In this day and age, online gaming has grown to be much more than a form of entertainment. Whether it takes the shape of iGaming, generally referred to as online gambling, or traditional gaming in its customary form, PC, console, or mobile gaming, there is research and anecdotal evidence showing that gaming improves one’s mental health and cognitive abilities, thus improving his or her day-to-day living. Each form of gaming offers players different ways to not only enjoy gameplay but also benefit from the experience. Let’s find out how.
iGaming: Cognitive Benefits and Stress Reducer
iGaming refers to any form of wagering offered online and often includes games like poker, blackjack, roulette, and even sports betting. Related iGaming benefits include increased cognitive activity and arousal, with games like poker and blackjack requiring strategic thinking, quick decision-making, and the ability to weigh risks and probability. This kind of cognitive activity will develop skills in solving problems and quickening the mind.
For example, when playing poker, opponents are called on to read opponents, bluff, and calculate odds, where different parts of the brain have to be engaged in each case. In agreement with this, studies have suggested that games that are strategy-based enhance cognitive flexibility and improve one’s memory.
The online gambling industry is steadily growing. While once players could only wager in person now bettors can enjoy games from the comfort of home via online casinos. There are domestic online casinos in most countries where wagering is legal and there are also offshore international options. For example, in the UK the UKGC oversees a number of domestic sites that fall under the GamStop scheme, but players can also access international sites that are not part of GamStop. Techopedia author and betting expert Kane Pepi further shares that the best casinos not on GamStop focus on player safety, game variety, big bonuses, and quick payouts. Because of this, international sites have become a popular option. Whether playing on domestic or international sites, players can reap the rewards that iGaming offers.
Beyond cognitive benefits and boosting memory, iGaming can also reduce stress. For many, iGaming offers a sort of relaxation. Betting on a sporting event or online slot machines gives a chance to shut off from daily stresses. The thrill of winning, or even just the excitement of a potential win, sends dopamine flooding into the brain, the chemical associated with the feeling of happiness.
Traditional Gaming: Cognitive and Physical Benefits
While iGaming appeals to a certain demographic, traditional gaming in the form of PC and console to mobile games has its place in millions of people’s lives. Games like Call of Duty, EAFC, and Fortnite offer immersive experiences that have been shown to improve cognitive function, relieve stress, and foster social connections.
Similarly to gambling, there are numerous cognitive benefits of playing video games – especially those that involve puzzle-solving activities, multi-tasking, and critical thinking. Strategy games like Sid Meier’s Civilization VI or puzzle games like Portal require players to think critically, plan, and perform complex strategies, hence enhancing problem-solving skills and agility of the mind.
Additionally, fast-action games like First Person Shooters (FPS) have proven to enhance hand-eye coordination and reaction times. A gamer often has to react quickly against dynamic environments, moving objects, and split-second decisions that develop neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to adapt and change.
Online Games: Emotional Control
Online gaming, and particularly competitive genres such as League of Legends, create a unique platform for the regulation of emotions where players often find themselves in high-pressure situations. These situations demand that players learn to handle their emotions, fluctuating between frustration if defeat occurs and excitement should the well-conducted strategy yield victorious results. In doing so, the repeated highs and lows create a roller coaster on which the player will be building a strong emotional resilience or stability.
In League of Legends, emotional control is a matter of life and death (in-game of course). Since it’s a fast-action, tactical game, players can’t afford to lose focus – even in the case of a mishap. Being able to keep cool after a teammate screws up or whenever the flow of the game isn’t going their way is crucial to retaining team cohesion and enhancing one’s performance.
This is not limited to the in-game mechanics – as it is commonplace for teammates to not get along in team-based games. Learning to not listen to negative individuals or let others’ feelings guide your decision-making is a crucial life skill that people learn one or another.
Loss of emotional control can lead to “tilting”, a gaming term describing how frustration clouds judgement and results in poor decision-making. Those players who learn how to manage their emotional responses aren’t just inclined to perform better but be trained in resilience and guarding against their emotions.
Online Gaming: Improve Attention Span and Associated Benefits
In today’s media and entertainment-saturated world, many people – especially younger individuals – have lost their attention spans due to the advent of social media and other forms of instant entertainment.
But online gaming isn’t just about action-packed shooters or high-fantasy adventures that pump the brain full of dopamine.
Puzzle games and other focused gaming genres can significantly enhance cognitive functions, particularly in the areas of memory and attention span. Most of the puzzle games online have their grounds in pattern recognition and recall, important functions underlying memory enhancement.
For instance, the game Memory Matrix in Lumosity asks players to remember the position of several objects on a grid after those objects disappear.
Another cognitive training app, Peak, provides games like Penguin Pursuit, wherein users are asked to recall a sequence of shapes and colours. In this case, it helps the player reinforce such an ability by developing the capacity for storing and retrieving information that can later be useful during activities such as studying as well as keeping the brain operating at its best form on a daily basis.
