Adaptive Success and Rolling with the Punches
Pokémon Go took the world by storm when it first swooped onto the scene back in 2016 and has continually captivated a massive player base ever since. Influenced by the cutting-edge concept of augmented reality, Pokémon Go lets players battle, train, catch and hatch Pokémon whilst exploring their real-world environments.
Remarkably, a game that relies primarily on players being able to head outside has managed to successfully adapt to the serious real-world threat of people having to stay indoors. Throughout the global pandemic, Pokémon Go experienced a surge in both profits and popularity by rising to trends and shifting its focus towards online gameplay.
According to Forbes, Pokémon Go made an estimated $1.92 billion in 2020 alone. Combined with the fact that this video-game franchise is celebrating its 25th year of operation this year, it’s difficult to see this enterprise losing steam anytime soon. With so much success in the air, it’s unsurprising that many of the industry’s upcoming betting sites want to get involved in the action.
How Gameplay and Betting Options Interact
Let’s discuss how the spheres of catching Pokémon and betting overlap, shall we? The aim of the game is ultimately to hunt and obtain the latest and rarest Shiny Pokémons and to cultivate the prettiest Pokédex. As you travel through the game, you’ll pick up color-coded eggs that are essential to progressing further and building up an impressive roster of creatures.
These are rewarded at random by Rocket Leaders or from friends and require you to walk different distances to hatch them, ranging anywhere from 2km to 12km. From the start of the game, you’re provided with an incubator, which is integral to the process. Initially, you’re given one with infinite uses, however, as the game progresses this wears off and you must acquire more incubators.
Pokémon Go betting options, therefore, largely concern themselves with wagering your real money by purchasing an in-game currency which provides you with betting possibilities to streamline the entire process by gaining more chances to win valuable eggs and incubators. The thrill is in the luck of the draw, you’ll never know what you’re going to get!
Pokémon Go’s Relationship to eSports
On the topic of betting, it’s best to discuss further how Pokémon Go bets and the realm of eSports run parallel to each other. Developed by Niantic, the game regularly features events and tournaments which allow betting opportunities for players to play on the go, which is sure to appeal to the eSports fans reading this.
In the world of Pokémon Go, players are able to compete in both in-game and real-world festivals and events that entice them to hunt for unique and exotic beasts that they can collect as trophies. As players progress in the journey to complete their Pokédex, they stand to acquire rarer Pokémon.
They’re also equally eligible to participate in exclusive, one-off tournaments as well as seasonal and recurring competitions. By taking a leaf out of Niantic’s book, other leading online gambling platforms are beginning to incorporate augmented reality content into their eSports betting tournaments.
Creating a crossover between the eSports betting world and Pokémon Go was a rather savvy business move, as it widens the net of a potential gaming audience and allows fans to engage competitively both locally and internationally.
No Eggs, No Omelettes
As we touched upon briefly, the biggest payoffs in Pokémon Go require the following elements:
- Color-coded Poké eggs
- Incubators
- Battle tokens known as ‘raid passes’
These raid passes can be used to battle a specific Pokémon before attempting to catch it. All of these aspects combined offer increasing possibilities to capture precious types of shiny Pokémon.
Despite this, it seems that it’s the issue of these eggs and their incubators which raises the most eyebrows in regards to Pokémon Go’s integrity. To reiterate, many different egg types can hatch quicker in an incubator after traveling a set distance. Initially, the game allows you to get used to having infinite incubators at your disposal, until the moment it doesn’t.
As the scarcity of these increasingly limited number of available incubators grows, so too does your reliance upon them. Should a Pokémon Go Player desire to accelerate the hatching process, they’ll need to spend between 150-200 Poké Coins ($1.50 – $2 in real money) in order to do so.
Considering that each incubator only lasts for three uses, the average player will have to spend $0.50 – $0.75 to heighten their chances of quickly hatching a Pokémon better than those that occur naturally in the game.
Blind Loot Boxes Controversy
This decision to include a game mechanism that pushes you to choose between spending real money for additional incubators and using up more time each day is disconcerting. Particularly when considering the seemingly random nature of the Pokémon that will hatch, the chance of getting poor quality game items despite spending money is high. This is where the concept of loot boxes comes into play.
Not without their fair share of controversies, loot boxes are defined as random content purchased with real money that is opened entirely within a virtual gaming environment. Loot boxes often come with the promise of possibly rare items that would require a large amount of playtime to obtain otherwise.
Loot boxes have come under fire in recent years amid
Ultimately, this has led to multiple countries passing laws that prohibit games with players under the age of 18 from including simple loot box designs, or from even offering them at all.
Final Impressions and Thoughts for the Future
In our opinion, it seems that younger gamblers, especially those from 20 to 30 onwards, are simultaneously craving nostalgia but also new ways to gamble that involve innovative technology. Therefore, it’s refreshing to see the incredible success of Niantic in its integration of augmented reality with challenging gameplay. It’s no easy feat to create a large international playing community, but Pokémon Go has excelled highly in this regard.
That being said, Niantic could offer players a more transparent experience in regards to fairly displaying the odds of a potential Pokémon being hatched, without subtly elbowing players towards paying money for a smoother playing experience. By doing so, they could easily make the game fairer for everyone, while simultaneously side-stepping critic’s accusations of favoring blind loot boxes and pay-to-play style game model.
Frequently Asked Questions
With the relationship between Pokémon Go and the betting world consistently evolving, it’s natural to have some questions. Therefore, we’d like to tackle several key questions worth considering about Pokémon betting in the section below. If you’d like to keep your finger on the pulse, be sure to check out some of our other guides to help yourself stay informed. Happy Playing!
How does the gambling world coincide with Pokémon Go betting?
It might come as a surprise to discover that Pokémon Go contains stylistic betting elements within its gameplay. Initially, players get free items such as Pokémon eggs, incubators, and even tokens for battles. However, players are eventually nudged towards the opportunity to bet to increase their chances of winning these virtual presents. Currently, there are no major eSports sites that are running Pokemon GO bets.
Are there limits to the availability of these Pokémon Go prizes?
While prizes may only be available during certain timeslots, the esteemed prize of a new or shiny Pokémon remains for many fans a trophy worth pursuing. Check out our feature on different bonus types to learn more about rewards that you can receive if you choose instead to play at online casinos.
How developed is Pokémon Go for the mobile experience?
With mobile compatibility continuing to expand, influence, and sway new betting markets, Pokémon Go seems to have taken an understanding of its burgeoning importance in its stride by developing a game that's free to download that connects to Google Maps. All in all, this offers players an easily accessible, and intuitive augmented reality experience that’s sure to have newer and older generations of fans alike wanting more. This kind of fast-paced improvement can also be seen at the top mobile casinos.
