What Triggers Gaming?

We have previously touched on this subject in our articles on Gamification and The Brain on Gambling. Now, we will scratch the surface of Who and What gets people to gamble?

Familiarity to the game or sport is a large factor in what people choose to bet on. It might seem intuitive that the more you know about the sport the more likely you are to bet on it. Likewise, if given the option to bet on Blackjack, or High Card Flush, what would you bet on? The opposite side of familiarity is players staying away from games they do not know. If a game is, or even seems, complex and hard to grasp, players will go elsewhere. We touched the subject in our article on Missions and Challenges, to make sure the customers can easily understand what the name of the game is.

FOMO, and Peer Pressure are strong social pressures which can get people to try a new game or try betting on something they haven’t before. However, these pressures often only get you over the threshold of trying the game, but can rarely keep you there unless you like it and/or need it.

Boredom can get you to do a lot of crazy things. Like reading this article for example. Engaging and Eye-catching mechanics and you might just reel in a customer looking to be entertained.

Prominently displayed in Popular Culture. We had to go there. Yes, when James Bond gambles in Casino Royale, a lot of people think gambling is cool. Yes, when Kevin Spacey teaches Jim Sturgess how to count the cards in a Casino, the game got a boost of customers thinking they could beat the house. Rounders, Runner Runner, 21, Ocean’s Eleven, The Gambler, The Cooler, Casino, the list of movies with Gambling in the center goes on and on… and on…

In the end, there are many things which triggers gaming, and not just the above. Use this knowledge wisely.