Gaming & Gambling – What's the deal?

The words ‘gaming' and ‘gambling' have been used interchangeably ever since the beginning of... well... gaming and gambling. And as you probably already know, the two are far from being mutually exclusive, especially given the recent proliferation of online gambling casinos, poker rooms and the like.

To be almost perfectly clear, the terms ‘gaming' and ‘gambling' do not necessarily mean the same thing. It often comes down to whom you ask. In Western culture, and in an historical context, the word ‘gambling' has a financial connotation, meaning to bet money or material goods on the results of a game or event, with the hopes of winning more money or material items than originally wagered.

According to some American legal interpretations, 'gaming' makes reference to those betting-related activities that are legal because they've either been expressly deemed so by applicable laws, or are exempted from the criminal code altogether. 'Gambling,' in contrast, refers to activities that are illegal because they've either been unambiguously prohibited by law or the jurisdiction has not yet made a ruling specifically authorising it. The same betting-related activity could be considered 'gaming' where it is exempted from a given criminal statute and gambling in jurisdictions where it is forbidden by laws in the state where it takes place.

Internet Casinos: Same difference
'Gaming' often refers to activities that have been specifically allowed according to various related laws. With respect to the online gaming industry, the two words are interchanged all the time. For instance, some online casino organizations will commonly refer to themselves as either ‘gaming' and/or ‘gambling' companies.

Gamin' & Gamblin's Next Frontier
What's particularly exciting these days is the recent advent among online gambling/gaming/whatever companies to blend the excitement and potential financial winnings collected from existing online casino games with the equally booming online video gaming world, and vice versa. Playtech, perhaps the leading online casino, poker and bingo games software developer, has recently embarked on what already appears to be a mighty lucrative path. And judging by what other industry experts are saying, the sky is indeed the limit.

Take the immensely popular game 'World of Warcraft' for example. Originally launched in 1994, the game now boasts, and rightfully so, approximately 8.5 million interactive players globally. Of these, two million players are North American, 1.5 million are playing from Europe, and 3.5 million are getting in on the action from China. One only has to consider the World of Warcraft's unprecedented appeal to get a mere glimpse of what the future holds for the many more millions of folks out there... those of whom are game, of course.

Print Send to friend