Source: Pixabay

Online gambling is becoming increasingly popular, with recent estimates suggesting that the online gambling market size will reach almost $130 billion by the year 2027. One industry that online gambling is looking to as a source of inspiration is that of television, and more specifically, television gameshows – but why is this? And is the initial collaboration proving fruitful for both parties?

TV Gameshows and Online Casinos

One of the most popular forms of online gambling involves playing casino games. The quality of online casino gambling has improved significantly in recent years, and as more people are signing up to their sites, online casinos are looking at new ways to entertain players. One angle that is being explored by online casino developers is incorporating TV gameshows into their games. Those playing live casino games for real money at Paddy Power will be aware of their Spin A Win game, which has a similar spinning table to that used for the Wheel Of Fortune TV gameshow. With the Wheel Of Fortune gameshow averaging 12.13 million viewers last March, this represents a huge market for online casinos to target. Regular players of Spin A Win, and similar casino games, often do so because of the sense of relatability that they provide, so those creating games that mirror these shows need to do so successfully – or risk losing players from their sites.

Links to Popular Games

The TV gameshow/online gambling link is not just a one-way street, however, with TV gameshows using popular casino games as a jumping-off point for a number of their own productions in recent years. Play Your Cards Right was a hugely popular gameshow in the 80s and 90s – having been based on a similar American show called Card Sharks. The game featured players using playing cards and guessing whether their next card was higher or lower than their current card. The use of playing cards gave Play Your Cards Right and Card Sharks a similar feel to classic casino game blackjack – where players are also using playing cards mathematically. Play Your Cards Right had a successful recent remake on British screens in Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow – the gameshow’s revival may be in some small part down to the ongoing increase in Blackjack players online.

Source: Pixabay

Skill-Based Online Casino

Arguably the most popular form of gameshow in the last ten-to-fifteen years has come in a quiz format, and this success has sparked a demand for more skill-based casino games. Classic casino games such as Poker have long been seen as games of skill, and Poker’s move online has only increased the popularity of the game – with over 100 million people now regularly playing the game online. Online casino developers understand that they will need their games to remain fresh and innovative to entice gamblers to their sites. Therefore, moving forward, expect more skill-based online casino games to be created.

With the demand for TV gameshows unlikely to decrease anytime soon, there should be enough content for developers to model their games around. The connection between online gambling and TV gameshows is currently a fairly useful one for both parties, and it is expected that this relationship will continue to be mutually beneficial in the immediate future.