Casino Culture in Gaming: How Xbox Titles Capture the High-Stakes Thrill

Casino games and video games have some very obvious differences, but they also share similarities. Both are designed to entertain and excite. Both utilize either skill or luck, depending on the game being played, and, recently, there have been a lot of video games that feature what critics described as gambling.

Online casinos have become very popular with an estimated 4 billion people playing at least occasionally. And, recent innovations, have seen the market continue to expand. As well as a greater range of games and live dealers, the advent of instant withdrawal casinos has proven very popular. These use electronic wallets or, more often, cryptocurrency, for deposits and withdrawals and they enable players to access winnings more quickly. According to casino expert Ben Horlock, some withdrawals can be completed in as little as two hours.

Offers And Bonuses

Another reason for online casino popularity is the range of bonuses and offers: something that wasn’t available in physical casinos, and something that has been adopted in Xbox games and by game companies. Game Pass subscribers can enjoy free weekends on some recent launches, reminiscent of the free spins offered by popular slot sites.

Loot Boxes

One area where casino gaming is closely mirrored by Xbox gaming is in loot boxes and packs. And, in fact, courts and governing bodies have taken umbrage with these additions to games. In them, players are given or can purchase boxes that contain in-game items.

EA’s FIFA games are especially known for this, and there are lots of social media videos and streaming footage purely of gamers unpacking highly sought-after cards. Regulators have attempted to clamp down on these packs because they say it encourages kids to gamble. But, you will still find similar mechanics in games ranging from Call of Duty to Rocket League.

Luck

Loot drops can be considered a gentler extension of these. In a lot of games, but especially in RPGs and survivals, loot is randomized with some rarer items hardly ever showing up for most casual gamers.

The thrill of finding The Box of Wondrous Secrets in Sea of Thieves might not be quite the same as landing a slot machine progressive jackpot, but it does have the same appeal.

Hot State

Some games encourage players to spend money to progress, which can be considered similar to using bonuses and offers to keep players on casino websites. Some games show what other players are spending, encouraging a type of herd mentality and playing on gamers’ fears of missing out.

Casinos In Games

The bright lights and loud noises of casinos are used to lure people in to play, and they can have the same effect in video games. So, too, can the opportunity to win huge sums of in-game money.

• GTA V’s Diamond Casino offers an immersive casino experience, replete with live music, flash cars, and a selection of casino games like blackjack, roulette, and poker. Fallout: New Vegas, a classic game in its own right, has a casino set against the backdrop of a dystopian nuclear world and offers blackjack and slots to its players.
• 7 Days To Die, which finally saw a full release recently on Xbox, uses Dukes, which are casino tokens, as the main currency. Although you can’t play any casino games, it shows the appeal that all elements of casinos have.
• Rainbow Six Vegas features a hostage situation in the game’s Calypso Casino. The sounds and sights of the casino machines not only look great but they act as distractions designed to make the scenario more challenging and more lifelike.

Xbox Casino Games

Those who are looking to get their fill of casino games don’t have to rely on in-game casinos, either. Xbox players can play games like World Series Of Poker, taking on the role of a pro poker player. 

• Poker Club has the player play their way from being an unknown player to try and become one of the world’s richest and most famous poker stars. 
• Fable II Pub Games is a little older, but it still offers the same joy and excitement as some classic gambling games. 
• There are also numerous poker games and games loosely based on poker or other card games. 
• The Witcher’s Gwent might be more akin to Living Card Games, but the game series also features dice poker, and these are some of the most popular side quests in the games.