Roobet and the Circuit of Culture
The Internet is a universe of its own. As it continues to expand, it encompasses and incorporates more aspects of present society into its vast landscape. Thus, it is not surprising that the casino industry has found incredible success in an online environment. Since the rise of the Internet in the 1990s, online gambling has grown and thrived due to its ability to adapt to new audiences while appealing to many different types of gamblers. Not only did large in-person casinos work to develop their own online platforms, but many independent, strictly online casinos rose to the center of attention as well. Roobet is one of these casinos. As an online cryptocurrency-based casino founded in 2019, Roobet has already worked to transform the online gambling industry in less than two years.
However, before one can understand what Roobet represents in terms of the rapidly growing online gambling industry and the Internet as a whole, it is important to address the industry and why this format of gambling has become so popular. In 2001, a press release from PR Newswire revealed why online gambling was becoming so popular. Online gambling revenues were predicted to dramatically increase from $6.6 billion in 2001 to $20.8 billion in 2005. This prediction was proven correct, with the industry currently valued at about $66.7 billion in 2020 with the expectation that it will double within the next seven years. Furthermore, this press release suggests that although online gambling was breaking down the age gap and gender divide that exists within traditional, in-person gambling, there were still some prevalent issues. Mainly, people were wary to trust the online casinos in this new industry. This type of uncertainty is not unexpected nor unwarranted – casinos already exist to take your money, and moving them online provided a new host of worries for potential gamblers. However, as online gambling grew and developed, some services pulled ahead and shaped the industry while cultivating an audience that began to trust the increasingly regulated industry.
How does Roobet fit into this complicated industry? Roobet has successfully combined cryptocurrency with online gambling, creating an environment where high-rollers and casual gamblers can coexist. Users choose to bet with Bitcoin or Ethereum, two of the most popular cryptocurrencies to date. With games ranging from casino classics like blackjack, roulette, and slot machines to live game shows and some of Roobet’s own creations, there is something for anyone and everyone. The use of cryptocurrency allows for bets ranging from as low as 1 cent to thousands of dollars. The simple and rapid betting system combined with the visually appealing atmosphere make Roobet the choice of online gamblers around the world.
What does Roobet represent in terms of the online gambling industry as a whole? To answer this, one must examine the Circuit of Culture and understand how Roobet has become known as the most reliable and trusted online cryptocurrency casino.
Circuit of Culture
The Circuit of Culture is made up of five aspects: Identity, Representation, Regulation, Consumption, and Production. Each of these aspects shines a distinct perspective on a service such as Roobet, providing a comprehensive understanding of both Roobet and its role in the larger sphere of the Internet.
Identity
Identity refers to who is involved in a product or service. More specifically, who produces it, who consumes it, and who regulates it, as well as how these three groups came to exist in their own individual roles.
Roobet is owned by TekHou5 Limited, a company based out of Belize. Unlike in-person casinos, however, it does not matter if the online casino is based in your backyard or in a country thousands of miles away. The games contained within Roobet are both original and created by third-party sources. Other companies are responsible for producing certain games on Roobet, yet they are still housed and made playable on Roobet. Additionally, Roobet is associated with trust, which is a crucial factor for online casinos. According to an article from Consumers in Human Behavior, consumers are more likely to trust an online casino if it has responsible gambling measures in place as well as policies that protect consumers and their money.
The identity of Roobet is defined by its players as well. According to Roobet’s Terms of Service, players must be over the age of 18. Although all within the legal age range are welcome on Roobet, it seems to have a younger audience. The visually appealing nature of Roobet combined with the cartoon-style, minimalistic games appear to be intentionally geared towards these younger players. According to a survey from Statista regarding online gambling by age group in the UK, 35 to 44 year olds make up around 29% of online gamblers, larger than any other age group. However, 18 to 34 year olds make up 37% of the industry. Thus, although Roobet may be associated with a younger audience, the statistics show that it is most likely utilized by online gamblers from any age group. Users will prioritize the trustworthiness of the service over the stylistic choices of the website.
Consumption
Consumption is the aspect of the Circuit of Culture that encompasses buying or using the product or service, as well as one becoming increasingly involved with the service or allowing the service to become increasingly involved with oneself.
For Roobet, consumption manifests itself when players choose to gamble. However, as with many services, over-consumption can become a dangerous problem for some. When examining how an online gambling service such as Roobet fits into the Circuit of Culture, it is necessary to study gambling addiction and Roobet’s role in fighting this disease.
Online gambling poses a threat to the health and financial security of many. In an article written by Kate Beioley in London’s Financial Times, she details a man she interviewed who had lost around $4,700 USD on online gambling sites within two weeks. According to Beioley, this man had been continuously trying to win back the money he had lost, resulting in rapidly increasing debts as he kept on losing. This is a common factor among many with gambling addictions. Once one loses money through an online gambling service, they can easily refill their account with the click of a button and continue gambling. Therefore, although some may see the simplicity and rapid betting system as a positive, the truth is that there is danger to how easily one can lose large amounts of money.
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To continue, evidence suggests that there is a complex relationship between the amount of gambling opportunities available and the increasing level of gambling-related issues. In her article in Current Addiction Reports, Sally Gainsbury details how the use of digital currency and instant feedback combined with the ability to gamble anywhere with an Internet connection lead to more cases of problematic and dangerous gambling. For services like Roobet, this form of overconsumption is dangerous not only for the users but also for the service as well. If a service is consistently associated with addiction and stories of users losing thousands of dollars, the service will not be used by a wide user base. Consequently, Roobet has taken some, albeit perhaps minimal, steps to prevent disordered and dangerous gambling.
On Roobet’s home page, there is a tab labeled “Responsible Gambling.” This page offers some information regarding how to gamble responsibly, such as “take breaks” or “set deposit limits.” However, these “Helpful Hints” as Roobet calls them are obviously not going to stop someone with a gambling addiction from continuing to lose money. Thus, Roobet has developed a Self-Exclusion policy. With this policy, one may ask Roobet to ban their account for a length of time ranging from six months to five years. Once initiated, the user cannot “undo” this ban or create other accounts on Roobet. Roobet does check for valid identification when one creates an account, so it is most likely impossible to get around this once one has chosen to ban themself from the service.
Although Roobet appears to have taken some steps to combat gambling addiction, this is nowhere near enough. However, the entire online gambling industry relies on users betting and losing money. Therefore, although measures may be put in place to try and reduce disordered gambling, these issues are most likely here to stay.
Representation
Representation refers to how a product or service represents itself to its consumers, as well as the tone associated with these services.
Roobet’s simple yet appealing interface allows the service to market to and represent a wide audience. The wide array of hundreds of different games caters to players who want to log on and gamble for long amounts of time, while the minimalistic atmosphere and rapid response time appeal to those who only want to spend a few minutes using the service. In addition, Roobet’s use of cryptocurrency makes online gambling a possibility for anyone who is willing to lose ten dollars or ten thousand dollars. Most games allow for bets ranging from as low as one penny to upwards of thousands of dollars, creating a truly universal experience for anyone interested in online gambling.
Furthermore, Roobet comes across as having an informal tone. Nevertheless, this does not mean that it seems unprofessional or untrustworthy. Rather, it is a positive for the service because this informal atmosphere creates a welcoming, friendly website. Roobet is known as the most trustworthy cryptocurrency casino, so these positive reviews combined with the appealing tone successfully create an online casino that provides an enjoyable experience with the only frustration being losing money. David Bright of timesofcasino.com writes about why some online gambling services are more successful than others. He cites convenient payments, secure and safe gambling, and good reputation as the most important factors that users consider when choosing a service. Given that Roobet fulfills all of these factors, it is not surprising that it has gained its success and a reputation as a trustworthy online casino.
Production
Production deals with the creation of a website or service, as well its marketing and distribution.
Roobet is a relatively new service. It launched in 2019 and focused its attention on Europe, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, since these regions have somewhat relaxed online gambling laws compared to other places. Although it was started quite recently, Roobet has already amassed a large following. There is a running tally of the amount of wagers placed on the site, and as of December 4th, this number was rapidly climbing above 710 million wagers.
Roobet’s early success may not be entirely due to the service they offer. The Covid-19 pandemic, although crippling to many industries, has given online gambling a massive boost as people are stuck at home, bored, and looking for some entertainment to pass the time. An article from The Philadelphia Inquirer conveys that online casino gambling in Pennsylvania generated around $59.7 million in October of 2020. In October of 2019, this number was only at $4.9 million. This dramatic rise in revenue is not only due to experienced gamblers shifting to an online platform in the wake of a pandemic. According to the Inquirer, much of this revenue can also be attributed to new customers. Therefore, although Roobet does offer a trustworthy, user-friendly platform, some of its success may be due to the lockdowns and quarantines that forced gambling activities to online platforms.
As for marketing, Roobet utilizes other social media platforms to spread the word about their service. Roobet’s Twitter is full of promotions and news about special events. However, although some of these posts may be used to draw in new players, most of this strategy seems to be directed towards keeping active users engaged and entertained. Thus, Roobet may generally be spread through word of mouth. People who gamble will generally have friends that gamble as well. When one person discovers a new site like Roobet, they will most likely recommend it to others. Even though Roobet does not have a seemingly strong or aggressive marketing scheme, it has still been able to generate a large user base and consistent success since its launch.
Regulation
Regulation deals with the formal and informal rules associated with a service, how these rules affect the service and how the service affects them, and who creates and enforces these rules.
Roobet is governed by two forms of regulation: self-regulation and regulation by external forces. These two forms of regulation are intertwined, as Roobet works to follow the regulations set in place by governments while regulating their own service to create a safe and profitable environment.
Self-regulation is the simpler of the two. Roobet’s Terms of Service outlines restrictions on age, location, as well as responsibilities of users. Also, Roobet reserves the right to terminate or suspend one’s account without prior warning. This statute may make some wary to sign up for a service that can delete their account at a moment’s notice, but it is actually used to protect Roobet. If a large number of underage people or people gambling from territories where it is illegal to do so are seen on Roobet, more governments may take steps to further regulate or ban Roobet. For this reason, Roobet needs to have the right to delete any illegally created accounts that may harm their reputation or success as a company. To continue, this self-regulation is generally determined by global governments and their laws.
This external regulation is radically different across nations and territories around the world. Thus, this section focuses on extreme cases of regulation and regulatory practices in the United States.
Some regions have gone beyond banning online gambling — they are enforcing these laws with harsh punishments. According to a newspaper article by Garavi Gujarat Publications, the Indian state Andra Pradesh is enforcing regulations that would give jail time to operators and users of online gambling services. According to a government official, this law was put in place to prevent the youth of the region from being corrupted and damaged by online gambling services. Thus, although it is the responsibility of the user to refrain from signing up for something that is illegal in their country, Roobet must also be aware of these policies and take action on accounts that originated in these areas.
To continue, Roobet bans anyone living in the United States from opening an account with them. United States laws state that no online gambling service may operate within United States territories, yet there is no law on citizens placing bets on these services. Thus, although Roobet operates outside of the United States, it still prohibits users from playing when located in the United States.
In both the Andra Pradesh and United States cases, however, there are ways to get around these restrictions. VPNs allow users to mask and alter their computer’s location, allowing users from restricted territories to open accounts and play on Roobet. Thus, Roobet still has a large American player base even though these restrictions are intended to prevent United States citizens from opening accounts.
What’s next for Roobet? As online gambling laws continue to change and the Internet and its services become more easily accessible, it’s difficult to say. However, with Roobet’s early and rapid success, one might want to bet on their continued growth and expansion within the online gambling industry.
Cultural History of the Internet 