Casino City's iGaming Pocket Directory - 2014 Edition

90 Sponsored by Casino City’s iGaming Pocket Directory SKILL GAMING Even before the Internet took hold, computer games served a central social role. Kids played them against each other. So did adults. Online bulletin board systems (BBS), which were popular before the Internet took hold, were a place to discover and acquire new games. When Internet access became the norm, people starting playing each other in more complex games. They also sought to prove their mastery in a variety of games of skill that they previously hadn’t had access to – both simple and complicated. A variety of different groups stepped into that market. Console manufacturers and game makers provided ways to play video game against each other. Virtual worlds and massive multiplayer online games generated huge followings. A lucrative and still growing segment of that market is real-money skill games. Real- money skill games serve two purposes. First, they give people who prefer playing a skill game a competitive experience that uses money as a scoreboard. And that’s a huge appeal to many skill game players. The second thing they do is serve as a gateway to other forms of real-money gaming, giving operators the chance to convert players into casino, poker or sportsbook customers. Casino City currently lists 48 skill games sites in its comprehensive directory of online gaming sites. So while there is competition in the sector, it’s not quite as fierce as it is in other segments of the online gaming market. SKILL GAMING INDUSTRY OVERVIEW