Online Gambling: Isolation or Way to Connect?
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14 Nov 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes It’s often said that mobile phones divide us more than they connect us. For many, this is true: texting instead of calling, video calling instead of gathering, and sending emojis instead of expressing feelings seem like substitutes for real, meaningful connections.
Generation Z and the Mobile Phone
However, this isn’t true for everyone. For those born between 1997 and 2012, also known as “digital natives,” mobile phones aren’t a disruption. This generation grew up with this technology. Unlike older generations, who saw existing social norms change with the rise of texting and social media, for Gen Z, connecting with others online is the norm.
Social media may get a bad rap among Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, but for Gen Z, it’s different. Their first port of call for socializing, dating, and entertainment has always been their mobile phone. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it’s not going to change.
How Gen Z Approaches Gambling
To appeal to this generation, businesses need to align with their values. Gen Z values authenticity and connection, and wants to actively participate rather than passively watch. This is evident in their gambling preferences.
When it comes to sports betting, Gen Z players prefer to bet on things they already find interesting. This often means traditional sports, but there is also a strong interest in betting on esports and collaborative video games. For them, traditional sports are often “the games my parents played when they were young.”
When it comes to casino games, they prefer more collaborative and strategic forms of play, such as social casinos. While social casinos may seem strange at first — a casino game where you can’t win money — the emphasis is on connection. It’s a chance to talk to friends, reminisce, share jokes, and share game results on social media.
Live Casino Games and the Appeal for Gen Z
Live casino games also offer an opportunity for social interaction. Here, there is a real dealer dealing cards or rolling the dice, and players can talk to both the dealer and other players. This creates a communal atmosphere, which is more appealing than just playing on a slot machine. Gen Z is also showing interest in crash games, fish-shooting games and innovative blockchain-based games with strategic elements.
Online casino and sports brands that embrace these changes are reaping the benefits. Features such as leaderboards and in-game chat rooms are becoming essential for player retention.
The modern social interaction of Gen Z
A recent Deloitte study found that 40% of Gen Z respondents socialize more in video games than in the real world. This can be seen as a negative development, but it can also be understood as a shift in the form of social interaction. Companies that understand this are offering young people platforms where they can socialize online.
People always need community, whether it is physical or virtual. Meeting friends online is a form of convenience. For Gen Z, there is little difference between a weekly poker night at home and one at a poker site.
The Future of the Gambling Industry
Gambling is not the same as it was 30, 15 or even 5 years ago. Physical casinos need to adapt to the digital revolution by offering alternative forms of entertainment. Gen Z players may still gamble in cities like Las Vegas or Macau, but they do so via their mobile phones while waiting or shopping.
Gen Z clearly prefers to play online. This could, in extreme cases, mean that physical casinos will lose their relevance. More importantly, this generation marks the transition of the industry from a predominantly physical phenomenon with online options to a modern way of socializing and having fun.