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I recently read an article which sort of triggered an anger and a need to respond in me, which lead me to expand on why I'm disgusted when "Gaming" is used to describe gambling, betting and casino "games".
Read the article that triggered me by clicking *THIS*
The TL;DR of my article is that gambling, betting and casino "games" aren't games. Casinos and betting sites are predatory entities with the only goal to find vulnerable people, ensnare them into their web and take every single cent they can out of those vulnerable people.
Gaming is entertaining and should be fun, innocent and safe.
Nothing in gambling or betting or the like is innocent, safe or a game. Casinos and betting sites are predatory entities with the only goal to find vulnerable people, ensnare them into their web and take every single cent they can out of those vulnerable people.
Their entire business model is based upon it, and their "games" are specifically created to maximize the appeal to those vulnerable people to keep them "playing" because to them playing is paying.
This is indisputable, established and proven fact.
Let's look at casino's for example. They're designed from the ground up with only three goals:
1. Keep visitors in the casino as long as possible once they're inside.
2. Manipulate the visitor to play as much of their "games" for as long as possible.
3. Manipulate the visitor to drink as much as possible from their bar(s).
And that includes the lighting, the placement of machine, bars, and facilities, it includes the colors, the sounds, the personnel, the generous drinks and other perks, and the "games" they offer.
Notice anything odd before in Casino's?
Ever wonder why there are no clocks in casino's? Or why there are rarely any windows? Because if you loose track of time, you won't realize you've been in the casino way longer than you intended to be. Whether it's 15:00 or 03:00, inside the Casino you can't tell the difference.
The location and route to get to toilets are even specifically designed to entice a visitor to "play" and are usually complex, leading you past several places with enticing views of he "games" the casino offers, and past several bars and other places where the visitor can get drinks.
Funny by the way how complementary drinks appear when you're enthusiastically "playing" one of the games or slots. Oh no, not funny but another mind trick. They don't want you to think or do anything that interrupts you "playing", like thirst. If you don't get thirsty, you're not going to leave the "game" to go to the bar for a drink which gives your brain the opportunity to break down the endorphins and think straight, realizing how much time and/or money you've spent on the "game"
The lights in a casino are not just so you can see in the dark.
The lighting in casino's are mostly low to give the visitor the subconscious association with evening and to make it feel cosy, which helps to relax the visitor. Relaxed people are more inclined to participate in "fun" activities and more inclined to spend money.
And ofcourse, how could they not be?
The games, especially the slot machine based games, are also designed to use psychology tricks to get the player to spend more and play longer.
In the beginning the player gets rewards like wins, which makes the brain release endorphins, a chemical that makes humans feel good, and encourages to do more of what caused the release of the endorphins.
Then, when the player has some gains in the game they're faced with the prospect of loosing those gains, but also with the opportunity to pay in some way to prevent loosing the gains.
Then when that loss occurs, which inevitably happens, the player is enticed by the investment they've already spent to keep playing to recoup those losses because the brain releases a chemical (opposite of endorphins) when a loss occurs or when faced with ending the "game" with a net loss. When faced with that loss ending, the player is of course enticed with an option to recoup that loss through some free spins or discounted credit or bonuses.
These tricks are tricky for anyone but for some they're dangerous!
These psychological tricks are universal and effect almost anybody to some extent. But there are people who are especially susceptible to these tricks and can't stop themselves from playing so long and keep spending their money until they've spend more than they can possibly afford and get into real deep problems. A lot of people also get totally addicted because of these tricks and manipulations no more able to keep themselves from "playing" than a Heroin Junky is able to keep from sticking a needle in their bodies and injecting a dangerous chemical into their veins.
Gaming has games that have some elements or tricks like that too.
some will argue that more and more games in Gaming today employ the same tricks and deceptions in their games to make money as the (online) casino's do, and they'd be inadvertently be making my point for me. Gaming has already been infected and sullied by the foul evil tricks and methods from the casino, betting and gambling world, because one of their tricks is to use bright colors, bright sounds and the exuberant celebrations for any wins the "player" gets, which are endorphins release triggers, and make them look and feel more and more like innocent games.
Loot-boxes, perks or advantages, conversion of real money into game currency that in no way scales like real money to dissociate money from the game currency in the mind of the "player" are all tricks coming from the casino, betting or gambling world.
Think about the children!
But Gaming is generally associated with, and deemed appropriate activities for, children. Children are as much or more susceptible to those psychological tricks as the vulnerable group i talked about before. Do you want your children to be exposed to those kinds of predatory shenanigans? I don't. So i want there to be a clear and unmistakable separation of the gambling, betting and casino world and the Gaming world.
Which is why i hate and disgustedly loath those who use the word "Gaming" in relation to betting, gambling or casinos.
Thank you for reading this!
Stay safe and stay happy!
Exactly, people think playing those are just simple gaming when it is definitely gambling. Lol. Some just use it as an excuse they make for themselves.