Predictions for merging gambling with entertainment (gamification of everything)
* (under Future of Online Gambling in Australia) *
Context: The vanishing boundaries between game and bet
Previously, gambling and entertainment existed as separate industries. But the rise of mobile technology, social platforms, streaming and metaverse has erased barriers. Today, every element of leisure can be gamified: watching a movie, participating in a sporting event, listening to music, or even fitness. In this space, online gambling begins to merge with the entertainment industry, forming "gamification of everything."
Main trends
1. Betting as part of any content
Sports and esports. Bets are integrated directly into the broadcast of matches or tournaments.
Media and show. Micropari appear on the outcome of TV shows, voting and music competitions.
Cinematography. Experiments with predictions for plot twists of series or interactive films.
2. Gamification of everyday life
Players receive bonuses or points for activity on social networks, viewing content or using applications.
These points can be converted into bets or draws.
Example: activity in a fitness app turns into access to mini-lotteries.
3. Merging with streaming and metaverse
Platforms create spaces where gambling is built into the general entertainment ecosystem: chat, VR events, concerts.
Streamers become "betting drivers": viewers repeat their game actions in real time.
4. Social competition
Ratings leaders in winnings and achievements become "influencers within the platform."
Social mechanics (challenges, joint jackpots, clans) increase engagement.
Economic potential
Audience growth. Attracting users who have not played before, but are used to the mechanics of gamification.
New sources of monetization. Advertising within streaming, NFT awards, paid access to unique events.
Export of cultural products. Australian operators can offer hybrid "entertainment + gaming" services to the global market.
Regulatory challenges
Blurring boundaries. If gambling becomes part of entertainment, it is more difficult to indicate where the game is for fun and where it is for money.
Marketing. It becomes harder to limit the impact on young people if betting elements are built into popular content.
Transparency. The player must clearly understand when he participates in entertainment activity, and when he makes a real bet.
Responsible play. Gamification of everything requires new forms of control: limits for built-in bets, marking and automatic notifications.
Social dimension
Pros: increased engagement, digital communities, access to a lighter gambling format.
Cons: the risk of normalizing gambling and "disguising" it as entertainment content.
The key question is how to maintain a balance between innovation and protecting vulnerable groups.
Outlook 2025-2027
Mass introduction of built-in betting in sports and cultural events broadcasts.
The emergence of "entertainment apps with gambling elements" is a hybrid of fitness, music and betting.
Experiments with VR and AR shows, where gamification covers all participants.
Formation of regulatory standards for "hybrid products," where entertainment and gambling are combined.
Bottom line:
- Gamification of everything is the main vector in which online gambling in Australia will merge with the entertainment industry. It will give new models of income and engagement, but at the same time increase regulatory pressure. In the future, the success of operators will depend on the ability to integrate gamification into everyday content without violating the boundaries of responsible play and user confidence.
