Gaming beyond the screen: how iGaming is influencing digital culture

In fact, thanks to advancements in technology and liberal policies in many countries, the influence of iGaming on digital culture has grown significantly in recent decades.

In this brief article, I – author and editor-in-chief of the popular information portal ProInternet – will outline the main changes in public and cultural consciousness that the popularization of gambling and the emerging trends in digital games have brought about.

Casinos have always offered more than just comfortable gaming environments. For many visitors, they provide opportunities for live interaction and building new social connections. Online gambling clubs offer similar experiences. Modern internet casinos bring together tens of thousands of people with shared interests, forming vibrant online gaming communities that transcend language, cultural, and social barriers. This unification of so many people into groups has led to the emergence of new gambling-related subcultures with their own unique values, languages, and traditions.

Casinos, where passion, risk, and big money converge, have long captivated artists, writers, and directors. Their atmosphere, filled with dazzling lights, music, and dramatic twists of fate, has proven to be fertile ground for creative exploration. Consider films like Molly's Game, Wild Card, The Gambler, or Lay the Favorite.

The digital transformation in gaming, transferring them to the online space, made casinos accessible to different segments of the population, with different social statuses and income levels. Of course, this has its advantages, but there are also disadvantages. Today, you no longer need to physically visit a gambling establishment; there's no dress code to follow; simply access a website. If for a participant in a land-based casino, visiting a gambling establishment is still perceived as a ritual, then for a visitor to an online casino, betting on games becomes part of the routine, like, for example, watching a TV show. This often affects the daily routine and behavior of the gambler, and unfortunately, sometimes not for the better.

The gaming culture's impact on the sphere of social interactions within gaming communities, as well as on the sphere of leisure and tourism is also obvious. Tournaments, in particular, foster stronger bonds among players, enabling them to actively communicate and share their achievements and experiences. This is often done through various platforms, including dedicated gaming forums, social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

It is obvious that iGaming and social media are closely related, and their influence is not unidirectional. Thanks to social platforms, people get the opportunity to learn more about the world of gambling, on the other hand, this increases the number of new communities. Moreover, such niche groups can specialize only in specific aspects of iGaming. Some of them can act as mass media, others deal with issues of responsible gaming and problems of gambling addiction.

Certainly, the new technological solutions used by casinos have caused a certain cultural shift in gaming, but the overall picture has not changed much. If you compare gambling with gaming, the latter has had a much more significant impact on popular culture. And this is understandable since gambling is a niche phenomenon, but this may change with the increasing importance of gamification, which may erase the boundaries between computer games and gambling, making the latter even more popular.

This article was prepared by Olena Bylytsia, editor-in-chief of the ProInternet portal, dedicated to online gambling and related areas.