We know that you have read many horror stories about games (even mobile slot games) and relationships to date. In general, the media creates the perception that games are bad for relationships. That is why women almost always believe that men should make a choice between games and themselves. There are some studies that support this distorted thought. For example, a company called “Divorce Online” claimed that 5% of divorces were due to a game called “Fortnite” in 2018.
So not only did the games cause divorce, a particular game was responsible for 5% of all divorces! The company completed this “scientific” research online. By searching the database of the divorce petitions, it found the word “Fortnite” in 5 out of 200 divorce cases and presented this data as “5% of all divorces are due to Fortnite”. Very reliable and scientific, right?
The results in serious and scientific research were especially filtered by the media. For example, a study conducted by the Journal of Leisure Research in 2012 revealed that in 73% of relationships that consider divorce, the husband is a gamer. In 75% of these cases, women cited their husbands’ gaming habits as the main cause of the dispute. You probably heard this news in the media, but there was also another outcome in this research you did not hear: 76% of couples playing together said that this activity was extremely beneficial for their relationship.
In other words, you don’t have to be afraid to play games. On the contrary, this activity can be extremely useful for your relationship. The harmfulness of games for relationships is no different from any other hobby. If one couple spends too much time on activity alone without including the other, the relationship is damaged. This activity can be games or golf – gaming is not the only thing that can affect relationships negatively.
Below you can see examples of what benefits you can get when you turn to play games into an activity that couples do together.
Learn Teamwork as a Couple
Teamwork is among the most important things that determine the future of a relationship. Most people forget that every couple is also a small team. And the teams need to learn to work together; otherwise, they cannot stay as a team. In other words, couples need to stop giving ultimatums to each other and learn how they can work together.
Gaming may be the easiest way to do this. You have to make different decisions in different scenarios in each game. To do this, you need to communicate, evaluate how different scenarios in front of you can result, and make the final decision together. By doing this, you will be able to understand each other much more comfortably. One of the most frequent complaints that relationship counsellors hear is that “I want my partner to understand me”. Such complaints are almost always caused by a lack of communication. Teamwork is an excellent tool that can eliminate this problem. If you want to get to know your partner better, play a game together. For example, by choosing to play online poker, you can learn about him/her the following:
- How prone he/she is to risk-taking,
- Whether he/she behaves aggressively or passively while under pressure,
- How good he/she is at manipulating other people.
More importantly, you can influence all of these decisions and achieve the most ideal result in each scenario. However, avoid turning this into mutual conflict. If you are fighting with your partner about which decision will be better, you are not doing teamwork. Successful teamwork is not something you can achieve immediately: you need to find the right game and learn from each other’s shortcomings. If your partner is taking too much risk, you can make the ideal decision together with recommendations to reduce it. Or, if he has a very passive style of gameplay, you can help him to switch to a more aggressive style. For this purpose, do not start directly with extremely competitive games (such as poker and baccarat).
There are lots of casual games you can use to get to know each other and learn about the shortcomings you need to complete. For example, you can start with slots. These games will provide a very fun experience as they require luck, not skill. You can then try roulette online and switch to more and more serious games. Remember that teamwork is also a process, and this process will get better and better.
Determine Your Roles
If you both try to take on the same task, a conflict will arise, and you will not be able to cooperate. Instead, take on complementary roles. Let’s give a simple example: A race car has a driver and a co-driver. The driver’s job is to drive the car. The co-driver describes the directions that you need to turn and prepares the driver before, for example, a sharp bend. If both of these people wanted to drive the car, neither could get anything.
This also applies to games played together. If you object to every decision your partner makes and claim that you know better, both of you are trying to play the same role. It is not possible for such an activity to be beneficial for the relationship. It may even be harmful as it will increase conflict. So make sure you both have a different task. For example, if your partner is not sure what decision he should make while playing blackjack, give him information about the mathematical possibilities of different decisions. (You can easily find this information with a simple search on the internet.) Or, if your partner cannot choose one of the betting options while playing online roulette, remind her of the results of the last 10 spins.
If you play games in this way, you will have more fun and establish a unique communication. This type of communication will bring you closer to each other than any other activity. If you want to be friends with your partner, you will not find any better activity than gaming. Playing games together by taking on different roles will really allow you to communicate with your partner.
Extend the Shelf-Life of Your Relationship
This communication can be so powerful that it can even prolong the life of your relationship. Couples who laugh and get excited together form a bond that will not break off easily. There are even studies claiming that couples are connected by a special bond by playing games together because this activity causes more hormone secretion. But the user experience can tell you the same thing, without the need for scientific research: Those who play together stay together for longer. Whether you’re trying to save the princess from the castle or decide which card to play, you can benefit from the following by playing games together:
- You learn how to watch each other’s back. When your partner loses, you can encourage him to continue and give him a morale boost. Or, you can let her know that continuing is meaningless – you are done for the night. In any case, your partner knows that you support him/her. This increases the trust between each other and lets you create a special bond in the long run.
- You create unforgettable memories. Couples who play together and win a jackpot get a memory they will never forget. This is true not only for big wins but for anything that will get you excited: watching the spin of the reels together, seeing which one is the next card, realizing where the ball has stopped, etc. These are all common memories that you can create as a couple, and they allow you to connect more to each other.
- You get more social. Casino games are much different nowadays. Playing against the computer is no longer your only option, and you can also socialize while playing. Live casino games allow you to do this easily. These are multiplayer games, and they are similar to real-time video streaming (like Twitch broadcasts). So you also have the chance to socialize by chatting with other players and even with dealers. In this way, it is possible to make new friends and visit the actual Las Vegas casinos without leaving the comfort of your home.
In short, casino games can be extremely useful for a relationship. What you need to pay attention to is choosing the right games and playing the right roles. If you make playing games an activity you do together, you will both get closer as a couple and create pleasant memories. Gaming won’t harm your relationship as long as you don’t ask your partner to choose between you and the games – ultimatums never work in healthy relations. Instead, join him/her and think of gaming as an activity you can do as a couple. This way of thinking won’t harm your relationship at all. In fact, it may be much more beneficial for it. Enjoy playing together as a couple!