iGaming

  I n the beginning, people created sourdough starters. As people looked for rituals to cope with the early uncertainties of the pandemic, many bought Peloton bikes, built gardens and watched  Tiger King . And in Brooklyn, a software engineer said: “Let there be Wordle!” And there was Wordle. Big-time. In recent weeks, the online game has become a kind of ritual for its players, who pilgrimage daily to a website to solve a five-letter puzzle. After completing it, many share their score with their friends, along with the grid of yellow and green squares that show how many tries it took them to solve the puzzle. While rituals are often thought of in religious contexts such as prayer, a pilgrimage to Mecca, a Jewish Seder, baptism and communion, several scholars say there is no agreed-upon definition for a ritual. But many say ancient and modern rituals in both religious and secular contexts serve a powerful role in people’s lives, especially during uncertain times. Humans’ brain...