Polarised views are part of life. Most of us may have polarised views on Gambling, Drinking, Smoking, Pornography and Prostitution. Ethics and morality are always contextual and comparative. However, there is confusion if the so-called games of skill are not gambling. I don’t have extreme views on it. However, nowadays, I am overexposed to their unrepentant dominant advertising on screens near me.
As an impulsive gambler, I love it. Whenever abroad or in Goa, I visit Casinos. And if nothing else, I am known to bet harmlessly on random things. I have taught the basics of casinos to many and have seen wealth created and destroyed within a few hours. Moderation in gambling has been the key for me. And fortunately, till now, life has been easy as the opportunities were fewer.
As an advertising marketing person, I am willing to put my expertise into helping anything that is not illegal. That would include gambling apps ( Game of Skill) acceptable and completely legal in many Indian geographies.
GAMBLING- THE CHANGING TIMES.
In the last few years, we have seen many gambling apps disguised as Games of skill- legalising gambling with cricket: dream 11, My Circle and whatnot. Everyone tells you, you can win big though it carries the possibility of financial risk and may lead to addiction.
Advertising, ease of playing and the low entry cost have made them socially accepted. Parents and kids at the dinner table discuss their teams and their earnings in the morning.
These new-age gambling companies masquerade as a game of skill and convince decision-makers to allow them to gamble. Meanwhile, my Deltin Daman – all set up with infrastructure, is waiting for the approvals to start their on-ground Casina. How is that different from these gambling outfits.
Some late entrants are still waiting as this type of gambling is not legal everywhere in India. There are apps playing Share Market within Share market. New forms of skills and talent demanding games are entering, including Cryptocurrencies.
NO DIFFERENT.
Like any other gambling, the gaming apps are instinct-based, where past experiences fuel expectations. The imagery around these apps amplifies the desire for easy money and not necessarily adventure or entertainment. Many gamblers on these apps see money as one of the social discriminators and are just wishing for the jackpot.
A small win is enough to amplify the flight of their dreams and exponentially enhance their chances of further participation. In other terms, move towards the ultimate spiral of addiction and financial doom. None of them likes to listen and acknowledge that, in reality, they are funding others and moving towards addiction. Remember, the house never loses.
I believe playing these team selection based skill games needs no more skill or talent than picking the winning single-digit lottery. It is uncertainty and luck. It is nothing but an open-eyed conscious gamble where past performance is no guarantee of any future performance, and results are entirely luck-based. So the gambling players are picking the possible performance players to gamble with. So, where is the question of skill?
Self-regulation is merely not doing anything illegal. In this case, it is limited to carrying desired mandated warnings. The business inherently wants more and more people to play more and more often. There are no algorithm-driven cut-offs and sudden flag-offs to flash out the out-of-characteristics betting. Just because minor loopholes and legal armour breaches allow the floods to enter, do we open the flood gates? It seems that is the way these apps see it.
In ads, we showcase how the horses worked hard, supported by their close ecosystem to reach the pinnacle of their success, so you can now bet on them. The bigness of a possible win. We keep telling the audience- Dream big, and gambling will help you realise their dreams. And someone kidnaps the experts to learn the game of skill. It is so upfront that the most vulnerable audience starts treating it as truth.
GAME OF SKILL.
Every gambling app defence is it is a Game of Skill. I know that Blackjack, poker and even our local Teen Patti or Chaucer are more skill and less luck-based than making an IPL team. The spate of these app advertising, funding and persuasion- will make it seem like the whole industry is one way or the other connected with these gambling apps.
I Know nothing will be achieved. The dice are loaded in favour of the betting apps. And they have got the status of being Game-of-skill by the decision-makers, making them legal.
Meanwhile, I remain undecided about attending Goafest22. A minor gamble, one could say. But, it would be interesting for someone to sponsor packed GangaJal to help people promote the cleansing of their sins. And for people deep into it- offer the Aatm Shudhi and Aatm Shradh packages.
Sometimes you cannot do much about it. When there is a drop in air pressure, the best thing is first to activate your oxygen mask. So, I uninstall gaming gambling apps from my phone and switch on Spotify. I realise some of my favourites are still missing from the playlist. But that does not matter. I can course correct it later. I plug into Spotify to cut all this sound around me.
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