The Rise of the Online Gaming Industry in 2020
Monday, March 08, 2021
In a year where a lot of Brits have struggled to keep their jobs, and where unemployment is on the up, there’s one industry that is going from strength to strength: online gaming. Whether it’splaying League of Legends with friends or sitting down to a poker tournament, it seems we all love to spend our downtime playing games online. So why has online gaming become so popular, and does this trend look set to stay? Let’s take a closer look at the rise of the online gaming industry in 2020.
Why is online gaming so popular?
Playing games online is nothing new. According to Wikipedia, the very first online game was invented in the 1970s; although it would be unrecognizable in today’s world. Throughout the last 4 decades, we’ve seen video games and online gambling get better and more complex; offering customers multiplayer platforms, high-stakes prizes, and the chance to compete with fellow gamers and gamblers all over the world. And with games and online casinos becoming mobile and tablet friendly, you can access your favorite games in an instant.
The short answer is almost everyone! Gone are the days of thinking online gamers were computer-obsessed college kids living in a dorm or their mother’s basement. So too has the stigma disappeared from gambling; we used to think of old men hunched over a poker table clutching the last of their month’s paycheck, but now everyone can play a few hands of blackjack or bingo while on their lunch break, or while waiting for their kids to get out of school. The truth is, we all enjoy a game in one form or another. From baccarat to backgammon, slots to Scrabble and poker to Pokemon, the variety we have available to play a moment’s notice is staggering, and it looks like it’s only going to get better.
With the world in the throws of a pandemic, the vast majority of us have spent most of our time indoors from about March this year. Our apartments and houses are no longer just our homes; they’re now our office, gym, cafeteria and bar. With so much sitting down inside, it’s natural to want to distract yourself for a few moments each day. An article by Reuters back in May estimated that by the end of the year the mobile gaming industry would be up by 13.3% on 2019, and this is in no small part due to us spending more time on our phones and computers.
The options we have available to us now are truly endless. Choose from brain-teasing games you can play for free on your phone, like Facebook favorites Candy Crush and Words with Friends. Or go big and enter the arena of eSports like Dota 2, which has fans playing in teams across the globe. Alternatively, if you like traditional casino games, there is plenty to play for free online too. Otherwise, if you prefer playing for money, look for non-Gamstop sites where you can see all plenty of options for online casinos offering great starting bonuses for new players.
What’s next for online gaming?
Chances are if you can think of it, it’s already being done. Some of the brightest minds are coming up with new experiences for their clients every day. Hyper-realistic interfaces for games and virtual reality casinos are just two examples of cutting-edge technology that’s already in existence.
As with everything in technology, things are moving fast. 2021 is going to be an incredible year for gaming and gambling. What will you be playing?
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