How social gambling and online gambling are merging

With the merging of social media in recent years, online gambling is trying to move onto social media. You can now enjoy a selection of online slots, scratchcards, table games and also poker for free on social media sites.

With many social media users unable to stay away from their favourite applications for too long, we are going to today focus on social gambling through both online and casino apps to see what the future holds for the two.

What is social gambling?

Social gambling is gaming on social media. Over the last couple of years, many gambling operators have launched social media games on Facebook and MySpace amongst others with the aim of reaching more players.

Up until then, gaming company Zynga was already operating a real money online poker game on Facebook to UK players as early as 2014. All social gambling apps offer players the chance to play for free.

With Facebook being one of the most popular social media platforms around, it comes as no surprise that social gambling is rife on Facebook. Statistically, 61% of all players who gamble on social media do so on Facebook.

Real money gambling on Facebook is, however, only allowed in specific countries with prior authorization. Since only a few countries meet these criteria, free games and apps are likely to stay put and will continue to further dominate the social gambling scene.

Some of the most popular games around on social media include slots, Texas Hold’em poker as well as blackjack; All of which can be played for free.

You can play online table games and slots at these online casinos:

The future of online gambling

Some of the world’s biggest names in gambling have been thinking of ways to merge together gambling and social media. These two markets are capable of fueling each other’s growth. With social games reaching out to circa 290 million active players on Facebook alone, the online gambling industry can easily fuse the two together. Social media has the reach but online gambling is where the money is at.

Gambling operators are increasingly looking at ways to enter the social games area to boost its own reach. Although the games could stay relatively free, money in social games can be generated from players who pay for virtual goods in Facebook currency in order to unlock more features.

If we have a look at the social games on Facebook these days, the majority of the games have paid in-game benefits with many players using Facebook Credits to buy these features. When it comes to games such as online poker and online slots, which act as a virtual version of a gambling environment, no real money can actually be won.

It also means that some players are gambling away money by buying extra features whilst standing no chance of winning actual money back. The thrill of winning a prize is still evident even though the prize is virtual but the drive behind social game monetization comes from our primitive needs for achievement.

Social gambling is depicted in a different matter from actual gambling since a lot of these players think of them as casual games. The money spent is smaller and use a more playful manner to attract users. It is this playfulness that comes from chasing a prize that appeals to many users.

Facebook and social gaming

If social media opened up the opportunity to real money gaming, the world of social media will go through a drastic change. Back in 2011, the network launched Facebook Credits, a virtual currency that allowed users to purchase goods in games and apps. Some say that allowing real money betting and gambling on a larger scale would ensure that massive amounts of cash move through Facebook, pushing the stock prices up.

We can wait and see what the future of online gambling and social gaming will bring. Once gambling operators make a move onto social media, there will be a huge challenge for companies who have been providing free games on Facebook. Smaller companies will have a much tougher time to process a business model to legalise real money betting.

Gamification in the gaming industry

While many online casinos simply offer a variety of casino games including slots and table games, others went a step forward by introducing a concept known as ‘gamification’. While gamification tends to differ from one online casino to another, the main aim is to engage you as players with plenty of treats in return.

One of the ways that casinos make sure to keep you coming back is through loyalty points. The concept is simple. The more you play at that specific casino, the more you’ll gain loyalty points which can be exchanged for rewards. These rewards can be anything from special bonuses to free spins as well as exclusive promos available only to those players who have achieved a VIP status.

Other casinos have set up goals and missions with the aim of turning online gambling into a fun adventure. You can even pick your own avatar as you move from one level to another. One such casino is Casino Heroes, which is based on a quest for glory and riches.

As a signup, you will embark on a journey that sees you going through various regions of Hero Island. Not all online slots will be available from the get-go, but your aim is to unlock more slots and levels by defeating bosses. The more levels you go through, the bigger the incentives and the rewards.

If you are looking for an online casino adventure with all the bells and whistles of missions, various incentives and rewards, you can try the below online casinos who take the concept of gamification to the next level.