The growth of the video games industry has been phenomenal over the last few decades. With technology advancing by the day, the boom in this sector shows no signs of slowing. Recent years have seen gaming become as large as the music and film industry combined, making it the biggest entertainment market in the world.
This growth, coupled with the explosion of online gaming, has led to the emergence of E-sports – competitive elite gaming – and with it a new category of high-level professional gamers. These gamers are dedicated to their sport, spending hours practicing their chosen game, and seeking out sponsorship to fund their training.
Unknown to a lot of gamers, however, the skills that are needed to excel in this competitive arena are often skills that can be transferred into the world of online gambling and this can apply to casual gamers also. We spoke with the team at Casino Reviews NZ who happens to be a group of avid gamers about the skills that gamers develop that transfer over to online gambling.
Patience and problem solving
Patience is a key skill required to be a high achiever in the world of gaming. Games can often take hours to complete, and require the player to solve complex problems and puzzles under pressure and overcome challenges that at first seem impossible. Players must be able to keep calm in stressful situations.
Gambling can often throw up similar situations that need to be dealt with in the same way. Keeping your cool when faced with the possibility of large winnings or losses, and being sure to make well-informed decisions, rather than the rash, emotion-based choices, are essential factors for a successful gambler.
Dedication
Video gaming requires players to be dedicated to the game. Games have different physics, mechanics, and controls, and mastering these elements can take days of playtime, not to mention learning individual aspects of the game such as weapon selection and specific character traits.
Players of games that require leveling up, such as RPGs, or collection of materials like Minecraft, often talk of ‘the grind.’ The grind is a term given to the completion of sometimes repetitive tasks in order to gain XP, unlock certain items or skins, and collect in-game credit. This grind can consume hours of playing for small in-game results.
Casino games often demand the same mindset to be applied to gain positive results. Knowing that it can take seconds to lose money but hours to win it back, combined with the knowledge that fixed-odds machines will payout after a certain amount of playing time, means that having a dedication to a certain machine or game can boost the long term possibility of success.
Risk-Taking
Gaming is all about risk-taking, whether it’s pushing the enemy in a shooter, picking the right moment to overtake in a racing game, or playing with a strong attacking formation in sports games. At the highest level of competitive gaming, the true leaders are those who understand the odds and take calculated risks at the right time and take measured changes that are likely to work out in their favor.
Risk-taking in gambling works in the same way. Players must understand the odds and gamble when they are in their favor. Taking risks is the definition of gambling and knowing when is the right time to bet big can result in large payouts.
Gamblers also know they are playing with finite resources, and in order to try and make the best return, knowing when to strike for the maximum advantage will mean players get the most out of their initial stakes.
Curiosity
Gamers are people who like to explore, enjoy searching for secrets, and revel in opening up hidden new worlds – they are curious people. Open world games such as GTA and Red Dead Redemption are often the most anticipated releases, as they allow the player complete freedom and unlimited scope to explore their digital worlds, without being bound to a certain direction or quest. Online multiplayer hit Rocket League has seen players spending hours upon hours exploring the mechanics and physics of the game, discovering secrets that the developers didn’t even know existed.
This inquisitive nature is also an asset that will go a long way in casinos. The desire to keep learning, to explore the way games works, and to keep expanding your understanding will decrease the likelihood of poor decision making and increase your skillset.
