Anyone that has played online games and MMOs will be familiar with the different personality traits that players have… from the ‘killers’ and the agents of chaos to the leaders and the organisers.
Some can be labelled ‘grinders’. These are players comfortable with performing repetitive, time-consuming tasks over and over again, while gaining small but consistent amounts of currency or XP.
An appreciation for grinding can be found across many types of games, from MMOs to other long-form titles where progress comes through repetition and patience. A similar approach can also be observed in casino games, which are part of the broader gaming landscape. In slot play, some players prefer to keep stakes small and sessions measured, focusing on consistency and rhythm rather than high-risk swings. This style of play can be explored in a safe, non-monetary environment through Pragmatic Play demo games like Fruit Party and Big Bass Splash.
Grinding, and those willing to do it, often don’t get the respect they deserve in the world of gaming. Perhaps this article will change your mind on this low key – but potentially valuable – strategy.
What is Grinding?
In many RPGs and MMOs, the key is to level up by collecting XP or in-game currency, which can be done – easily, but in an often repetitive way – by completing a series of side missions or tasks.
It’s a common source of “masochistic amusement” just how time consuming and diverting common grinding tasks are; from killing boars in World of Warcraft to exploration in Minecraft.
Game developers want their players to put hours and hours into playing their games, so the incorporation of grinding-style tasks is one way to achieve that.
As for the players, some love the grind; by ‘zoning out’ with tasks that aren’t difficult or require much thought, they can relax and decompress after a hard day at work – something that gaming should always deliver.
Be that as it may, not everyone enjoys the grind. In fact, some have accused developers of cutting corners with their games by packing them with grinding-style tasks – saving them the cost and workload of creating new content and missions.
And then there’s also the sunk cost fallacy; players are unable or unwilling to give up games that they’ve played for years, as is the case in popular titles with incredible longevity, such as GTA V.
Grinding isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy it, that’s all that matters.
Grinding at the Casino
Although you might not automatically associate grinding with the online casino environment, it’s an approach that can work out pretty successfully for players.
Grinding is a word that was first used in conjunction with the online poker explosion in the noughties. A grinder was somebody that would play a high volume of typically small stakes hands, often at multiple tables at once.
The play style of a grinder is disciplined and methodical, keeping raises and big bets to a minimum. Instead, the idea is to accumulate small but steady wins – while keeping exposure to risk at a minimum.
The personality trait of a grinder in poker is the same as in gaming: they are diligent and consistent, willing to do the same things over and over again in the pursuit of steady gains.
The concept of grinding has now moved to online casinos, particularly when it comes to playing slot games. There are different types of slots in terms of RTP – the amount that a player can, theoretically, expect to return from a session – and volatility, which puts slots in general categories of ‘high risk, high reward’ or low risk, low reward’.
Well, you can probably guess which camp the grinder is happiest in.
Games of high RTP, but low volatility, will typically pay out smaller amounts more frequently – at least, that’s the idea, although all slot games are governed by randomness.
The idea of grinding is sometimes applied to online slots, but it works very differently from grinding in MMOs or RPGs, where time spent almost always leads to guaranteed progress. In casino games, there is no accumulation in the same sense: RTP and volatility describe long-term tendencies, not outcomes in a single session, and frequent small wins are not the same as building XP or currency over time. What exists instead is a similar mindset: smaller stakes, repetition, and longer sessions, which can feel familiar to players used to grind-based games, even though the mechanics behind slot play remain entirely random.
Point Farming and Loyalty Grinding
Another way that players can grind is by ‘farming’ points from tournaments, which can lead to them collecting tier rewards and even climbing loyalty and VIP ladders.
Grinding in this context can involve players accepting a small and predictable cost of play, rather than chasing profit. One commonly cited example is level staking on both red and black at the roulette wheel, where outcomes usually cancel each other out, with the house edge only coming into play when the ball lands on green zero.
The more rounds they play, the more they contribute to their point farming endeavours.
So, grinding is not limited to MMOs or RPGs and can also be observed in casino games, though it takes a different form. Unlike games where time spent leads to guaranteed accumulation of XP or resources, casino play offers no assured progress, as outcomes are governed by mathematical expectation and randomness. What remains comparable is the mindset — repetition, patience, and acceptance of gradual outcomes rather than immediate results.
