Gambling content has become incredibly more accessible, and that made regulating risks more challenging. This is a massive part of the entertainment industry, and people all over the world love to play casino games and bet on sports. Technology made it more accessible and entertaining, but also more addictive. This is why online gambling is still illegal in many countries, even if land-based gambling establishments can operate freely.
In other words, many governments don’t take issue with this form of entertainment. The reason why it is illegal is that there is no regulatory infrastructure in place that can manage the risks. In countries like UK online gambling has been legal for almost 2 decades. However, there is a strong instance to play on regulated websites. Users can find safe and regulated operators on Wageringadvisors.co.uk and pick one or more sites based on the reviews. It’s not that these sites offer different or inferior content compared to unregulated ones. It’s just that they comply with gambling commission rules.
Here we will talk about technology that made casino games more addictive. We will also talk about how regulated sites manage these risks and why they are considered safer options.
New slot games
The original slot machines were called one-armed bandits, and their notoriety was justified. However, it wouldn’t be wrong to argue that new slot games are more addictive. These are the most popular casino games even today, and a large portion of space is allocated to hosting slots. These games simply bring in the most profit, so there are more investments in innovation and development of slots.
The reason why slots can be addictive is that they can be very fast-paced and exciting, so it can be difficult to keep track of your expenses. Modern versions have a lot of pay lines, so players are constantly winning and losing at the same time. In other words, the desire to keep playing is constantly reinforced. If losses were more constant, the drive is more likely to disappear.
Also, some features or mechanics lead to bonus rounds, so players are always on the edge of their sits whenever scatter, or wild symbols appear. It feels as if you are close to free rounds and big multipliers with every spin.
Safety measures for slots
Regulators have issued some restrictions, though. Now licensed sites need to allow players to constantly keep track of their expenses, and they need to slow down their games. Moreover, if someone has been playing for an extended period of time, then the support team needs to reach out to them. These measures don’t seem like much at first glance, but it is better to remind players of their spending and hope they back off.
Advertising gambling content
Problem gamblers are usually people who started playing casino games or betting at a young age. This is why others are very vocal about marketing campaigns that promote gambling. More specifically, people are not okay with gambling being advertised to minors. Of course, this did not happen right away, and for many, the damage is already done.
That being said, big companies follow these rules, and they comply with regulatory marketing terms. Additionally, they respect the self-exclusion rules, and some of them even ended up paying fines when they accidentally advertised to problem gamblers. This is another reason why you should play on regulated sites. If you decide to quit or limit your access to this content, the operators will have to respect your decision. Also, all the consumer protection laws will apply in case of a dispute, so regulators can protect you even in those cases.
Bonus and jackpots
Bonuses are undoubtedly a good thing, especially if you wish to practice responsible spending. However, they can also serve as a gateway in some cases. People are less open to the idea of gambling because they are afraid of losing money. With no-deposit promotions and free spins, they get to experience this content risk-free. They didn’t necessarily lose anything, but now they are more open to the idea of spending money on this entertainment.
There is also a new trend called hot drop jackpots, which are, in a way, guaranteed awards. In short, there are 3 types of jackpots:
- Hourly – guaranteed to drop within every 60 minutes;
- Daily – guaranteed to drop within every 24 hours;
- Super Jackpot – guaranteed to drop before the prize pool reaches a certain amount (e.g 250 000 pounds)
Again these are not bad things because they really improve your odds of winning. However, they nudge players into thinking about slots more frequently. Basically, you will log in every hour just to see if it’s still available and play to try and get it.
In a way, these are some features that regular online games use. Freemium games have energy systems that kind of persuade players to log in every hour or so, in order to be more efficient. They might play for 5 minutes or so, but they are constantly thoughts about the game frequently occupy their attention. As a result, many of these freemium games are also considered addictive.
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