Gambling and Gaming: The Golden Saucer and Beyond

Since the very beginning of gaming, you’ve been able to win virtual money in digital casinos.

Whether it’s the full focus of the title or if it’s a little side quest in an RPG, gambling and the games that surround it have been an important part of gaming and the surrounding culture.

For a lot of people, this isn’t super important. It was a chance to replay the bike missions in Final Fantasy VII at the Golden Saucer or a way of unlocking extra plays in your favourite mobile title or weapons in free-to-play MMORPGs.

It usually hasn’t been the focus, but it’s definitely something worth checking out. They might be tied to trophies and achievements, or maybe it’s just a small distraction from changing the world, but gaming casinos will almost definitely conjure up a few happy memories.

Back in the day, casino games were far more common. Even within the last decade – especially on the Nintendo DS – casino games were the chance to combine a number of themed games under a single title. It was a 20-in-one cartridge, disguised as something else.

Going back to the 80s and 90s, this was a chance to offer a selection of chance-based titles with minimal graphics and relatively large replayability. Everything from roulette to strip poker was available on tape, cartridge and disc.

For the most part, these games were for a niche audience. There weren’t many six-year-olds clamouring for casino-based-titles, not over the likes of Tiny Toon Adventures.

Instead, these were for people who weren’t necessarily gamers, or others who wanted a lot of bang for their buck. Becoming a cyber millionaire could take some time, and the effort would make the cost of the title that much more worth it.

Of course, as smart phones began to become more popular and the internet became more readily available, dedicated casino games began to die off in popularity. What the point in putting out a gambling game on the PlayStation 4 when there are dozens of free apps available on every casino website? What’s the point in making a portable blackjack title when someone can download an app to their phone for nothing?

This is especially true when it comes to the transition from free ‘fake’ gambling games and the actual paid applications that let you risk real money for real rewards. You can’t really gamble on the DS or PlayStation 4 and, if somehow you could, the platform holder would expect a slice of the action.

The problem is that there are so many options, it’s difficult to know exactly where to go for your casino game needs.

That’s where websites like casinoreviews.co.uk come into play. They share reviews of all the biggest services so that you can find a title that’ll fit your needs and price range.

It might not quite bring back the glory days of console casino games for the people that want those days to return, but it certainly offers a very viable alternative. Gambling gaming isn’t gone for good, it”s just changed home.