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The Growing Trend for Faster Gaming

Published

5 years ago

February 29, 2020

Mobile phones have helped gaming to become portable (photo source: unsplash.com)

The modern world is growing ever faster and with it is the trend for speedy gaming. Whereas it used to be most gamers’ preference to sit down for a good couple of hours’ session on their favorite console game, with the rise of portable gaming, people are often choosing to play on the fly. This has lead to frequently interrupted gameplay and quick 2-minute sessions between trains being far more commonplace. Why has this occurred and what are gaming companies doing to address this new need?

Warp Speed World

Although it sometimes seems like it, the world isn’t actually speeding up, it’s just that we’re getting rapidly worse at concentrating. Research from the Technical University of Denmark suggests that our attention span is narrowing on a global scale. There are, of course, a myriad of reasons for this, but one of them is our constant bombardment with new information. This idea of constant novelty has lead to a quantifiable decrease in attention span. One of the results of the study showed that in 2013 a global Twitter trend would last on average for 17.5 hours, compared to nowadays when it lasts 11.9. In such a short space of time, this shift is remarkable. In terms of gaming, this means that our want to skip ahead, seek new challenges and move between games is ever increasing.

Making Skipping Ahead Simpler

Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Everybody remembers skipping through the lengthy dialogue on old Gameboy games. (photo source: unsplash.com)

Poker in the physical realm can often be quite a drawn-out process; players spend a long time trying to work out each other’s cues and tells. In the mobile world, however, several companies have realized that people don’t always want it to be and therefore, it doesn’t have to be. PokerStars recently released its Zoom feature, which allows players to skip through the remainder of the game after seeing their cards. This is a simple fix, that allows players to spend some time figuring out their options if they want to or to skip through quickly when they don’t have the luxury of time.

Increasing Novelty Value

One of the methods that gaming companies are using to keep our attention for longer is increasing the feeling of novelty. As mentioned before, one of the reasons for our desire for quick play games is that we are becoming used to seeing new information more and more frequently. So, if you can provide new content more frequently, then it stands to reason that people will spend longer on your game. Pokémon is one such company who are masters of capturing novelty. Although the main gameplay aspect of all of their games is the Pokémon battle, this feature on its own would quickly become tiresome. Realizing this, the company gave players the ability to collect, initially, 150 different magical creatures, some easy to find, some much harder. As a result, people will happily play through battle after battle, searching for the elusive rare Pokemon. All the time that they are doing this, they are building up what is known as a ‘teddy bear’ effect with the Pokémon used most often, in that players develop a connection with them. This connection, teamed with the promise of novelty, is what keeps us playing a fantastically simple game for such long periods of time. With each release of the game, new Pokémon and new features such as virtual reality are released, keeping that same anticipation of the unknown high.

Breaking the Rules

Another quick play game that is wildly popular is Subway Surfers. This game allows you to ‘surf’ on the top of subway trains, collecting points along the way. This game is the perfect format for quick play fans, as you can pause at any time. However, one thing that is interesting is that, despite its quick play format, many users can spend literally hours on it. But why? One of the great things about gaming is that there’s no punishment for breaking (most of) the rules. If you were to surf the subway trains in real life, you could seriously injure yourself, or risk imprisonment. However, in this game, there’s none of that real-life worry. Players can rebel against authority without any real threat of punishment – that is, of course, unless the in-game policeman happens to catch up with you! This heady mixture of safety and risk comes together to create a game that is endlessly playable. It seems that many of the attributes that make up a quick play game are, in fact, just the things that keep us playing them for longer.

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The European Lotteries Association Participated in This Year’s Integrity Seminar

Published

2 hours ago

December 4, 2024

Niji Narayan

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As a founding member of the ULIS (United Lotteries for Integrity in Sport), EL has participated in this year’s Integrity Seminar in Lausanne.

In a dedicated panel discussion several EL members and national regulators came together to address the fight against illegals, one of the most pressing challenges in the sports and betting sector.

Lotteries and their national regulatory authorities share a common mission – to ensure a safe and secure environment for players. Yet, a significant challenge is the risk of overregulation. Panelists highlighted that striking the right balance of regulatory frameworks is essential to channel players towards safe and responsible betting products while upholding the highest standards of responsible gaming.

Global Challenge Requires International Collaboration

While national-level cooperation between lotteries and regulators remains crucial, the global nature of sports betting requires a broader, international approach. The panel emphasised the importance of the Macolin Convention, which offers a clear definition of “illegal sports betting” as any sports betting activity whose type or operator is not allowed under the applicable law of the jurisdiction where the consumer is located.

Key Takeaways from Panelists

The panelists including Jean-Luc Moner-Banet, CEO, Loterie Romande, Jens Nielsen, Sports Betting Director, Danske Spil, Andreas Arver, Integrity Officer, Svenska Spel and Simon Pedersen, Chief Adviser, Illegal Gambling, Match-Fixing & Market Statistics, Danish Gambling Authority, shed light on collaborative efforts to protect the integrity of sports and ensure fair play for all stakeholders. The panel was moderated by Alvise Angelini, EL’s Senior Policy Officer & Sport Secretary.

Jean-Luc Moner Banet stressed the importance of public awareness in combating illegal betting. Loterie Romande, as all other national lotteries, faces a continuous challenge: remaining attractive while at the same time mitigating the risks associated with gambling. By maintaining this balance, national lotteries can safeguard players, ensure sustainability, and contribute profits to the public good.

Panelists also agreed that certain sports, particularly smaller events and lower leagues, are more vulnerable to illegal betting activities. Lotteries play a key role here, for example with financial support, resources and knowledge to protect sports integrity, athletes and to fight the penetration of illegal betting offers.

The post The European Lotteries Association Participated in This Year’s Integrity Seminar appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Pollard Banknote Joins 2024 Gift Responsibly Campaign to Raise Awareness of Youth Gambling Risks

Published

2 hours ago

December 4, 2024

Niji Narayan

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Pollard Banknote Limited has announced its involvement in the 2024 Gift Responsibly Campaign, joining lotteries and organisations across North America and around the world to raise awareness about the risks associated with underage gambling. Presented by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), the campaign is supported by the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) and receives endorsements from the World Lottery Association (WLA) and European Lotteries (EL).

As a leader in the global gaming industry, Pollard Banknote is deeply committed to helping its lottery partners and charitable gaming customers maximize revenues for good causes, while encouraging players to play within their limits. With more than four decades of lottery experience and leadership, Pollard Banknote understands that supporting responsible gaming requires a complete ecosystem that involves education, lottery team knowledge and awareness, a robust communications plan and the right tools to enable lotteries to promote a positive play experience, while calling attention to the harms of problem gambling.

Responsible gaming policies and practices are an intrinsic part of Pollard Banknote’s entire product portfolio—from instant scratch tickets carefully designed to appeal strictly to adults, to state-of-the-art safeguards and controls incorporated into its digital solutions, including its omnichannel Pollard Catalyst Gaming Platform—ensuring that Pollard Banknote’s products protect players and comply with the most stringent standards on the market. As additional testaments to its ongoing commitment to responsible gaming, Pollard Banknote holds an Associate Member World Lottery Association (WLA) Responsible Gaming certification, engages in responsible gaming training sessions with NCPG and recently formed an internal responsible gaming committee.

“Pollard Banknote is proud to once again participate in the Gift Responsibly Campaign. As an organization, it is our goal to provide socially responsible tools and practices that protect players while maximizing proceeds for good causes. This involves working alongside the NCPG, WLA, and our lottery customers to promote safe and responsible gambling initiatives, not only during the upcoming holiday season, but throughout the year,” said Doug Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Pollard Banknote.

“The potential long-term risks associated with underage gambling exposure cannot be understated. We applaud Pollard Banknote for their commitment to raising awareness about the risks of youth gambling and for working to educate the community that lottery tickets are never appropriate gifts for children,” Keith Whyte, NCPG Executive Director.

Since the early 2000s, the Gift Responsibly Campaign has worked to educate the public about the risks of underage gambling. The 2024 campaign runs from November through the end of December, with participating lotteries and community organisations engaging in public awareness activities to promote responsible gambling practices during the winter holidays and all year long.

The post Pollard Banknote Joins 2024 Gift Responsibly Campaign to Raise Awareness of Youth Gambling Risks appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.