Without wanting to be controversial, it could be said that social casinos are still not
legal in all states because they’re too much fun! They allow Americans to play all
their favorite casino games — like slots, dice games, and card games —and enjoy a
whole host of other gambling delights, without having to fork out any actual money or
make any investment other than time. They are a great way to while away a few
minutes or hours without risking a budget blowout or spending unwisely.
Some people confuse social casinos with sweepstakes casinos, and that is
unsurprising, as they are pretty similar. However, social casinos are purely for fun.
They are there to allow players a risk-free way to play new and exciting casino
games from top global software providers. While sweepstakes casinos are similar in
that they require players to use virtual currency called Gold Coins, sweepstakes
casinos are also focused on earning sweepstakes coins that can be redeemed for
cash.
So, in a way, they are in direct competition with real-money casinos, which is why
access is restricted in states with a thriving real-money online casino market, like
New Jersey, Michigan, and Delaware. West Virginia, Pennsylvania. In Idaho and
Washington, they are currently not legal.
Washington has some of the US’s strictest gambling laws. A court ruling in
the case of Kater v Churchill Downs Inc decreed that virtual chips constituted
legal gambling as the virtual currency counted as something of value. The
chips are valuable because players can buy or win additional chips and
extend gameplay.
The legal situation in Idaho is not so cut-and-dried, as the issue centers on
monetization and whether a social casino allows users to purchase virtual
currency. To avoid legal risks, many platforms block Idaho residents even if
cash prizes are not included, just to be on the safe side.
So Washington and Idaho are two anomalies, but the other states where social
casino access is restricted have something in common. Residents of Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Connecticut, West Virginia, New Jersey, Michigan, and Rhode Island
struggle to gain access to social casinos. It is not that they are illegal, but with real-
money casinos legal in those states, operators are inclined to steer iGamers towards
the genuine article. They do not want potential customers getting sidetracked.
While there are free-to-play and demo versions of games available at real-money
casinos and plenty of bonuses to ensure players get the maximum enjoyment from
their gambling purse, social casinos have no requirement to play for real money.
Gamers can play for as long as they want. Social casino sites and apps offer gaming
just for the sake of gaming. As there are no cash prizes to be won, operators often
focus on building engaging experiences for their players.
Social casinos have a genuine social aspect. Players can chat with friends and
family while playing and interact with dealers during live casino games. Obviously, it
is ‘horses for courses’ and finding the right social casino can take some time, and
they are not all the same. For example, some have more live games, while others
focus on slots, and others on group games. Online social casinos analyzed via
Casino.org found that there were thousands of game variants. However, after 300
hours of hard work, they managed to narrow the list of social casinos and select their
favorite five.
When you look at where social casinos are and are not available to play, it becomes
very clear why they are restricted where they are and available where they are.
Regardless of whether it’s legalized or prohibited, Americans have always loved to
gamble. Gambling is woven into the country’s cultural iconography, and the industry
is a significant part of the economy. For a long time, indulging in this passion meant
that citizens either had to play in an underground club or take a trip to Vegas or New
Jersey and take a mini-vacation. Then along came the internet, and players had the
risky option of playing on unregulated offshore sites.
There has been a multi-pronged approach to making online gambling safer and more
accessible. Some states chose to legalize and regulate online casino gambling,
while others legalized online sports betting, allowing people to wager on NFL or NBA
games. However, gambling companies were aware that the regulated market was
only serving a tiny proportion of the population, and many players were still taking
the risk of playing at offshore sites. The social casinos offer a much safer alternative
and a way for players to engage with gambling games wherever they are.
There are probably still some unscrupulous companies operating social casino sites,
which is why independent, expert advice from the likes of Casino.org is so vital.
However, in general, social casino sites are a way that the gambling companies can
engage people engaged with gaming in a risk-free and legal way. Remembering how
much fun a game of roulette or blackjack is might just tip someone into taking a trip
to a real-money brick-and-mortar venue. With Las Vegas currently struggling to
attract visitors, keeping people connected to gambling through social casinos could
be a lifeline for the city’s pleasure palaces.
While it can all be enjoyed for free, the platforms that host the games are not doing
so out of the goodness of their hearts. There is a serious business model behind the
fun façade. Players can collect a massive (but limited) amount of free coins to wager
with daily, but once those coins run out, they have to choose either to stop playing or
to buy more using real money. The coins purchased have no cash equivalent value
and are purely for entertainment, but they are a revenue stream for the online
operators.
The vast majority of players do not buy additional coins, but around 10–15% do, and
those who do tend to be high spenders. There is also a high level of gamification
within the games. For example, in-app purchases allow players to buy items they
can throw at opponents to distract them. Players can also pay a small fee to advance
through levels and thereby climb the leaderboard more easily or join exclusive VIP or
loyalty schemes.
Social casinos are the same but different, which is why states with real-money
markets like to keep their players away from them.
