Editor's Note: The following article is solely the opinion of the author and in no way reflects the opinion of GotFrag DPAD or its parent company, Major League Gaming.

Gambling is one of the most controversial aspects in our society today. We’ve all heard stories about troubled gambling addicts losing tens of thousands of dollars at the Blackjack table only because their supposed “system” wasn’t as bulletproof as they originally thought. While the increase in the number of professional poker players suggests that there are, in fact, ways to gain an advantage in games that are seemingly due to chance; who wouldn’t be up for a friendly wager for a game based entirely on skill?

And so our debate begins regarding the inclusion of a gambling component into online video games. While there would undoubtedly be tons of obstacles to overcome in the beginning, ideally a system that allows gamers to play for a cash prize can be beneficial for all parties involved. However, we need to examine both sides of the equation before we can come to such a rash conclusion that could significantly impact the lives of gamers.

Benefits for the Gaming Industry
As is the case with most other issues, the gaming industry’s main goal is to turn a profit. From the recent uproar of in-game advertising to the jacked up prices on brand new games, it’s hard not to feel like we, as gamers, are seen as nothing more than bottomless piggy banks to the industry’s bigwigs. Regardless of this, it’s hard to criticize people who are only trying to make their jobs more profitable, but there are other alternatives they can take.

Adding an online gambling component to video games could allow developers and publishers to earn millions of dollars in revenue that they would otherwise not see. For starters, the company in charge of managing the wagering system could take a rake off of every match. For example, let’s say you wanted to play a friend head-to-head in Madden 08 for five dollars. Each gamer would put up their five dollars plus an additional ten cents or so that would count as the rake. The rake, which is essentially commission, wouldn’t be significant to either gamer in one instance, but if thousands of games are played each day the people in charge could see huge profits.

Furthermore, from a more investment-oriented perspective, companies could make millions of dollars in interest if an e-wallet system is used. Any gamer who’s interested in playing competitively for money can fund their online wallet using a credit card. If a gamer funds their account with fifty dollars, that amount could be directly credited to the company running the matches. This extra fifty dollars can then be added to the company’s bank account, which they will then be able to earn interest on.

This same principle is one of the main reasons as to why online poker sites are so successful. Thousands of players deposit their money and won’t cash out (withdraw) for weeks at a time. All of the real money in play is possessed by the site in charge, and they only stop gaining interest on it once the user decides to withdraw. Again, to the typical gamer not gaining interest on $50 would result in a negligible loss, but this amount can add up to a huge amount given a large enough sample size.

So why should gaming companies introduce a gambling aspect to online play? It’s all about the Benjamins, of course. With all of the other methods they’ve pursued to earn extra cash, why not implement a system which is essentially risk free? Once you subtract the cost it would take to initially setup such a system, the profits would be limitless, and hopefully the benefits would be passed on to the consumer.

Benefits for the Consumer
Why should gamers be begging to sign up for such a service? Surprisingly enough, winning money isn’t the strongest part of our argument here. Instead, increased game quality from both the gamer’s side and the developer’s side will likely ensue when money is on the line.

First of all, the quality of the matches you play are likely to increase given some sort of incentive. Already we can see this when comparing the level of competition between ranked and unranked matches. In unranked matches, it’s not unlikely to see people disconnecting early, fragging their own teammates, and participating in other behavior that is generally frowned upon. Although still present, if a ranking system is implemented gamers want to play their best in order to inflate their online ego and to show the world just how good they are.

Now, if you take this hierarchy one level higher you’ll see the impact that wagering money can have on the seriousness of the game play. If I’m putting my hard earned money on the line, there’s no way I’m going to give up a deathmatch just because I get off to a bad start. Instead of complaining about how bad my team is, I’m going to hook up my microphone, take charge, and order the most strategic battle plans seen since Alexander the Great. Any goon with an internet connection can connect to a game and play without a care in the world, but when real money is on the line you can bet that the level of competition is going to skyrocket.

Additionally, with such a strong emphasis being put into online play you can almost guarantee that developers are going to work a lot harder to make their games more appealing. If match wagering was implemented right now, it’s obvious that games like Madden 08 and Halo 3 would dominate the charts. Knowing this, it puts a much stronger incentive for developers to create a competitive online portion of their game because they’d be skipping out on tons of revenue if they skimp out on online play.

Not only would this help make the online games out there to be more competitive, but we could even see strictly single player games move to the multiplayer world. As great of a game as BioShock is, it’s hard for any gamer not to imagine what a multiplayer game could be like. Now, if 2K Games knew that they’d be missing out on millions of dollars in profit if they didn’t include online play, do you still think BioShock would be only single player? Likewise, I’m guessing we would’ve seen online play for the Gran Turismo series as well. And although this will undoubtedly lead to some developers tacking on a horrible online component, the hardworking developers would undoubtedly rise to the top in the long run.

Lastly, it’s hard to ignore the monetary compensation in all of this. If you’re great at a video game, then there’s no reason as to why you shouldn’t be rewarded for all of the hard work and dedication it took to become as skilled. Also, there’s no doubt that plenty of skilled gamers would be able to make their money back, thus allowing them to play video games for free. Not all of us have the means to join a pro gaming circuit, but almost everyone who can afford a game console in the first place can wager a few dollars here and there.

In addition, with all of this extra revenue for the gaming companies the gamers are bound to reap some benefits. Whether such benefits come in the form of lower box prices for games or the reduction of in-game advertising, this added source of income will hopefully be enough to satiate even the greediest of companies. In short, enforcing such a wagering system could revolutionize gaming as we know it.