Is Online Gaming the Future of Gambling?

When people think about gambling, a lot of them have very old-fashioned views. High street bookmakers, full of old men huddling around the tv cheering on the next horse race. Paper slips for the football accumulators, newspapers with the hottest tips, and information about every race. A very social experience, people would be acquainted with their fellow gamblers personally.

Casinos have always been popular with punters, taking in the famous old-style games along with the technologically advanced new style games. Both of these long-standing pillars of gambling have started to come under some pressure from an unexpected angle though. In recent times, a new variation of gambling has come into play. Gambling on eSports is growing in popularity, especially among the more computer-savvy youth of today.

How has the Pandemic affected the way People Gamble?

The Covid-19 Pandemic has changed everything for a lot of people and a lot of businesses. Some things will never go back to being the way it was before. Restrictions throughout the year on businesses and indeed people’s movements have seen to that. Business sectors like hospitality and travel have been completely decimated. It’s no surprise that the gambling industry has been hit hard.

The closing and reopening of casinos and bookmakers have pushed more people than ever into gambling online. The whole safety aspect of avoiding people has pushed this even more into perspective. The strict rules and protocols that casinos and bookmakers must adhere to would deter even the most hardcore gambler. For the time being at least, online playing is king.

The Growing Recognition Line

eSports has come quite far in a short space of time. The first recorded official competition of video games was in 1972. Atari has been credited with creating eSports itself. A competition they held in 1980 involved nearly 10,000 people taking part. Since the late 90s tournaments have become much larger as interest levels have soared. Sponsorship became a regular thing and now eSports is a billion-dollar industry.

 Around 2015, some small online betting sites were offering betting on eSports, but it was only later the larger mainstream companies got involved. Originally, eSports were tied in with virtual sports betting. However, these two categories are both very different. At the start, games, tournaments, and markets themselves were very limited. Now you can pretty much gamble on any eSport event, anytime. 

What Tournaments is Online Gaming Involved in?

Not that long ago, even the most ardent sports fan, or indeed gambler, would have dreamed of the impact that the development of eSports would have on these industries. Playing competitions, but not being in the same place would have been unheard of. Yet online, players can pit their wits against each other from different locations all over the world. And the opportunity to gamble on these events is of course irresistible to some punters. Maybe you have been keeping track of some of the player’s progress, or possibly even know the player! 

This has now grown to the point where esports is soon to be included in the Summer Olympics. Just missing out on the Tokyo Olympics of this year, the Summer event of 2024, which will be held in Paris, will involve demonstration esports events.

FIFA, the global governing body of football, which stages World Cup football competitions since 1930, began hosting its esports alternative in 2004. The Grand Final event has taken place in major cities across the globe, attracting significant numbers of players of all nationalities to compete to qualify. In the beginning, this competition was only open to PlayStation 3 users. However, this changed in 2015, when players of both PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One were allowed to play. This boosted the number of competitors even higher.

What can I play my Games on?

Time has moved on quickly from the early days of gaming. In the 90s, systems such as Sega Mega Drive and Super Nintendo were wildly popular with kids as entertainment game consoles for the home. Their portable versions of Nintendo Game Boy and Sega Game Gear were essential traveling companions if you enjoyed playing games.

However, since then, there have been a few developments in technology that sped up the unexpected downfall of these two computer giants. Companies like Microsoft started to produce their own gaming consoles. The improvements in graphics, in particular, made the competition a lot fiercer, but also led to enhanced satisfaction for the player. Let’s have a look at a few devices where online gaming can be enjoyed.

• Playstation: games console produced by Sony since the mid-90s. Now in its generation Playstation 5, this is a great round option for the player. The online Playstation store allows you to download or purchase games directly. 

• Xbox: Microsoft’s first adventure into the gaming world came late as opposed to everyone else, but now their console is wildly popular. Released only at the end of 2001, Xbox is now considered a heavyweight in the gaming industry.

• PC: There has always been a huge selection of games for the computer. Two of the most popular operating systems, amongst many, are Windows and Linux. If you would like to ensure that your computer performs to the best of its capabilities, the purchase of a powerful graphics card will guarantee this, as well as boosting your all round play experience.

• Smart devices: It’s hard to imagine anyone could predict the number of people who now own mobile smart devices such as phones or tablets. Aside from communications becoming easier, they have also become a godsend for gamblers and gamers alike. With a connection to the internet, access to betting sites, such as VamosGG, makes it easy to place wagers on your favorite esports games.

There is a vast choice of games, no matter if your preference is an Apple or Android device. Whilst some games are free to download, this is not always the case. Some games will cost you an upfront fee to download. Then, other games have in-game fees, which some people are getting uncomfortable about, given the level of interest in gaming these days. 

Conclusion

While still lagging behind traditional sports like football and cricket, interest in eSports has only increased over the years. People will always wish to test their knowledge and bet on sports that they like and feel they know something about. Perhaps they could even be personally involved in some way. The Covid-19 Pandemic has given a lot of people more time to stay inside, either practicing their online gaming or betting on others taking part, which has become a lot easier these days. 

If you wish to bet on eSports you don’t have to wait until the next Olympics or World Cup! Pick the device best for you so you can enjoy online gaming to the fullest. As opposed to the past, there are now well-organized gaming competitions taking place all the time. Usually now contains all sorts of markets for you to have a wager on. 

Just be careful, the constant availability of online games to bet on can lead to gambling addiction. If you are worried about anyone developing a problem during these times, please don’t hesitate to look at GamStop.