Online casinos are certainly one of the most intriguing aspects of the online gambling industry. They are certainly the most interactive form of online gambling there is and are highly important to a lot of people. But is their influence only limited to the sphere of online gambling? They do not exist in a vacuum and they have had a significant effect not only on casino games but on other forms of gaming as well, including video and board games. In this article, we will explore how the online casino industry has shaped the culture of gaming, in the many forms that it takes.
Online casinos
Starting from the most obvious type, online casinos have spawned a whole new way to experience casino gambling. In the past, people were limited to brick-and-mortar establishments which were only available in large cities, if at all. When online casinos started appearing on the Internet, it brought a shift in the gambling industry from physical to virtual gaming. The first online casino games were very basic, but in the two and a half decades that online gambling has been available, online casino games have developed into their own branch, separate from those featured in land-based establishments. One very obvious aspect is the sheer quantity that online casino games come in. On a gaming hall, there are only so many tables and machines that you can fit before you run out of room. This is not a problem that exists on the Internet and payers have at their disposal hundreds, if not thousands, of games at any given time. Moreover, online virtual games are proving to be more complexed, detailed and of higher quality than their physical counterparts is saying www.casinoguardian.co.uk. The reasoning behind this is not yet completely clear, but it is noticeable. One could attribute this to cutthroat competition that exists between the different software providers, each trying to beat the rest for a larger share of the player base. Whatever the case, players are certainly benefiting from this.
Video games
As far as video games are concerned, the situation is much less rosy. A major controversy that has arisen in recent years is the inclusion of lootboxes in certain video games. These are virtual packages that one could purchase for real money and they contain random items which could be beneficial to players. The problem stems from the lootboxes in general, but from the fact that certain games are wholly built around the idea of lootbox drops, which ruins the core gameplay of a title, and that there are many children out there who play such video games. All over the globe, gambling is restricted to persons of legal age who have to be mature enough to understand what they are getting into. Whereas there are no such legislatures regarding lootboxes and children have full access to them. Many critics have compared lootboxes to slot machines and the similarity is indeed striking. Much like slot games, a person may become addicted to opening loot boxes, since the random prizes trigger the reward centers of the human brain. This could be especially harmful when young children are involved and could lead to a new generation of problem gamblers.
Board games
On the other hand, online casinos have done a lot of good in regards to board gaming. This is not as clear-cut as other aspects, but it is still important. Online casinos utilize simple yet powerful technology that allows users to play games with relative ease. These games are not as graphically intense as full-fledged video games, making it possible for just about any computer to run the software. Online board games are also quite similar in this respect, as the emphasis is placed on gameplay rather than on visuals. Several game developers have utilized software, resembling the type that online casino software providers use to bring their games to life, to create some very entertaining and engaging board games. The simplicity of the technology makes it accessible to a wide player base, giving the genre a much-needed boost in popularity. Online board games have not been as prevalent as they should be, which is a crying shame, considering the many excellent titles created in recent years.
