Book review: Games without frontiers?

Abstract

Dewey (1913, p. 725) defined play as “activities, which are not consciously performed for the sake of any result beyond themselves; activities which are enjoyable in their own execution without reference to ulterior purpose”. Similarly, for Caillois (1967), play is something separate from work, a free and entertaining activity that does not result in the creation of any economic value. It is this question of value and purpose that has separated gambling from play and games. From an economic perspective, gambling can be argued not to produce value, but merely transfer and circulate it (Young & Markham, 2017). However, from the perspective of the gambler, the act of gambling is staking something of value for the purpose of winning something. Games and play have not been characterised by the risk of losing or winning something of value. Instead, these activities are valuable in themselves as forms of entertainment or leisure – at least until digitalisation has turned the gaming world into big business. In digital environments, social gaming has become increasingly prevalent and lucrative, and game play has become monetised and commercialised in a very similar way to gambling. Micropayments and loot boxes, in particular, have received research attention due to their similarities to gambling (e.g., Drummond & Sauer, 2018; Macey et al., 2022). In some jurisdictions, regulators are also taking action to limit gambling-like features in gaming (Derrington et al., 2021). Understanding what unites and what separates the worlds of gambling and gaming has become a crucial question for research, harm prevention and regulation. Games without Frontiers (2021), Heather Wardle’s first book, delivers an inspiring and comprehensive introduction to these topics from a historical as well as contemporary perspective. Wardle shows that what has recently become called “convergence” between gambling and gaming (e.g., Gainsbury, 2019; Kim & King, 2020) is actually a new phase in a long, shared history. The relationship between gambling and gaming has recently amplified and accelerated due to the digital turn and technological developments, such as fast payments and constant availability. Wardle approaches these topics from two complementary perspectives: a cultural perspective and an industry perspective. The discussion on convergence therefore not only refers to an intersection of game characteristics, but also to wider processes in industry and society.