Betting on the outcome of video games: a good or bad idea?

In the last decade especially, we have seen console video games change in many different ways. From the improving graphics and fewer lagging issues, to the all-round better quality of games. But we have to wonder, what the future of video games hold for us? Will we continue to like all the changes that we see? Some people have been talking about the idea of creating a feature that allows you to bet on the outcome of games such as Fifa, and Full House Pro -WSOP. Some think that this is a good idea, and others are not so sure. It seems as if this is not such a practical idea that would be feasible in reality. Let us have a look at some of the drawbacks of this proposed idea.

Fixing of games

The one thing that is not clear about how this would work, is how they would safeguard against the fixing of games. Clearly, you are involved in the game yourself and could bet against yourself and purposely lose. With normal sport betting that you can do online like at 10 bet free bet, this is not a problem because you are completely an outsider and do not have any way of influencing the results of the game.

Legality

In most countries, you need to be either 18 or 21 years of age to legally place wagers. Given that so many young people enjoy playing these video games, it will open itself up to the difficulty of making sure that only those who are legally allowed to, can access the betting function of these games. Also, the fact that different countries have a different minimum age for partaking in betting adds some more complications to an already complex situation.

Monitoring

Linked closely to the previous point –a huge concern when it comes to bringing betting of any type into console games, is how this will be monitored. Not only would it need to be monitored in terms of making sure underage gamers are not using the betting feature, but in terms of making sure that money and personal data is secure within the system. This is completely uncharted territory and we are unsure as to how this process would be monitored in order to safeguard against potential abuses in the system.

It is all a little confusing and while we understand people wanting the best of both worlds, betting and video games, together –it seems like a poorly thought out idea that will be very difficult to implement. Perhaps with a lot of thought and planning this could be possible in the very, very distant future. But it does not appear that there are any serous plans to make this happen any time soon. So for the meantime, you are free to enjoy your video gaming and your sports betting separately! These are both fun and easy activities you can do from the comfort of your own home.

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Picture of John Breeden II
John Breeden II
As a journalist John has covered everything from rural town meetings to the U.S. Congress and even done time as a crime reporter and photographer.|His first venture into writing about the game industry came in the form of a computer column called "On the Chip Side," which grew to have over 1 million circulation and was published in newspapers in several states. From there he did several "ask the computer guy" columns in magazines such as Up Front! in New Mexico and Who Cares? in Washington D.C. When the Internet started to become popular, he began writing guided Web tours for the newly launched Washington Post online section as well as reviews for the weekend section of the paper, something he still does from time to time. His experience in trade publications came as a writer and reviewer for Government Computer News. As the editor of GiN, he demands strict editorial standards from all the writers and reviewers. Breeden feels the industry needs a weekly, reliable trade publication covering the games industry and works tirelessly to accomplish that goal.