Although many have argued that online gaming is financially safe, it is not entirely true. There have been recent cases where online gamers have fallen into the gambling rabbit hole and faced extremely severe financial losses. In recent years, online gaming has become a highly sophisticated and engaging activity, drawing in millions of players worldwide. In fact, online gaming conventions such as Gamescom, Chinajoy, or Tokyo Games Show bring together hundreds of thousands of gamers and game developers, showcasing thousands of games every year. Nowadays, famous online gamers have been elevated to the same level as movie or television stars in terms of popularity, dedicated fans, sponsorship deals, and, of course, money.
Like in any industry, there is immense competition among online video game companies. Therefore, in an attempt to make more money, the creators introduce elements such as in-game transactions, pay-to-play options, limited offers, and in-game currencies to make the players’ experiences more engaging. These elements force online gamers to invest their finances into online games, which thins the line between online gaming and online gambling. For instance, elements such as loot boxes are similar to gambling in that the players purchase these boxes without knowing what is inside. The curiosity to find what is inside and the desire to fight for the best rewards, like a new skin or a new weapon that can help the players advance the levels, can be addictive, making the players invest much of their finances, which is similar to online gambling.
Moreover, the social factors associated with online gaming can develop gambling-like behavior. For instance, most online games are created with the intention of maintaining competitiveness among players using tactics such as score tables, tokens, ranks, leaderboards, and other recognizable achievements, which increases the desire to compete. Therefore, players turn to increase their micro-transactions or in-game betting, where fans wager virtual in-game currencies against game outcomes or the performance of their favorite e-gamers. Getting accustomed to such experiences makes it seamless to transition from online gaming to gambling. The fact that most betting platforms advertise these gaming sites, streaming platforms and other social media platforms where online gamers spend most of their time makes it even easier to get into online gambling.
Further, there are psychological effects associated with online gaming that can lead to gambling tendencies. The principles employed by the gaming sites entail providing incentives for the players and influencing their in-game behaviors. Repeated cycles of e-gamers concentrating on the rewards and foregoing the financial consequences of in-game purchases override their assessment of risks. Thus, the gamers became obsessed with winning the next reward, increasing their impulse spending tendencies without considering the losses, which is similar to gambling.
The monetization practices applied by game developers only serve to increase the issue, as many of them involve coaxing players into spending, particularly those who are susceptible, with mechanics that bear similarities to gambling. There could be algorithms deployed in games that alter incentives according to players’ expenditures, and this is an indirect way to encourage spending. This causes the weaker gamers, more often than not, to fall prey to these tactics, as well as the youthful players who are unable to differentiate between real-life gaming skills and gambling.
Lastly, the possibility of access to both online gaming and gambling interfaces is nearly seamless. Thanks to smartphones and the availability of the internet connection, one can quickly switch from a gaming app to an online gambling site. Also, gaming companies take sponsorship deals from betting sites, allowing them in-game advertisements, which can influence online gamers to turn to real online gambling. In addition, many gambling websites offer game-like experiences, including slots themed after popular video games, further bridging the gap between online gaming and online gambling. Therefore, as aspects of chance, risk, and reward continue to grow and become part of online gaming, the line between gaming and gambling continues to blur, raising concerns about the potential financial harm caused by addictive online gaming behaviors.
