In years gone by, people would have turned up their noses at the idea that roulette, blackjack, poker and slots could be considered as games. That, however, is the modern world. Online gambling is now considered by almost all metrics to be gaming. It’s no shock really when you consider just how many tropes and mechanisms the online casino world has taken from AAA gaming titles and Indie equivalents.
Nor when you consider just how popular online casino gaming is. It’s why sites such as Casino.ca – a website that rates and reviews online casinos in Canada – are hugely popular. Their reach shows how central these review hubs have become in shaping player expectations and helping people make confident, informed choices in an increasingly competitive online gaming landscape.
In this article we take a look at the ways in which the rise of online casino gaming is affecting the wider gaming industry, both negatively and positively. To find out more, read on…
Online Casino Gambling and the Lessons Learned From Traditional Gaming
Attention spans are changing. That’s what we always hear nowadays and it’s true. The average amount of time that an adult can concentrate their attention on any given activity has declined from 12 seconds in 2000, to 8 seconds in 2005.
The reasons for that are myriad, but the reason it is important in relation to this article is that it explains why online casino developers have had to think outside of the box in recent decades. Running a successful online wagering site isn’t as simple as saying, “here’s a virtual blackjack table, enjoy.”
Developers have been forced to think outside the box and find new ways to engage their audiences and capture their attention. That’s why, over the past 10 years, online casinos have taken the interactive storytelling elements that make independent games so appealing and translated them to online gambling.
They haven’t just stopped at interactive storytelling though. Online leaderboards, live multiplayer challenges and achievement rewards have all been incorporated into online gambling, along with high-quality graphics.
And they have all been necessary. Online casino gaming is one of the most heavily saturated industries on the planet, which makes capturing the hearts and minds of potential customers all the more pertinent.
Traditional Gaming and the Lessons Learned From Online Gambling
It hasn’t just been a one way street in terms of data exchange. In fact, it would be fair to say that the traditional gaming sector has taken more from online gambling in recent years than the other way round.
AAA platforms like FIFA and the North American sports equivalents (NFL and NBA) have all incorporated slot machine style ‘gambling’ into their games, with the introduction of features such as Ultimate Team that allow players to buy player packs.
These player packs use the same RNG systems that online casino slots do, to reward players with randomly allocated rewards in the form of players to be used in squads, or consumables.
These packs are bought either through gaming currency which is earned through gameplay, or FIFA points which can be purchased directly from store.
Aside from being gambling adjacent in their format, these features – which are also present on other gaming titles – mirror the very look and feel of online gambling’s most successful game – slots.
The Future of Online Gambling and Traditional Gambling
In the years to come the lines between both look set to become further blurred. The much awaited incorporation of virtual reality in both sectors could see partnerships whereby online casino gambling is a feature within gameplay.
Players on Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption can already travel to casinos or taverns to play casino games and poker, so the next logical step is that real money could be wagered within a traditional game setting.
Aside from that, there will be far more crossover between features and gameplay in the future. The past tells us that both sectors have already shown a willingness to learn from one another, so we can expect that to continue.
Especially considering global legislative changes that are seeing more and more legalisation for online gambling, particularly in the powerful North American economies.
