Are You a Gambler or a Gamer?

Gambler and gamer – similar words, only two different letters, and a huge gap between them

12:25 07 April 2020

Why playing video games is considered an innocent hobby, while enjoying casino games – a problem that should be solved?

Even if you decide to call gambling something else like playing poker, people will still judge you. That is why we decided to explore the topic deeper, to distinguish gamers from gamblers, and to try and figure out why people love video games but judge video slots and roulette. Interested in what the result was? Then continue reading!

Video games – a normal way to spend leisure

It is almost impossible to find a person, who has never played video games. And the number of regular players continues to grow as more and more titles arise. Developers are doing their best to improve technologies, add new features to the game, and make players spend hours and even days on their titles.

However, who is a gamer? Many people call themselves gamers after playing GTA or Need For Speed for several hours. We should understand that not everyone playing computer titles is a gamer. And our conclusion is backed with recent research.

After evaluating thousands of responses from all parts of the world, sociologists were able to come up with a portrait of a gamer. It is a 17-year-old male, who plays Alternate Reality Games at least 2,5 hours every day.

Thus, if playing Hitman or Counter-Strike from time to time, it’s not correct to call yourself a gamer. That is where the common misconception comes – people see others playing half an hour and think that gamblers are not addicts. While in reality, actual gamers may spend all their savings on new equipment, neglect work, and relationships, and as well as compulsive gamblers can get addicted to the virtual environment.

Gambling – the scourge of modern society

If you’ll decide to go to online gambling sites featuring NetEnt casino products or other titles, you’ll see plenty of options with bright, colorful and intriguing games (even with a highly developed plot) for any interest and budget. The gambling industry has grown at a break-neck speed and software providers are doing their best to satisfy cravings of the audience. But why playing casino games is still condemned?

First of all, we should understand whether a gambler controls the situation and plays for fun or starts using advantage-play techniques like ‘shuffle tracking’ or ‘hole carding’ and spends all the money just to return what he has lost.

Even scientists find it hard to say what makes gambling addictive. When playing irresponsibly, this hobby may change the way the brain works and transmits messages to the rest of the body. It has been found that some gamblers have psychological and genetic dispositions, which makes them a vulnerable category even for playing video games.

A survey of almost 6,000 gamblers showed that the majority is playing because of a chance to ‘win big money’. However, this answer was closely followed by ‘because it’s fun and exciting’. Even when losing, your body produces endorphins and adrenalin, so people are just buying entertainment.

Studies have found that dopamine release during gambling takes place in the brain areas that are activated when taking drugs. This reason is probably the most popular argument when people are trying to prove to each other that gambling may lead to addiction while playing video games is harmless.

Gaming and Gambling are Much Alike in Being Compulsive

The only situation, when playing your usual video games like MMORPG or casino games is harmful is when it reaches the point of compulsive gaming/gambling. The stages signifying the trouble are the same and here are the main of them:

• Winning;
  
  
• Losing;
  
  
• Desperation;
  
  
• Hopelessness;
  
  
• Recovery.

When noticing even the slightest change in your own behavior or in the behavior of the person you love or care about, whether they are playing online or video games, offer your help and hint to search for help in professional institutes.

What else to say?

Games are one of the simplest and the most available ways of relaxation after a hard day at college or work. They speak to different feelings and moods, so you can always choose a game depending on whether you are sad, tired, angry or calm. But as we have found out, there isn’t a big difference between playing video and casino games: when games take over your life, it is called an addiction and should be treated immediately. Thus, society shouldn’t put pressure on gamblers turning a blind eye to the obvious problems of gamers.