According to Precision Reports, the global social casino gaming market was worth $6.46 billion in 2021 and is due to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.15% between 2022 and 2027. This will take the industry’s worth to around $9.24 billion by the end of this period.
What is a social casino, we hear you ask. Social casinos are sites that offer casino games of all shapes and sizes without the need to risk your own money to play. Instead, social casinos will give you a ‘play money’ balance of credits to play with. You can build this balance up over time and even convert some or all of your balance into other kinds of rewards and prizes.
What makes social casinos so appealing?
The truth is that social casinos are popular because they are accessible to almost anyone. Providing you have an internet-ready device and a reliable connection, you’ll be able to log in to your chosen social casino and get started.
Social casinos also offer a fun level of community and engagement. You can connect with other players within a social casino, just like you would if you were a regular visitor of a land-based casino. There are also several elements of a social casino that gamify the experience for players. One of the most popular features is the live slot tournaments that give you a chance to try and finish at the top of the real-time leaderboard for prizes.
Another hugely exciting aspect of social casinos is that they increasingly feature industry-leading slots and tabletop games that are available to enjoy using play money. According to this review of McLuck, which serves US-based players, it is home to many of the popular Megaways slot titles. Megaways is one of the leading real-money slot game engines that multiplies the number of ways to win during a single spin. It does so using symbol combinations rather than traditional pay lines.
You might wonder just how social casino operators are so commercially successful when their customers rarely spend a dime of real money to play. The facts are that most of these sites generate revenue through advertisements and promotions. Although most social casino game libraries are free to play, there’s also the option for players to pay for enhancements and add-ons to take their gameplay to the next level.
Social casinos focus on the finer details, too.
It’s not just the content of a social casino that makes these sites just as popular as their real-money counterparts; it’s their user experience, too. The best social casino sites are developed by the same studios that develop B2B iGaming solutions for real-money platforms. They are designed and built to operate as standalone, fully responsive sites powered by HTML5 technology. This means there is no need to download a native app to use them as they are fully compatible with the most popular mobile or desktop web browsers.
Social casinos also take their customer support just as seriously as real-money casinos. The best operators invest in 24/7 live chat features, ensuring their loyal players can get their queries fielded day or night.
In summary, social casinos are the fun, relaxed, risk-free alternative to playing at a real-money online or land-based casino. Newbies to casino gaming should certainly consider these sites to hone their slot and table game strategies before even considering visiting a real-money operator.
