The Future of In-Game Gambling

As more powerful machines and better technology are developed, video games are becoming increasingly immersive and photorealistic. Thanks to this, gambling sites have managed to integrate gaming technology into their betting games while successfully and progressively improving the quality of the online gambling experience.

Gambling and video games develop simultaneously as they both rely on advances in technology. Although video games and gambling generally have different demographics, their common purpose is to entertain people while they stay in the comfort of their homes. It is sufficient to say that gambling has great potential with video games. To find out why let’s take a look at some promising scenarios regarding the future of in-game gambling.

In-game gambling goes way back in gaming history due to the unmatched rewarding feeling it offers. After all, fulfillment is what makes games fun and nothing is more fulfilling than high-risk, high-reward gameplay. The more complex and immersive games you create, the more likely you are to include some form of in-game credits wagering.

Even in the Red Dead Redemption series players can play blackjack or poker in Wild West-themed casinos, parlors and saloons. 

Fallout: New Vegas, a popular title amongst gamers everywhere, is themed entirely on the legendary Sin City. The game’s plots and narrative all revolve around playing the hand you are dealt with, on top of a huge selection of in-game gambling in casinos scattered across the game map.

While most games include in-game gambling in a non-compulsory way, some developers such as Blizzard Entertainment, creators of some of the most iconic games, are well known for integrating gambling aspects directly into their systems. 

The entire loot distribution in World of Warcraft, released in 2004, is done through dice rolls. Slaying powerful monsters has always been only half the battle in WoW. The reward is not guaranteed because, in order to gain loot from dungeons/raids, you have to engage in a betting game with your very own teammates.

This additional layer to monster slaying is what separates the MMO. The fact that World of Warcraft is still one of the most popular games today, almost two decades later, speaks volumes and only proves how big of an impact this feature has. 

But even their newest games are more centered around randomness and gambling. Hearthstone, Blizzard’s card game, is considered by many a borderline casino game due to its extreme randomness and similarities to poker. 

Many of the eSports pros on the Hearthstone scene in fact have a background in professional gambling. Even Daniel Negreanu, the most famous professional gambler, acknowledges the similarities and is, in his own words, “addicted” to the game. He said the following in an interview about Heartstone and poker:

“For me, I just love the depth of that strategy. There are so many intricate decisions that need to be made, much like poker. If Hearthstone went to real-money gaming, poker players would be there in droves.”

Big companies like Electronic Arts took the whole thing even a step further by introducing monetization schemes like loot boxes into the video game industry. Video game loot boxes allow players to spend money for items in-game that resemble mystery packages. These loot crates and real gambling share similar characteristics. This could potentially be problematic with certain player bases as the randomized effect encourages the player to buy additional loot boxes. So much so that many countries are considering whether to include them in their gambling laws. Most recently, the UK government has undergone a major gambling act review in which loot boxes were discussed.

The country has decided not to regulate loot boxes, however, the government has emphasized for games companies to step up and improve problem gambling protections for their players.

For the foreseeable future, it is safe to assume that loot boxes will continue their existence as free-to-play multiplayer games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch, and CS:GO do not rely on video game sales but rather purely on promoting and encouraging the player to purchase loot boxes.

Sports betting has existed as long as sports themselves and it comes to no one’s surprise that betting has also become a norm in eSports as well. Between 2019 and 2020 in the UK market alone, this section of the iGaming industry has managed to bring £4.5 million. 

Although they are not major events like the World Cup or Super Bowl, game tournaments like CS: GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, etc. have shown time and time again their huge growth potential. Furthermore, the rapid development of Twitch and other streaming platforms means small organized events between streamers are also a source of betting that can be exploited, an example of this is the popularity of Twitch Rivals. Hence, it is the reason why many sports betting sites are also offering eSport betting.

The creation of the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas is a testament to the growing bond between the video gaming industry and the gambling industry as a whole, and between casinos and eSport in particular. However, this is barely the tip of the iceberg as eSport will likely continue to grow as more and more people prefer playing video games as a profession and main source of income. With constant investment from casinos to eSport, it is safe to assume that gambling has a prosperous relationship with gaming. Furthermore, casinos stand to reap huge rewards from the eSport scene.

Today, online gambling offers social casino games with a never seen level of comfort for players. Instead of having to travel to a bricks-and-mortar casino, players now have access to a wide variety of online casino and game options without having to move from their comfy couch. 

But the online gambling industry is not stopping there. It took the whole gaming experience a step further and branched into virtual reality. Although still at the beginner's stage, virtual reality online casinos deliver gamblers the closest experience to a real-life casino possible through the use of VR gear.

As online casinos use more advanced technology, online gambling becomes more realistic and immersive, giving the players an authentic casino experience. Also, the mobile gaming industry is steadfastly becoming more pronounced as gamers shift their focus away from mainstream gaming to mobile gaming and mobile games. This proves to be a rich growing ground for the iGaming industry as major game platforms bring even higher levels of convenience to the players.

The Metaverse, although a concept in early adoption, is hyped up and pushed by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. It is essentially a digital universe where the Internet is an explorable game world where people can connect and engage in various activities (eCommerce, community search, chat, counseling, education). One avenue the metaverse has already established roots in includes the iGaming industry with an untapped source of growth for online gambling.

• A Closer Look at Gambling in Decentraland Casinos

Already, Etain, one of the world’s largest betting and gaming groups, has entered the Metaverse. The company plans to create an immersive environment with virtual reality and augmented reality for both the betting industry and the games industry.

Overall, in-game gambling has a bright future in spite of calls to protect minors from it. Online gambling will continue to grow and resemble more and more to real-life gambling through the use of technology. This will in turn bring massive growth in a very short time to the gambling industry. And although real-life casinos will still continue to thrive, the online casino industry is the future.