We all love sports, to an extent. Some love playing sports while others love watching people compete and give it their all. Some, who cannot play sports, resort to betting on sports. Online bookmakers often help in this regard, but you would have to register, filling a form like this Bet9ja Registration form. While betting on sports attracts a lot of people, it definitely isn’t for everyone. Some prefer playing video games.

Video games can be a good way of spending your down time, whether by yourself or with friends. Sports video games are often best played with people, locally or online. Here are the best sports video games at the moment. 

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (1 and 2)

Some prefer the later Tony Hawk titles, but for most, the first and second game mark the best the skating world has. With the games getting remastered, more people are going to pick them up, because they can once again become (graphically) relevant. The gameplay has been updated, but that didn’t need much tweaking. If you like skating or have ever wanted to take it up, these two games are the ones to start with.

NBA 2K11

Some prefer the newest title in the series, but many would argue that the best basketball game is NBA 2K11, for multiple reasons. Its gameplay is great and you have access to multiple teams and legendary players. Other than graphical innovations, the newer games haven’t really brought anything significant. 

FIFA 21

FIFA continues to improve, unlike other sports games. FIFA gets better with each iteration. Not only do they add new game modes, clubs and licenses, but they also improve the things already in the game. Play solo, or play online against friends or strangers and rank up. It is the perfect game to spend a saturday afternoon with. 

Pong

This game has to be mentioned because it started everything. Released in 1972, it is a game where you control a bar and bounce a ball, with the idea of scoring a goal against your opponent who also controls a bar. Simple games are often the most fun ones.

MVP Baseball 2005

This, to this day, remains one of the best baseball games that ever hit the market. It included new changes in gameplay, namely a different pitch system. The gameplay was great, especially when you needed to run. Graphics wise, the game is obviously a bit dated, but it still holds up, especially if you ask baseball fans.

NBA Jam

This is an oldie, but a goldie. Released in 1993 for multiple platforms of the time, the two most important ones being the Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis. It is a two on two basketball game which has an actual NBA license. It is really fun, especially if you have a friend come over.

These are some of the best sports games to have ever been released. Looking forward, hopefully, we can get more great sports titles, some resurrected, others being completely new.

When we talk about games we have to bear in mind there are two categories. There are games that we play on consoles, phones, and PCs, also known as video games, and games that are played in a casino. Technically both are video games but the term casino games are used to make a clear distinction. And as some players are excited to see things like Casimba bonus code or similar, other players are typically excited for sequels, new releases from iconic studios, and re-masters of classic titles. Here we will go over some of the most iconic video games that almost everyone knows, even if they are not a gamer.   

Tetris

You cannot speak about video games without mentioning Tetris has been a staple title for years, it’s simple but brilliant, and anyone can enjoy the game.

There are old handheld consoles called Tetris, it can be played on your phone, and of course PC. It’s been around for so long it’s impossible to measure its player base.

Pacman

Anyone who grew up during the 90s’ knows about Pacman, and how addictive that game really is. Navigate the maze, eat candies, and don’t get caught by the ghosts, once again simple and iconic just as much as Tetris.  

Sonic

Sonic is such an iconic game and it’s one of the best titles you can play on your early SEGA consoles.

Sonic is so popular that new titles are released and designed up to this day, plus it also got its own movie, on top of all cartoon series. It’s known as well as Mario Brothers and just as nostalgic.  

Pokemon

Pokemon games have been around for years now, and even though the animated series was mainly made to promote games, it ended up becoming one of the most popular cartoons ever. We also cannot forget how Pokemon Go caught the world by storm, people all over the world were running outside with their phones chasing pokemon, despite the fact that they did not even play original games.  

Counter-Strike

When someone mentions competitive games, you probably think about FIFA, NBA, NHL, but true gamers immediately think about Counter-Strike.

It’s such a surprise that this game is popular even today, considering just how many first-person shooter titles are out there. Even though the core gameplay is the same people really enjoy it, and developers added so many different cosmetics and tweaks to the game to keep it fresh. 

World of Warcraft 

Finally, we cannot forget to mention one of the biggest MMO RPGs The World of Warcraft. Although the player base is a far cry compared to its glory days, millions of people are still playing this game. World of Warcraft was so popular at one point that it was referenced in all sorts of TV shows, and movies, as it had a base of over 12 million active players, so those references were bound to land.   

The game industry is one of the most lucrative branches of entertainment nowadays, and for a good reason. We learn through play, and having the ability to boost our cognitive skills and enjoy some top-notch aesthetics, is going to justify our expenses for purchasing games. Moreover, there are so many smartphone owners now, and apps and games that are made for phones are really accessible, so it’s easier to get into gaming now than it was a few decades ago. Considering how games have become part of our everyday lives it would be interesting to go back to the 20th century and see how it all started. 

First players

Even before computers people invented games for the purpose of entertainment, competition and learning. So it is only natural to come up with new games that are closely tied to the new available tools. The first games were designed and played in the 1950s and 60s, by the computer scientists, and these were mainly simple games and simulators that could be used for scientific experiments. 

Mainstream popularity 

The time games became more mainstream was during the 70s and 80s. It is during this period that we had arcade games as well as consoles for gaming that relied on joysticks. This period is marked by the Atari 2600, console that kids played with in front of their TV, and it clearly inspired work like Ready Player One. A few years later or during the 80s computers started getting more games, and handheld consoles started to make their appearance.

Console wars 

That’s right console wars did not start with Sony and Xbox, it actually started in the late 80s, with Sega and Nintendo. To be precise it was between the Sega Master System and NES in North America. It is around this time that we got a legendary title for Sega, Sonic the Hedgehog, and soon afterward we got some of the longest-running franchises today like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. 

Furthermore, games started to gain in popularity so much that producers decided to make live-action movies that were based on these games. So we got Mario Brothers, Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter movies. Unfortunately, apart from iconic names, these movies did not have much going for them. 

As far as the winner in the console war is concerned it was Sega, but it was not as successful in Japan, and a new war was already looming on the horizon. 

Sega vs Sony

The first main leap in gaming was going from cartridges to CD games, and that happened with the appearance of Sony Playstation. Not only did the games look more impressive, but the console was also significantly cheaper than its rival Sega Saturn. Things did not look well for Sega, and they really started to think outside the box when it comes to marketing. Probably the best thing that came out of this console skirmish were Segata Sanshiro commercials, so you are highly encouraged to check them out.

However, as it’s already clear Sony won that war and it’s one of the most popular consoles up to this day. 

Sony brought us 3D games, which really revolutionized the game design for all future generations. If you think about it, the joypads are really similar to the first ones, with some tweaks and additions here and there, but it proves that the core design was spot on. 

You probably know the rest consoles started getting better, graphics started to get more amazing with each passing year, and PC was the number one platform for FPS games and MMO RPGs. 

Sports have always been popular, from the dawn of time. Today, sports are still popular, from football, basketball, cricket and even esports. Wait, what?! What are esports. Esports stands for electronic sports. Electronic sports stands for people competing in video games, to put it bluntly. How is that a sport, some people ask? 

Well, simply put, because there are professional athletes who dedicate up to 15 hours every day to become better, no, the best at a specific video game. These athletes also compete professionally, earn salaires, get bonuses and even get injured. Even people who love sports betting have embraced esports, because now they can bet on something very interesting, flashy and which they have lots of data about. People considering Royal Ascot betting offers are now considering various esports betting offers.

As everything else, esports also has its origins.

The Beginnings – Offline Gaming

Given that the internet wasn’t really, really, widely available until the mid 2000s, people used to play video games locally. One of the most popular competitions was Quakecon. The video game which was played was the eponymous Quake, a first-person shooter. Quake and Counter-Strike were among the most played video games during the 1990s. Street Fighter tournaments were also popular, and they attracted a different kind of audience. Some people prefer fighter, others shooters, also leaving room for strategy games. Warcraft was one of the most played strategy games in the 1990s, not to mention the Command & Conquer series. 

The Mid 2000s – Global Tournaments

Esports started changing dramatically with the widespread availability of the internet. People knew more about video games and played them even more. With games like Counter-Strike and Starcraft being immensely popular, various global tournaments attracted professionals and even started attracting fans. The World Cyber Games and Intel Extreme Masters were the first two large tournaments which attracted lots of attention. Intel Extreme Masters is an ongoing tournament which features plenty of games, from Warcraft III during the 2000s, to now Dota2, Counter-Strike and even Starcraft II and Fortnite.

2010s – Game Specific Professional Tournaments

Ever since the release of League of Legends, Starcraft II and Dota2, esports became popular in a span of two years. Each of these games have their own tournaments, the two MOBAs having more fans, larger prize pools and coverage. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive also has plenty of tournaments which attract lots of attention. Fortnite: Battle Royale is another game which attracts lots of players, fans and earns a lot of people a lot of money due to coverage and sponsorships.

Overwatch, Blizzard’s first-person shooter, is another game with slipped into the genre and has made it through. Street Fighter is still here, more popular than ever. Online card games like Hearthstone and Gwent are also immensely popular and also have their own tournaments.

The Future of Esports – It’s Shiny

Esports has been considered by the Olympic Committee as a potential candidate for the Olympic Games. The only problem is that some video games are directly conflicted with the Olympic Games’ anti-violence code.

Regarding its status as a sport, 2016 saw a player called Danny Shiphtur Le get a P1 or sports visa for the United States. That marked a serious change regarding esports and its status. Plenty of huge sports organizations now have their own esports teams, an example would be FC Schalke 04.

Epsports had a slow, gradual rise to popularity. It can only get better from here on.

People often dream of winning a lottery and setting themselves up for life. Some people have been playing lotteries for well over 30 years and have yet to win a jackpot prize. How come, then, lotteries are so addictive? Addiction might not be the right word, but a promise of a prize with such low effort, that is a very different beast. Choosing a couple of numbers and winning a lot of money is something which is really tempting for most people, like Darrel C., who won 30,000 dollars on the Pennsylvania lottery scratch card game. That is a lot of money for just scratching on a card.

Here are some interesting facts about the lottery which you should know.

The Taxes – Do You Lose Money?

Yes, you do, is the short answer. Not all lotteries will tax the winners, but if a lottery does not take your money, you will almost surely be unable to transfer the money to your own account unless you want to have problems with your own country. Not all countries are as strict about taxing lottery winners, but have in mind that huge financial gains attract attention. The government likes its tax, and tax frauds are among the most frequent court cases, everywhere.

Lotteries are Not Legal Everywhere

When you think of a lottery, you think of a bunch of balls being thrown around in a bigger ball and random ones getting picked. This seems pretty harmless and it is for most of the time. Some countries are very strict about gambling, meaning that lotteries, which are by definition, gambling, are as illegal as poker or sports betting would be. Islamic countries come to mind, but Alabama and Alaska, as well as Utah, also have no lotteries of their own. Check whether gambling and lotteries are legal in your country, or the one you are visiting.

Online Gambling – Gray Areas of Gambling

With gambling legal in most countries, online gambling was by definition also legal. The problem with that is that most countries took a very long time to take a stance on online gambling, leaving people to do what they want without prosecuting them. That allowed for multiple online businesses to thrive in many countries, before stricter regulations were placed, making online gambling a much safer environment for everyone. That includes lotteries, which almost always require licenses. Whether the license is obtained from Malta or from the country in which the online lottery will operate in, a license is necessary for online lotteries.

Not All Lotteries are the Same

Have in mind that lotteries differ from one another. Some have odds which are far worse than others, which you could calculate, but the lottery officials often provide you with that information. If you plan on playing a lottery, make sure to check the odds, so you don’t end up playing one which has worse odds.

These are some of the many interesting facts about lotteries. Lotteries are gambling by definition and if you are tempted to play, play responsibly.