Scan the PlayStation store, and you’ll find a plethora of games with a casino twist. From Tasty Slot Machine to the Four Kings Casino, there are free-play casino-style games for players aged 18 or older. These games are great; we’re not denying that. We’re interested in how these slots, blackjack, and other casino offerings made their way into the gaming world.
The main reason is obvious. Casino games have been popular for centuries. The first slot game, Liberty Bell, was created by Charles Fey in 1894. Blackjack has roots that stretch back even further, so casino games have long been ingrained in our culture. Therefore, it makes sense for developers to take inspiration from this subsector of the gaming world.
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The tipping point came in the early noughties when casino games went digital. The Liechtenstein International Lottery was the first to sell tickets online back in 1994. After that, software companies, including Cryptologic and Microgaming, harnessed the power of random number generator (RNG) technology to make games of chance available online.
Today, online gambling is a massive industry. Statista data put the online gambling industry’s value at $63 billion in 2022, with forecasts projecting that it will be worth $184 billion by 2032. This sharp rise in popularity caught the attention of PlayStation game developers, who are constantly tapping into the zeitgeist. Delving further into the nuances of online casino gaming, social sites have become a part of the mix over the last decade.
Social casinos offer free-play casino-style games, which means players don’t have to deposit or wager money. Some sites, particularly in the US, offer ways to win prizes through something known as sweepstakes coins. However, the overarching premise is that the games are free to play and, therefore, risk-free. This chimes with the video gaming sector because PlayStation players are only playing for virtual chips that don’t have any real-world value.
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Another less obvious reason why casino games have become part of the PlayStation universe is community. The internet has made gaming infinitely more social over the last decade or so, and there’s an undeniable sense of community in the casino sector. For example, if you look at the hundreds of slots and games at Buzz Bingo, you’ll see there’s a community element to many of them.
Drops & Wins slots, such as Ice Lobster and Sugar Rush 1000, connect players through random prize drops. Put simply, everyone who plays these games gets connected to a network. Everyone in the network has a chance to win random prizes while they’re playing selected slots. Beyond this, you’ve got bingo chat rooms. Bingo, as a game, is highly social, so companies such as Buzz promote this at every opportunity through chat rooms, competitions, and social media giveaways.
This community vibe will have no doubt caught the attention of developers. Gaming, in all of its forms, is designed to be social. Even if you’re playing alone, gamers often tell other people about their experiences and achievements. Therefore, if you’re a developer looking to create the next PlayStation hit, the casino sector has plenty to offer. From community and popularity to engaging content, it’s easy to see why casino games have become part of the PlayStation universe when you peel back the layers.
