The Social Side of Online Gambling

There’s a myth about online gambling that says all those that do it are loners. They sit at home, curtains closed, playing slots because they’ve got nobody to talk to. It shouldn’t need saying, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

In fact, there’s a social side to online gambling that never really gets talked about. Just like real gambling, there’s more to it than just playing a game.

Where does this myth come from? How true is it? We took a look to find out.

Social Media and Gambling

One of the main goals of any gambling service is to bring people together competitively. The joy of winning – over other players, or over the house – is part of the fun. Whether playing slots, poker or any other game, there’s a social element built into gambling almost by default. Somewhere like Social Tournaments Casino include activity feeds that let you see what other players are up to.

Unfortunately, despite the obvious, it’s easy to see where this myth has come from. Like anything that’s possibly addictive, people not in the know associate it with the worst case scenario. It’s why by some people, every gamer is seen as a loser in their parent’s basement, streaming 15 hours a day in the hopes of funding their Mountain Dew obsession.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

In reality, online gambling is, yes, fun and exciting, but also very convenient. That’s why it’s so rapidly growing. There are so many people doing it, that it’d be impossible to make any sweeping generalization that could fit all of them in – not anything more specific than “have tried online gambling” anyway. Many if not most will have active social lives, other interests, family and jobs too.

Of course, in terms of pure social features, there isn’t really a social media aspect to gambling. There probably aren’t many people meeting up with their friends to play poker on their phones. But the reality of real-life gambling is similar, social competitiveness but not necessarily too much interaction. That’s okay. Not everything has to be about meeting a new best friend.

Talking Casinos

It’s easy to accept that while social interaction exists in gambling, it’s not what it’s all about.

More than 45,000 are part of the gambling subreddit, while Twitter hashtags for “gambling” and “casino” are popular and frequently used. The topic is frequently brought up in other areas as well, such as on Reddit’s AskReddit sub.

And that’s not including people who share things to their own private social media profiles. There’s a whole other social element between friends who enjoy the same hobbies.

So while it’s true that the social side isn’t the be all and end all, the idea that people are using online gambling as a way to deal with loneliness just isn’t true overall. The reality is far more complex.

The Social Side of Online Gambling – Conclusion

At the end of the day, we all gamble for different reasons. Some of those that turn to their phone for online casinos may well be having other problems.

But as with all stereotypes, the reality is often very different than the presumption, and social gamblers definitely exist.