A Compact Guide to Social Casinos

As we’re living in the age of social media, it’s no surprise that they’ve finally received a gambling counterpart: social casinos!

It’s good news for social media addicts who also enjoy playing on online gambling sites in the UK: We’ve got Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, YouTube… and now, we’ve got social casinos. Piqued your interest? Read GamingZion’s condensed guide to learn more about this exciting new kind of casino!

What’s a social casino? How is it different from a regular online casino?

Crowdpark’s Christoph Jenke

Social casinos are a relatively new phenomenon that are revolutionizing the online gaming world. In contrast to real money online casinos, which involve thrills and risks, social casinos have a more casual environment, as they are typically played for fun or little to no cash.

Christoph Jenke of social betting game startup Crowdpark explains that: “Social gambling is so different from real-life gambling because users think of it as casual games. The amounts of money placed are far smaller, and the pull of casinos—dark halls with lots of noise and flashing lights—doesn’t exist. Social games do try to elicit the addictive factor, but it’s far more playful.”

A social casino functions like regular online casinos in that they offer similar games, the most popular being slots. However, instead of big jackpots, players win things like small payouts, virtual currency, and new levels and game features.

In addition, social casinos are also, of course, social. You can invite and add friends, compete with each other, and even gift each other game prizes such as free spins. The community aspect greatly adds to the gaming experience, and makes it more engaging and relaxing for players than your standard solitary online gambling.

Can I win actual money in a social casino?

Slotser is one of the rare real money social casinos

While the majority of social casinos are for entertainment purposes only—meaning that no real money gambling is involved—there are a few real money social casinos that exist, the most popular being British internet casino Slotser.

Slotser is unique in that it lets players play slots instantly for either chips or real money. Players can switch from real to fake currency at any point in every game. In addition to cash prizes, you can also level up and unlock new features and games. To learn more about the crazy popular online social casino in the UK, you can read the Slotser review on GamingZion.

So while there are certain sites that have the option to play with cash, using real money is not mandatory. It is entirely up to the player whether they want to play for cash or entertainment.

Where can I find a social casino?

You can buy things for your favourite social casino games with Facebook credits

It’s not big UK gambling news that the majority of social casinos can be found in connection to social media, the most common being Facebook. Facebook offers casino games such as Slotomania, DoubleDown Casino, and Bingo Blitz. Their games draw over 11 million users a day, with 53% of Facebook users engaging in social gaming. It’s so popular that gamers even have the option of buying Facebook credits to use on their favourite games, a virtual currency that allows players to buy in-game perks.

Aside from social media giants, independent social casinos can also be found. In addition to the aforementioned Slotser, others popular casinos include IGT, Jackpot Party, Zynga, and Big Fish Casino.

Unsurprisingly, most social casinos are available on both mobile and desktop.

Are social casinos the next big thing?

Absolutely. As was mentioned in the opening of this article, we are living in a time where social media reigns supreme. Social casinos take the best parts of social media and online gambling sites to create a fun, competitive, sociable pastime that everyone can enjoy, real money optional. Unlike regular online casinos, which tend to have a niche market, social casinos are enjoyed by people of all ages and genders across the world.

If that wasn’t enough to cement their status, social casinos are also becoming big moneymakers, with popularity and revenue continuing to skyrocket for companies. The industry reached $2.8 billion by the end of 2014, and is expected to be worth $3 billion by the end of 2015, with only further growth predicted in the years to come.

Social casinos are, without a doubt, the future of online gambling, and we’ll be reporting on them every step of the way!