Online gambling and online gaming can be considered similar. Online gambling is a game of chance and not skill. Online gaming is the exact opposite. Online gambling can include gaming features, and vice versa.
Gaming is the ability to play interactive games or video games. These games can be entertainment or based on skills and strategies. Gambling is the wagering of real money on events that have no particular outcome.
Gambling involves a risk of losing or winning, wagered money and the possibility that you win a prize. Sometimes, consumers perceive the boundaries as blurred. Let’s take a look at four points where online gambling and online gaming are in close proximity.
Lottery products:
Global lottery corporations have integrated both childhood and adult games into their scratchcards. There are many examples of game themes such as Battleship, Monopoly and Twister.
All these games can be found online through various gambling sites, thanks to the rapid growth of the internet over the past few decades. These games can be considered examples of online gambling because the player is betting real money but when you find a casino bonus, make sure you make the proper choice!
Social casino gaming:
Online gaming traffic has increased by 75% in the US due to the Coronavirus epidemic. This has led to a rise of social casino-type games like DoubleDown Casino. These demo games allow individuals to gamble with virtual currency.
These games mimic the features of real gambling games but do not involve actual money transactions. These social casino games can be accessed via social media sites, but they may also be available on online gaming platforms. These games can also be accessed on personal computers and handheld devices.
In an effort to draw future customers to their gambling sites, many times actual gambling companies create social casino games. Regular casinos offer some social casino games to keep customers interested in their gambling games.
These games are advertised for regular casinos and may attract children or adolescents who don’t have the funds to play at regular online casino sites. They may become interested in real online gambling once they are either legal or have access to money.
Electronic sports (esports):
Esports is another area where convergence can be seen in online gambling and online gaming. Esports is an emerging and growing category in online entertainment. Playing video games is a popular activity that children, teens, and adults enjoy. Online communities for competitive video gaming are very popular.
It is also becoming more common to wager on the results of tournaments or competitions. Due to the popularity of online streaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch, esports has gained a huge following.
Esports refers to competitive gaming, in which players compete against each other in online battle arenas. First-person shooter games, multiplayer online battle area (MOBA), real-time strategy games (RTS), and fighting games are the most popular genres. Dota 2, StarCraft, and LoL are some of the most popular esports titles.
Esports can be classified as a form of gambling, but betting on esports with money is considered gambling. The global eSports market was valued at slightly more than US$ 1.08 million in 2021.
Loot boxes:
Video games that allow you to purchase “loot box” items are another example of the convergence between gambling and gaming. Online gamers can use real money to buy keys to unlock loot boxes or chests, crates, cases, bundles, and receive a variety of virtual items completely by chance.
These are the basic customization options that allow gamers to personalize their online avatars or to access gameplay assets. This allows them to make progress while gaming more effectively.
In June 2004, the Japanese MapleStory side-scrolling MMORPG introduced loot boxes. In September 2010, Team Fortress 2 saw the introduction of loot boxes to the western world. The concept of a loot box has spread like wildfire online since then. The legislation and gambling regulations in different countries will determine if loot boxes are gambling.
