The Dark Side of Video Games: Exploring the hidden gambling elements in online games.

 

The Dark Side of Video Games: Exploring the hidden gambling elements in online games.

At this point, we are all familiar with video games and their popularity all over the world. Many consider it to be a great form of entertainment whereas others think of it as a waste of time. However, what a lot of people don't realize are the potential loopholes that allow game companies to financially exploit people through various mechanisms that are similar to online gambling. In this blog, we will dive into how a lot of different games introduce gambling elements in them and how people are unaware of it due to misleading marketing and advertisement.

source: https://www.bettingusa.com/online-gambling-payment-processing-denials/

What is Online Gambling?

First of all, as we know, gambling is the act of betting money or something of value on the outcome of a game which usually relies on luck. One can gamble on either games that involve themselves or other people's games. In a lot of countries including Bangladesh, gambling is banned. But although gambling in casinos or such places can be easily investigated, it is nearly impossible to identify gambling done through the internet. This includes virtual casinos, sports betting, lotteries, and video games. Many of these activities bypass the laws against gambling although they can still be considered as gambling at its core.

How is Gambling implemented in video games?

source: https://www.counter-strike.net/cs2

Most of the games nowadays have options for in game purchases. These kinds of purchases are made using real money which then gives some in-game rewards. But more and more games are recently introducing virtual currency which are then used to get random rewards or items. Since virtual currency is different from real money, these companies can bypass the laws that involve gambling. Some popular examples are gacha games where a lot of playable characters and items are obtained through spending lots of money which can require anywhere from no money at all to thousands of dollars. Even competitive games and open world games are starting to implement such randomness in their rewards which no one is speaking against.

source: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1599340/Lost_Ark/

What are the impacts?

Although many people might think that this type of in-game purchases aren't harmful, they don't realize that these games are designed in such a way that people get addicted to spending. After all, if players

source: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/genshin-impact/

spend more money on their games, the ones who will get the revenue are the companies and developers. These kinds of games expose both younger and older people to gambling which might lead to addiction. They might end up spending more money than they can afford while trying to get some rare items and fall into financial problems. There are many such examples where children used their parent's credit card without their knowledge or even working adults got addicted to such games and fell into debt.

How to prevent such problems?

Honestly, there is no clear way of preventing developers and game companies from abusing the transaction system unless the authorities change the law by properly addressing whether this falls into the gambling territory or not. The average consumers should be protected from falling into spending traps. Game companies and developers must be transparent about the transaction and give an approximate value that is needed to secure any in-game item. Games where a lot of money is needed to be spent should have an age limit and a strict age verification process so that they do not get addicted to gambling due to the schemes of game companies. Parents should also not give their credit card access to their children and make sure to check any of their online transactions until they grow up. If someone is suffering from gambling addiction, they should seek immediate help from a professional. In these ways, it is possible to prevent people from spending an unhealthy amount of money on something that does not even have a clear cost.

Conclusion

As we can see, online gambling in video games is very harmful as it does not fall into the category of traditional gambling and many people don't realize it until they get addicted themselves. Although these games can be fun for entertainment, it is essential that we know about the darker side of the industry and avoid these gambling schemes. After all it is our responsibility to spend money wisely and encourage others to do the same so that they do not fall into such gambling addiction. And for those that are already addicted, it is essential that they seek professional help. Unless, companies and developers are held accountable by law, the number of such victims will sadly only rise.