This article explores the idea of social casinos their status nowadays and their future, it also gives an outlook on the world`s largest online casinos
What is social casino ?
The Internet gambling has its own atmosphere and it is not so bright and practical, but the online casino does not cease to carry on business. This is useful option for those who cannot travel to Las Vegas or other places to enjoy the world of entertainment. As it is indicated by studies that were conducted in the recent years, the number of gambling fans who prefer to play in social networks is twenty times bigger than the number of players in the online casinos and online poker rooms. Furthermore, this number is growing every month. According to statistics, a monthly increase of players in social networks is about five million people. Such popularity of online casinos is caused by the popularity of social networks themselves.
The term “social gambling” refers to a number of different services, but usually it means gambling that is available through social media platforms like Facebook, rather than through a special casino website. A number of different types of games was covered by the social gambling, including:
- Poker (such as Texas Holdem Poker)
- Slots (eg. Slotomania)
- Bingo (eg. Bingo Blitz)
- Sports industry (Paddy Power In- Play)
Gambling in social networks (the so-called social casino) took an intermediate position between the classic online casino games and those games that give the opportunity to purchase virtual items or bonuses for real money. In social casino people can play using the balance of virtual currency, enjoying the process, and without risk to stay with empty pockets.
The top social casinos and games
The company Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE), which recently has acquired Pacific Interactive (operator of the application House of Fun on Facebook and on mobile) is the largest social casino market participant with a share of 18%, IGT / Double Down – on the second place (11% of the market) , Zynga closes the top three (9%).
It is useful to know which games the users prefer more. The study shows that gamers search more for:
- Roulette that has migrated from online casino halls in social space and does not lost its admirers.
- Poker – online, video and other forms of poker are so popular that a lot of talking about them is not necessary.
- Slot that provides gamers with the variety of images, lines and other paraphernalia.
- Bones somehow looses its fans in the virtual world, but still it has its own followers and admirers.
Also, social gaming development is possible due to the appearance of cross-platform game, where there is the opportunity to play the same game with a help of different devices. It is reflected in its synchronicity: every player is involved in the process using his own device (laptop, tablet or smartphone). This synchronicity of the games made social gambling popular pastime among a large number of players.
