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Cultural Perceptions of Online Gaming: A Cross-National Study

Cultural Perceptions of Online Gaming: A Cross-National Study

People’s perceptions of online casino gaming depends on the location of the people, mainly due to cultural, social and legal reasons. This type of attitude and all the factors that influence it will be an essential theme of this essay, which is devoted to the consideration of how various cultures perceive online gaming.


Cultural Factors Influencing Attitudes


1. Religious Beliefs


  • Western Countries: Most commonly regarded as leisure; legal and promoted across most jurisdictions including in the UK.


  • Islamic Countries: Restricted mainly for religious purposes, tightly restricted in countries such as Saudi Arabia.


2. Social Norms and Values


  • United States: It has both positive and negative acceptances from some states as well as some states enacting bans of gaming showing mixed attitudes towards it.


  • East Asia: It has dual attitudes – different regions treat it differently: in mainland China it is prohibited, while in other regions like Macau it is included in cultural values, associated with luck.


3. Economic Factors


  • Developing Countries: Judged as a potential source of income but viewed as a threat to financial stability.


  • Developed Countries: Regarded as entertainment, despite possible drawbacks associated with gaming problems and potential fiscal issues.


4. Regulatory Environment


  • Europe: The countries like the UK have strong regulation systems for prevention of cheating and for the protection of the players; hence these base for positive perception.


  • Asia: High levels of restriction are observed in places like Japan and South Korea where the problematic use of the internet and more so of gaming is feared to cause addictions and financial losses.


Cross-National Differences


1. United Kingdom

- If properly governed, a widely held positive attitude towards the activity as a legal form of recreation.


2. United States

- Vary by state; has slowly begun to be accepted, although there is still much caution concerning this concept.


3. China

- While it is also prohibited in many places such as mainland China, it has considerable cultural preference in places such as Macau revealing people’s inclination towards gaming.


4. India

- Formally legal but socially perceived in various ways; by some as fun, by others as reckless.


Religious beliefs, social attitudes, economic impact, and legal standings are some of the cultural factors influencing the perception of online gaming. Knowledge of these factors enables development of a responsible and liberal environment in online gaming.

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