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Hidden Gambling Games Inside Games

Call them Easter eggs if you want, hidden content if you prefer, or bonus rounds if you wish, but there is a wealth of hidden games within games for players to enjoy. Some of the very best hidden games sitting right there inside other titles for you to play happen to be related to the gambling world. This fusion between the gambling world and the video game has been much appreciated in the past, but it could soon be coming to an end?

What kinds of features are we talking about and why could they be ending? Let’s dive into the world of hidden gambling games within games.

Great Games Which Contained Hidden Gambling Games

Gambling games often form some of the most enjoyable hidden games you can find in other titles. In the past, nobody seemed to bat an eye when a developer decided to add a little naughty gambling-related fun into their games. You can go all the way back to Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to find an example of this, probably even further if you looked hard enough.

Do you remember the gambling game in Sonic 2? There is a zone, Casino Night, which rings a bell, right? In these levels, the player could hurl Sonic up the side of a pit to land him in a basket. Three reels would then spin and either reward Sonic with rings, points or an extra life or punish him by taking away all of his rings.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 wasn’t the only one to flirt with hidden gambling games, though. Even the legendary Final Fantasy X got in on the act. In this game, players could control the strength of Wakka’s Overdrive via a mini-slot game. Titanic: An Adventure Out of Time also brought a hidden gambling game to the forefront, too. If you remember this classic, did you know that you could potentially barter your passage on the stricken liner by playing blackjack in the First-Class Smoking Room on A Deck, just by the Aft Grand Staircase? Inside there, players could land the Boat Pass from Buick Riviera; if they managed to beat him, that is. You only got one shot at it, too, which is high-stakes gambling for a point and click PC game from the 90s.

The Sims 2 DS also allowed players to play card games in a casino, known as Keelhaulin'. There, they could bet Simoleans (Sims Cash), and who can forget Grand Theft Auto’s hidden online casino, too. It caused all kinds of trouble when it was announced, and it still does.

The End of Hidden Gambling Games

There are, of course, other examples strewn throughout the gaming world. These may be coming to an end, though, and a thing of the past. Many developers (facing pressure from parents, amongst others) are now dropping all forms of gambling from their titles, which means no more hidden gambling games. Moreover, companies such as EA Games are facing an immense backlash from governments over loot boxes and unlockables, many of which these governments say are akin to gambling.

It isn’t just gambling games, either. Many games developers are doing away with all kinds of hidden games. Why? Downloadable content. Why include some nifty hidden game inside a title as an extra for free, when you can charge people to pay for downloadable content?
Even the most common and arguably the greatest ever hidden games (free spins and bonus rounds in real money online casino slots) are being watered down now, and users are now being charged extra to pay for them or improve the goodies in a bonus round.

Hidden gambling games were once designed to be fun, and that is precisely how we viewed them; a harmless bit of fun. If we’re not careful, not just hidden gambling games, but all forms of hidden extra games could soon become a thing of the past. Worse still, they could become something we have to pay for the privilege of enjoying.