Skill or luck? Differences between online casino and fantasy sports

Fantasy football requires that you as a player have good judgment and understanding of the game in order to be successful. Whether you win or lose depends mainly on your knowledge, meaning that fantasy sports are based on skill rather than luck. One could argue that a game like poker also is based on skill – but poker is instead often defined as gambling. Where do we really draw the line between skill and luck? 

 

Popular online casino games

Just like fantasy football and sports betting, the popularity of online casino games have grown considerably over the last few years. An online casino provides a range of different games, like video slots, roulette, and blackjack. Live casino has also become a thing, where players can watch the dealers on live streams and interact with them. Many people are drawn to the thrill that online casinos can provide, either because of the chance to win money or just the entertainment in itself but often a combination of both. 

 

Luck and skill required

The definition of gambling is risking or betting money on the result of something with the hopes to make money. It means being aware of the risk but at the same time hoping to gain from the outcome of a game or other event where the result can be unexpected. Spinning a roulette wheel, playing slot machines, and rolling dice are all examples of activities that are purely based on luck. There are also some gambling that requires both strategy and luck, like online poker and horse race betting. 

 

Are fantasy sports gambling?

Even if fantasy football includes some luck, it’s generally seen as a skill-based game as opposed to casino games. Instead of luck, knowledge is considered to be the main determinator on whether you make a profit or not from the game. With fantasy sports, you’re in charge from the start. 

 

Regardless of if you’re playing for fun or for money, you become the manager of your team! With fantasy football, you set up your own team of real-life football players. Many people choose to compete against friends, family, or co-workers in a small league, but you can also play it solo. You earn points when a player in your fantasy team for example scores or earns assists. 

 

Is online poker gambling or skill?

People have different opinions on whether poker should be qualified as gambling. Professional poker players, in particular, argue that the card game is different from gambling. In some states in the U.S, poker has in legal terms been defined as a non-gambling activity. When looking at the game in short-term, it’s mostly based on luck since anyone can receive a good hand and win that round. Players can’t control which cards they’re dealt. 

However, in the long run, other factors become more important in order to win. Skill is required to win more poker games in the long run. You need to know which moves to make and when. To summarise, poker and fantasy sports both involve skill and luck, although fantasy sports more often aren’t seen as gambling. Casino games like poker may be classified as gambling, but it’s a different kind of gambling compared to luck-based games such as roulette and dice.