From Vegas to Virtual: How Gaming is Reshaping Leisure Time

Gaming has meant a lot of different things over the years. While today, the term is mostly associated with video games, this hasn’t always been the case – and to some, the term is still mostly applied to games in the gambling sector.

What’s more, the evolution of gaming technology has meant that these two perceptions have merged over time. Whatever your go-to version of gaming happens to me, the concept in general has become a much more immovable staple of leisure time due to the ubiquity of digital technology in modern lives.

The Video Game Industry

The size of the modern video gaming industry should come as a surprise to no one. What this means in practice for people’s leisure time, however, is that games are more accessible than ever, even with the fact that consoles and games arguably cost more than they ever have. This is because even though the costs for new consoles and games are high, there is still a large market for second-hand options – as well as subscription options that can enable players to access games more easily.

There is also the fact that changing hardware leading to a greater variety of gaming options. This obviously extends to various console options, but it also includes PC gaming. On top of that, there is also an enormous mobile gaming market which features both experiences that can be found on other consoles, as well as their own exclusive games.

Online Casinos

This mobile landscape is exactly the kind of space where that previously mentioned convergence can occur. Online casinos take the experience of gaming as it has been known in the past away from the strictly physical world of casinos and into the palm of players’ hands. The Royal Vegas Casino in Canada is a good example of this. Not only does this platform offer a wealth of different familiar gaming experiences, including slots, roulette, blackjack, and poker, but it also makes use of the digital format to create more digitally exclusive games.

These might include slot games with mini-games slot games with RPG elements, or it might even branch out to games that feature films or sports as a theme – such as Planet of the Apes or Cricket Star. The immersive audio-visual design ensures that this is an experience up to standard with other mobile titles.

Gamifying Other Activities

What many people might have noticed is how the concept of gaming is seeping into other areas of life entirely. This is most notable when it comes to mobile apps because the digital medium allows for gaming elements to be implemented more neatly. On some reward scheme apps, there might be an opportunity to win additional points through some sort of game after a purchase has been made, for example. Alternatively, on apps like Duolingo, it’s encouraged that you keep up your streak, which adds a competitive edge – and other apps might even go so far as to add leaderboards to further blur the lines to other games.