If you really think about it, casino games are quite similar to modern-day board or video games. The biggest difference between the two is that casino games virtually always involve money, which is why we label them as something for adults only. Because of that, you will rarely see casino games played socially and just for fun. Well, apart from poker, that is.
However, video games and the iGaming industry are much more closely connected than just that. In fact, today’s video games often include aspects from the iGaming industry and vice versa.
One thing that closely ties video gaming in the iGaming industry is eSports. Namely, in the past two decades, the popularity of video games has grown immensely. From a mere hobby and a fun way to kill some time, gaming turned into a multi-billion-dollar worth industry. Not only that, but video games are also a career choice for thousands of gamers across the world. Because of that, we now have professional eSports teams that compete for prestige and millions of dollars against other teams from one tournament to another.
Granted, while eSports betting isn’t as popular as traditional sports betting, the iGaming industry didn’t miss out on the opportunity to take advantage of the ever-growing eSports market. Based on the latest sports betting industry data, the global esports betting market revenue increased from $25 million to $1.81 billion between 2015 and 2020. However, as the popularity of video games continues to grow, there’s no doubt that the iGaming industry will focus even more on the eSports market.
One of the reasons eSports betting is as popular is because it works just like regular betting. However, instead of betting on traditional sports, it allows gamers to cash in on their knowledge and potentially make a profit while supporting their favorite team. Punters can bet on teams or players who compete against another in various tournaments throughout the year and across dozens of different video games.
Believe it or not, some games are so popular that the prize pool for the tournament often exceeds million dollars. For example, the prize pool for the last Dota 2’s annual tournament, the International, was more than $40 million, which is just one of the reasons eSports betting is as exciting as traditional betting.
In addition to eSports, the iGaming industry and video gaming are also intertwined through loot boxes. Loot boxes store various in-game items, all of which have a different prize worth or in-game value. In most cases, a player will require a key to unlock a loot box, which can be purchased with real-life currency. Because of that, and because of a random luck factor involved, loot boxes are often closely compared to slot machines.
Unlike online casinos, video game developers are not always required to complete certain know your customer policies, which can expose minors to gambling-like features in games that contain loot boxes. Granted, while certain governments are trying to censor loot boxes from video games or impose certain regulations, loot boxes are still a big part of the video gaming industry.
As you can see, video games and iGaming are closely connected, and the relationship between the two is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. If anything, these two industries can only become even more intertwined as new video games graphics are implemented in future casino games.
Even now, numerous iGaming companies are investing heavily in virtual reality, which may become the future trend in the iGaming industry, further strengthening the connection between iGaming and video games.
