Computer games and online casino sites have gained a lot of popularity in Australia and around the world. Video games have been around since the 70s. The easy accessibility of having a game on the internet, your phone, and consoles has become a revolution on its own. On the other hand, it has been a little over 26 years since gambling platforms started showing up on the internet.
But the industry has caught up with all the online trends. It is true that there is a very thin line between gambling and gaming, which is why some people tend to mix up the two. Below we’ve compared the important key elements of both categories that make them similar or totally different.
Bonuses
Let’s talk about the major difference between online casino games and digital computer games. Bonuses and promotions are components present in legal online casinos. The growing popularity of online gambling means that casinos keep introducing new bonuses to attract players and expand their user base.
Most online platforms offer a generous welcome bonus. This often matches the players’ first deposits, giving them more funds to wager. Some platforms even offer a no deposit bonus. This lets players try games without having to deposit any money. The offers usually come with some restrictions but usually attract players that are new to online gambling.
Deposit bonuses are also common among casino sites. Similar to welcome offers, this bonus multiplies players’ deposits the first few times. Users could essentially double or triple their funds via such promotions. For slot machines, free spins are also offered. If you’re a regular Aussie gambler, you’d know how handy free spins are when playing pokies. The reliable casino operators with bonuses listed on aussiebestcasinos.com enhance your gaming experience and you don’t need to spend a single Australian dollar to spin the reels with these promos. Such a vast array of platforms highlights how the gambling industry has become more competitive compared to other online gaming websites.
PC game platforms, on the other hand, don’t have nearly as many bonuses. A variety of titles do offer loyalty points and in-game freebies. These include weapon and character skins, exclusive soundtracks, rare emotes and voice lines, etc. However, these are usable within the PC games as opposed to offering players real money.
Financial and Rewarding Factors
Video games have always been linked with fun and not so much with winning actual hard cash. But gambling games have changed the face of that. As previously mentioned, the number of financial bonuses and incentives offered by online casinos is staggering. On top of that, such sites boast loyalty programs as well. These are great to reward regular customers with exclusive titles, access to new releases, bigger jackpots, etc. as they continue playing.
Traditional video games miss out on such financial benefits. However, many popular PC games now include gambling-like features. Titles like PUBG and CS:GO utilize loot boxes that users can invest in. They contain various in-game elements like skins and weapons. While such elements are usable in-game only, many users actually sell them online for cash. A loot box somewhat simulates the gambling experience as you never know what you’ll get inside.
Socialization and Interactivity
The revolution of the Internet led to inevitable interaction between players within the games without any geographical restrictions or boundaries. Social interaction heightens the gaming experience through any common ground that players might agree upon. Many of the online games by top game developers include this feature. This is a commonality between online casinos and online PC games. An online casino game can be played while simultaneously using the chat room feature to socialize with other players. Interactivity is, however, more commonly seen in PC games. This refers to how players interact with others in the game virtually as opposed to just viewing someone else’s gameplay.
Graphics and Visuals
Throughout the years, we have seen how video games have gone from simple pixel animations to life-like 3D renditions of fantasy worlds. Game developers often spend the most money and time on developing graphics, as they play an important role in player engagement and the overall gaming experience. On the other hand, one can argue that the top priority for gambling games is not graphics but user experience and fair gameplay. This does not necessarily mean that casinos lack high-quality graphics. In fact, new slot machines and themed table games launch with much better graphics than ever before. But it is fair to conclude that video games have the upper hand at this point in time.
Adrenaline and Excitement
One definite similarity between the two activities is that both indulge players through psychological factors. Some would argue that video gaming produces more adrenaline. However, that is not something to be pinned down. For some people, the rush of stealing a car in GTA might hit that sweet spot while for others getting closer to the winning reel on a slot machine would do the trick.
Role of Skills and Luck
We use skill and strategy for video games. The gameplay usually lets players come up with solutions or tactics to go around the problems created by developers. The more you understand the game and its mechanics, the stronger your chances of winning are.
However, wagering involves a lot of fortune and taking chances for winning games like pokies. This means that, often, the outcome depends on sheer luck. Card games do require a certain level of skill to excel. You can find various books and online guides detailing how to improve one’s poker or blackjack skills. Using some strategies is a good way to increase your odds of winning, even if the hand you get dealt is pure luck.
Types of Games
There is a stark distinction between the kind of games offered at online casinos as compared to other digital gaming pages. Online gambling titles are a mirror of the games played in physical locations. There are multiple types of video games available these days and the choice is not as simple as it used to be. This means that the video game landscape is constantly changing and evolving. It brings some exciting categories like Sandbox, Real-time strategy (RTS), Shooters (FPS and TPS), Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), Role-playing (RPG, ARPG, and More), Simulation and Sports, Puzzlers and Party Games, Action, Adventure, and many more.
However, there is also some overlap in these games. Many also include traditional betting elements. The popular weapon skins in Counter-Strike; the inclusion of casinos with poker, blackjack, roulette, pokies, and horse races in GTA San Andreas; card games in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt; casino locations in Fallout: New Vegas; and dice-based minigames in Red Dead Redemption are all examples of how both genres complement each other.
Ending
The continuous advancement in technology has blurred the line between gaming and gambling. There are some very clear differences between both but also some similarities that can not be ignored. Choosing to play any of the two can be exciting and for now, there is no clear winner between the two. Both provide great entertainment for players and sometimes even complement each other.
