A Surge in Card Games’ Popularity During the Pandemic

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While lockdown was initially a novelty for those who wanted to invest in quality time with the family, there’s only so much Monopoly, 30 Seconds, and Scrabble a person can play with those in their bubble. Besides, after a certain age, board games tend to lose their element of excitement.

Let’s face it, Monopoly is fake money and little plastic houses. And while poker tends to have more appeal, if your spouse played badly he or she was wasting your money so it stops being fun real quick. Games night with the boys or a trip to the casino would also be unlikely in times where social distancing is encouraged.

Not surprisingly, when boredom and isolation reigned, online games developed a new appeal. According to Google trends, since the beginning of 2020, the searches for “online solitaire” increased by 80 percent in the UK.

Moreover, there was a 400 percent increase in searches for online games from the end of January 2020 until the beginning of April 2020. For many, online gaming was a coping mechanism, which helped reduce the stress of living under the threat of contagion and having such a restricted lifestyle.

Card Games

Playing cards first appeared in Europe in the 1370s, from Islamic dynasties in Egypt. During the 15th century, cards circulated among the inland European trade routes. The cards were hand-painted and an expensive commodity.

Cards soon became a favourite pastime amongst the upper classes. Eventually, with woodblock printing and stencil painting, cards became less expensive and were available to the masses. The distinctive simplified design of the suits – spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs were originally French but became international symbols.

Over the centuries, card games have had an immense social appeal, because they’re not limited to two players like, for example, chess or backgammon. Cards were usually played for money and only in the last two centuries did people begin playing games of skill for fun. Crucially, playing cards held more appeal for women, and associations between card play and seduction became widespread.

Throughout European literature and painting, there are depictions of women playing cards with the overt theme of seduction. The proliferation of gambling card games, with the accompanying sexuality, resulted in the Church and some civic authorities prohibiting certain card playing.

Most card games exploit the idea that you don’t know what your opponents are holding. This often creates a situation where you are mixing intuition, guessing, skill and luck. Add to that the intrigue of sexuality and money and therein lies the appeal. When stuck at home during lockdown, after putting the kids to bed after the 11th game of Go Fish, many wanted better odds.

And for those who were truly alone in isolation, online gaming with friends or strangers helped them keep their sanity and emotional connection with people. Notably, during March 2020 at the start of the Covid Pandemic, searches for “online card games with a friend” increased over 1,000 percent.

People were clearly looking for new ways to connect with their friends and meet others. So whilst sitting alone, sometimes for weeks, gamers were not necessarily isolated. They perfected the art of building social communities around video games whereby they didn’t just compete with strangers on the internet, but forged genuine, enduring friendships.

Alcohol and Gaming

In countries where alcohol wasn’t banned many increased their alcohol consumption, by as much as 21% percent, for example in Britain and Canada. The isolation and anxiety over job security and health issues, resulted in increased drinking to take the edge off and became a coping behavior for many.

There are various reasons why card games have had an increase in interest during the global pandemic. For starters, it’s because people have had to self-isolate on countless occasions in the last couple of years. And while playing card games is certainly a good way to pass the time, one begs to question whether it could potentially pose a problem when it comes to responsible gambling.

Card games may work as a coping mechanism or a way to pass time, however, frequent drinking and gambling can result in the pathological consequences of addiction. Studies show that the increase in drinking, gaming, and gambling may initially seem to reduce the stress of lockdown, however, the longer the pandemic lasts, the longer these behaviours will continue.

Over time, the frequency of gambling and excessive alcohol consumption could lead to an increased risk of more serious mental health problems. Of equal concern is the risk of health issues and financial problems which will only exacerbate the stress.

Go Home

The allure of online card game betting can easily become a gambling addiction, especially when you have so much time on your hands. Even if you’re working remotely in the day, there’s a long quiet night ahead. Add a pint to that and you’re ready to roll.

Before Covid, after poker night ended you went home, or when you went to the casino, you still had to travel home. Eventually, you ran out of cash or you knew that your spouse was waiting at home, hands on hips…

Where in the past you knew how to gamble responsibly, with time limits and boundaries, things are different now. The boundaries are on your movement and space, but not your time or your moral compass.  It is therefore the responsibility of the operators or software suppliers, as well as of the individuals themselves, to protect themselves from irresponsible gambling.

Responsible online gamblers decide beforehand how much they want to spend on each session, how long to stay online, and only gamble with money they can afford to lose. They gamble as a pastime and not to generate income. They don’t chase their losses and don’t allow gambling to interfere with their relationships, finances, employment, studies, and reputation.

Online casinos also have measures in place to provide safe and secure gaming environments for their players. There are age limits, temporary and permanent self-exclusion facilities and with these measures, they try and combat problematic gambling.

Be Responsible

Whilst there has been undoubtedly a surge in the popularity of card games during the pandemic, gamers and gamblers cannot use this as a justification for irresponsible gambling. We’re all stressed, we’re all isolated and fed up. Just as we have to prevent our physical health from Covid-19, so too we have to protect ourselves and our loved ones from unrestrained gambling. Adopting responsible gambling habits early on can prevent a fun pastime from turning into a destructive addiction.

As with all things fun in life, protect yourself. Put on your mask and log in!