Today, gambling has become a common practice in our societies, exists in countless forms, is accessible to all, regardless of sex, age, etc.
Digital technology (which has allowed the progress of new information and communication technologies with new digitization codes) and new technologies have a significant influence on the practice of gambling. Indeed, the arrival of the digital coincides with a new way of playing but also a greater diversity concerning the game offer that comes in different forms: sports betting, equestrian, scratch games, poker, online casino games, games prints, etc.
The five different ways through which modern technology has changed the gambling industry:
- The birth of online gambling
Gambling is constantly evolving; they have seen a turning point with the development of digital that allows new ways to play. Gambling has evolved with the technologies we are talking about digitized gambling.
The first step took place in the 70s and especially in casinos where slot machines were very popular. This type of game was revolutionary when it was released in the early twentieth century. In the 1970s gaming software was designed to replace these machines “traditional” by machines “electronic”.
The second major step in the evolution of digital gambling dates back to the early 1990s with the internet. It is at this time that the Internet begins to become more accessible and accessible to more and more people.
In 1994, a regulatory framework recognized by certain authorities was born. This framework plays a very important role for the rise of online games because it proves their legalities.
Thus through these three steps, several companies are starting to create online gaming sites thanks to the rise of the internet. In 1994 the first online gaming software began to develop and it is in 1995 that appears the first online gambling site.
- Digital games and their new players
As we have seen, with the digital and more precisely with the arrival of the internet the gambling has changed. Today, online games play an important role in society. There are many online gambling sites.
The different types of digital gambling
- The casino/poker games:The casino games are the first games to have been put online. This type of site is very popular because we often find all the games that are present in a casino (roulette, blackjack, slot machine, etc.). The virtual casino sites are those that are most popular on the web because the chances of winning are also greater than in the so-called “physical” casinos. Indeed, there are fewer costs with a website.
- Sports betting sites/horse racing:The most common sports bets remain horse betting that exists since antiquity. These bets are a very common practice especially in bars/cafes offering PMU. Today with the internet, horse betting has intensified in their offers.
- Other types of the game much less known:
- The skill games, etc.:Skills games are online games less known but very active in the market. This type of game combines skill games in which players compete to win money. The faster of the two having successfully passed the game wins the best bet with the opponent.
New technologies have thus considerably transformed the world of gambling since the 90s. Games considered as “prohibitive” in history are today a market in itself. The latter has evolved representations of society on gambling but also the practices of players.
- Type of players and vision of the game
Technology has created a new way of playing for individuals and games have since taken a new place in society. Even though the most used gambling system is still gambling in physical entities (casino, tobacconist, etc.), online gambling is growing more and more.
Men play more than women on the internet especially with the increase in offers on sports betting and horse racing (we find women on casino games most often where the chance is in place). This type of game has always attracted a rather masculine market. Today with the online game this standard does not evolve; on the contrary, we even notice the emergence of an “average player profile” for each kind of online game. The online game has created a different type of player from the one we can think of.
Online gambling changes the representation of gambling. Indeed, the digital removes certain constraints that represent the physical points of sale, for example in terms of availability, players can play 24 hours a day, any type of online game. For some, it is ideal because their schedules do not allow moving, where for others it is a way to play in all discretion.
Playing on the internet allows the biggest players not to take risks by moving with too much money on them. This allows players to play without the gaze of others. One can also play in real time, “to redo” according to the hazards of an event, etc. Their strong presence in the media (sponsorship, advertising, etc.) has allowed the games to be trivialised, more and more people try at least once this practice according to the ODJ (observatory games).
- A persistent underground economy
The first major consequence of the impact of digital on gambling is the existence of an underground economy. In some countries, such as Malta, Cyprus and Finland, the online gaming economy has become a major strategic issue and makes these tax havens very attractive. The purchase of online games is therefore liberalized and there are many offers.
- The risk of addiction
This is one of the important consequences when we talk about games. Indeed, today a lot of testimonial programs are on television to show the risks of addiction concerning gambling, video games or sports betting.
The addiction corresponds to the behavior of dependence, which can be with substance (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis etc.) or without substance (work, sex, sports, shopping, gambling, etc.).
The addictive behavior has spread in a massive way since 2010, the date corresponding to the opening of competition in the online gaming markets. Illegal offers have multiplied symbolized by open platforms 24/24. The addiction is common among young people. Young people are having been involved in illegal online gambling.
We have seen addiction is a common behavior when playing games. It is pathology to take very seriously.
Though, the effects of online gambling are more on young generation. So it is the responsibility of not only parents but also of the government that there should be a regular check on the activities on their children.
