Why Casino-Style Games Are Showing Up in Your Favorite Video Game Title

Casino style games have become prevalent in modern video games. Recent hit, Belatro, is based primarily on Texas Hold ‘Em poker, while GTA 5’s Diamon Casino & Resort is not only a popular location for heists and to get new missions, but it also features casino games.

Red Dead Redemption, Dragon Quest 11, The Sims 3, and Fallout: New Vegas are just some of the titles that incorporate casino games. There are many reasons they’re becoming popular, including the competitiveness they can offer, as well as the familiarity that many of us have for the games. In some cases, they’re setting or genre-appropriate.

Casino Games

Casino games have evolved over the years. While we still play games like roulette, blackjack, and craps, which have, in some cases, been around as long as casinos, we also see digital variants of these, including at online casinos like SambaSlots.com.

We are also seeing other casino features, even including the live dealers, transition to their online equivalents. VR casinos potentially represent the next innovation, and these aim to bring players even closer to the feel and immersion of real games.

Similarly, games that we generally consider to be casino games also find their way into other media and content, including mainstream video games.

Excitement

Casino games are exciting. Some of this excitement comes from the possibility of winning money when playing at real money casinos. However, some games are also exciting because of the gameplay and the features they offer.

Poker and blackjack are exciting card games that either pit players against one another or against the house. Some people play these games at home, either for very small or no stakes whatsoever, showing they stand alone as exciting games in their own rights. This excitement is a big reason for their popularity in casino games.

Risk

Humans are risk-takers. Taking risks releases dopamine in the brain, which makes us feel good. Dopamine is also addictive, which is what causes continued thrill-seeking.

The brain encourages us to repeat the action that gave us the dopamine hit in the first place. Risk-taking is seen as an attractive quality in potential partners, as well as in the selection of friends and the positive attitude we have towards others.

Casino games carry risk because players have to stake money in the hope of winning. Even though the risk in games is different, for example potentially costing in-game currency or leading to a loss of XP or other risks, it carries the same dopamine hit and attraction.

Rewards

With casino game risk comes potential rewards and the riskier games are those that generally have the highest rewards. Like the risk itself, rewards also carry dopamine, and this is why positive reinforcement works as a training method not only in dogs and cats but in humans, too.

In-game rewards can include in-game currency, experience points, or mission progression, and these are crucial to the development of characters and the progression of the game.

Recognition

Even people who have never set foot in a physical casino recognize many of the games they offer. Some of us have played poker with friends and family, most of us know a roulette table when we see one, and many people have played slots-like games on websites and in other games.

For game makers, offering casino-style games gives a reference point that encourages players to engage in the game. It also enables the creators to assume a degree of familiarity with the rules of the game, and this can help reduce the work needed to encourage people to get on board.

For players, partaking in something familiar is easier than trying to learn a brand-new game from scratch. This familiarity also helped Belatro become a success when it launched, using the basic rules of Texas Hold ‘Em as the basis for the game.

Competition

In some way, all casino games are competitive. The player is either competing against the dealer, the house, or other players. Live poker is popular because it carries the chance of taking the pot and winning money from other players.

In blackjack, players don’t directly compete with one another, but part of the allure of the game is to do better than your blackjack table neighbor.

Baccarat attracts crowds because people bet on the result of the shooter’s dice. This competitiveness already exists in a lot of video games, and it is ramped up considerably when including elements of these other competitive games.

Socialization

Blackjack, baccarat, and live poker are not only competitive and familiar. They also offer some element of socialization. Players mingle and chat with one another, or visit casinos in groups and then stick to playing the same games.

Casino games can offer in-game socialization, whether that’s with other real people or with NPCs. Socialization isn’t just popular because it offers a means of chatting, it is another way in which storylines and games can be progressed.

Appropriate Setting 

It feels natural when Arthur Morgan sits down to play poker because of the Wild West setting and the use of saloons. The Diamond Casino in GTA 5 fits because it works in the setting and isn’t out of place. Even in The Sims 3, it makes sense because so many people enjoy casino games and gambling on them.

In these cases, casino games are included and are popular because they are appropriate to the role being played by the character or to the general setting of the game.

Conclusion

Casino-style games are common in video games. You can find them in titles ranging from simulators like The Sims 3 to roleplaying games like Red Dead Redemption 2, and hugely popular online games like GTA 5. They are popular because they offer chances to win money, even if it is in-game currency, but also because of the risk and reward.

And because so many of us are familiar with the rules of games like blackjack, it makes it easier for game makers and players to incorporate these games into video games.