With many video games now operating online, there are additional options within games that were not previously available. Video games have become highly competitive and players want to give themselves the best chance to win. With that in mind, video games have started to incorporate gambling mechanics and we have some examples of how on this page.

Loot Boxes

Loot boxes are the prime example of how video games are incorporating gambling mechanics. Loot boxes can be opened within the game and they present the player with a virtual reward. There is nothing wrong with this in essence but when players can purchase virtual currency to buy loot boxes, it becomes a different matter. The items included in loot boxes differ depending on the game and they could be new characters, weapons, or clothing. The quality of the item could drastically improve the chances of the player winning the game or they could be of little help, meaning buying the virtual currency to get the loot boxes was a waste of money. There is always an element of risk when opening loot boxes and they are comparable to playing online slot games. When spinning the reels of a slot game, no one knows what the outcome is going to be and there is a big risk that the stake is going to be lost. However, it is worth noting that we have a new way to gamble online using virtual currency, called sweepstake casinos. These often require no payment and the gold coins used are available for free as a bonus when joining. The sweepstakecasinobonuses website is where you can find the latest sweepstake casino bonuses and enjoy playing online games without spending any real money.

Pay-to-Win

The pay-to-win video game mechanic is similar to loot boxes but players know what they are going to receive. This mechanic is popular in mobile games and allows players to make microtransactions within the game to boost their character and chances of success. The pay-to-win mechanic can be addictive because as players move through the game, the levels and opponents become more difficult, and lead to the player making further purchases. Pay-to-win is like gambling because there is still no guarantee of success when making a purchase within a video game. Buying a new weapon does not automatically lead to winning the next battle and if they opposition is a better player, the upgrade may not be enough.

In-Game Gambling

Some of the leading video game titles have gambling elements within the actual gameplay, with Red Dead Redemption being a good example. This video game allows players to sit at a table and play card games for virtual currency. No real money is involved when playing the card games but a lot of virtual currency can be won and lost. It can take many gaming hours to build up currency in games like Red Dead Redemption and it can be devastating for a player to lose all that money in a game of cards. While no real money ever changes hands in the game, this is another example how gambling mechanics are incorporated into video games. The thrill of playing the casino games inside video games could lead to players wanting try gambling for real money in the future.

Loss Aversion

Some video games will present a player with an item or character for free but only for a short period of time. However, having used the item or character, when the game is about to take it away, it becomes tempting to spend the money to keep it. The FIFA football games, now known as EAFC, is a good example of this and they give players some of the highest rated footballers for free but only for a few matches. When the matches expire, the footballer is no longer available to use in the team. This can lead to the player wanting to get the footballer back for their team immediately and spending money to buy loot boxes in the hope they will win the footballer back permanently. By giving a player a taste of what it is like to have some of the best characters or items in a video game, they want to keep them and that can lead to risking more money.