wagers in video games aren’t just between friends—it’s an industry in its own right. All this is because of the internet. There are several forms that gambling in video games can take:

• Real-Money Wagers: Players or fans can wager on video games via websites like Sbobet, an online casino. These platforms are age-gated websites that allow legal adults to gamble. These use the player’s real money as the incentive for winning.

• Social Betting: As with the early days of video games, wagers between friends continue in private. Social wagers are usually based on the outcome of a match between friends or leagues.

• Skin Bets: This allows people to wager in-game items. Usually, the wagers involve rare or valuable items.

• Loot Boxes: These allow players to spend real-life money to hit a loot box. The loot box will give out random items and prizes, such as armor, weapons, or accessories. It’s a bit like playing slot machines but in the form of video game supplies.

Gambling in Games of the Future?

So, there is a growing connection between real-life money and gambling in video games. What does that mean for the future?

There’s talk now of developers researching fully immersive video games. The VR casino games of our current era are a step in that direction. Who knows: maybe in a distant future, casinos will be dominated by VR and videogame technology, or gambling will primarily occur online?