Video games are one of the biggest entertainment industries all around the round, especially when you consider mobile games, console game PC games, and online gaming under the umbrella. With so many different platforms, gaming has begun to appeal to wider audiences, and now more people than ever are playing games.
When we think of gamers, however, we still think of teenage boys or young men playing alone or with their friends for hours on end. Most professional gamers still resemble this stereotype, so it is easy to see why it continues. While gaming is growing in popularity with different age groups and with women, young men are still the target demographic most of the time.
Alongside more traditional video games, we now also have online casinos. These digital alternatives have rapidly been taking over more and more of the market from their traditional land-based counterparts. These online casinos typically offer hundreds of slot machine games, all the most popular table games and live dealer games. Some also offer bingo, keno and other more niche games.
While older generations might assume that all digital games are video games and basically the same thing, we know that isn’t the case. Online slot machine games have a lot in common with mobile games in terms of simplicity of gameplay and the use of engaging graphics, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be enjoyed by the same audience.
So, do gamers enjoy online casinos? This blog will try to answer that question.
General popularity
It is safe to assume that many gamers enjoy playing at online casinos simply because they are so popular in general. Let’s take Finland as an example. Even though it is a fairly small country, it is home to a huge number of video game developers. Playing video games is a very popular hobby in the country.
Finland also offers a number of online casinos. There are enough accessible online casinos in the country that it is necessary to have a comparison guide to find the best casinos in Finland. With both regular video games and online casinos having so many players, it is very likely that many video gamers also enjoy playing at online casinos.
Grand Theft Auto Online
The popularity of the casino in Grand Theft Auto Online is further proof that gamers enjoy online casinos. The Diamond Resort & Casino is a playable casino in the online version of GTA. Completing certain events, such as the Cayo Perico Heist, grants access to more areas in the building.
Players need a membership to play at the casino, but once they have one, they can play all of the available games. There is roulette, blackjack and poker alongside slot machines and a horse betting sportsbook. It is so popular with players that there has been discussion about making it a permanent feature and incorporating it into GTA VI — if we ever see it released!
Streamer Poker Tournament
Twitch and YouTube streamers are among the top gamers — if not always in terms of talent, definitely in terms of the number of fans they have. Some of the top games for streamers to play are League of Legends, Dota 2, Valorant, Apex Legends and Fortnite. Just like esports stars, the top streamers are celebrities with huge followings.
One of these famous streamers is Ludwig Ahgren. With nearly three million subscribers on his main channel, he is one of the most watched gamers on Twitch, and now on YouTube. When he’s not winning tournaments on Super Smash Bros. and playing other video games, Ahgren is also a fan of poker.
In May 2022, Ahgren organized a poker tournament for some of his fellow streamers. The tournament, called Ludwig’s $1 million YouTube Poker Tournament, included some of the biggest gamer content creators and two professional poker players. The biggest names were Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson, Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel and Tyler ‘Ninja’ Bevins. The biggest winner was Alexandra Botez, who walked away with $456,900.
Events such as this one demonstrate that poker and other forms of gambling, whether in person or online, are popular with gamers. Playing poker at an online casino is a great way for players to hone their skills and it’s likely that that’s how the streamers involved got so good.
Now, you might not find serious gamers doing speed runs of slot machine games or trying to work out if there are cheat codes for live dealer blackjack, but it does seem like gamers enjoy online casinos. This shouldn’t be a huge surprise since people from all demographics enjoy an occasional hand of cards or spin of the reels.
