Today the concept of gambling is being accepted in more societies all over, especially since it is now being recognised as a legitimate entity in most countries. With its economic implications too strong for governments to neglect, casinos and gambling domains are increasingly being brought under-regulated and licensing norms, allowing gamblers a safe and regulated platform to play games of chance as well as allowing governments to earn revenues and taxes from the same.
What Is Social Gambling?
Here we explore the concept of social casino games. In general, gambling is now a concept that is well known, where payers need to wager currencies on a title or place bets in the hope of a win. Key elements here are risks and opportunities for being rewarded that have value in the real world. There is a similarity between software at real-world casinos and community-based games as well as differences.
When a player goes to a portal such as Emu Casino which is online, they have the option to play with real money at slots and table games and test probability of returns that are known from RTP of such software. Community casino, on the other hand, presents a playing field that is different. Here software are found interesting since they resemble many of that found in the real world, but the distinct difference is that these apps usually come with no option for cashing out, thus, eliminating any possibility for making any monetary gain.
Those who engage with community entertainment portals will know that the games are free to play and involve no real money bets.
Examples of Social Casino Games
Social casino portals are free to run, which means that users can try here without spending real money. They will receive bonus chips, virtual coins or credits to play with.
There is another difference here. Many might wonder why players would be motivated in such casinos. However, such apps are designed in interesting ways. Players have varied reasons to play at social casino sites and apps which are not about winning money but to engage socially with others in the same gaming community.
For instance, when one logs into such platform, it has societal elements that are attractive. The app encourages people to interact with each other, and there are community features rolled out regularly. The features include engaging players via chat options, sending across gifts and transferring throws of dice in certain software such as craps. Hence, there is the familiarity of gambling titles as well as interactive aspects built in that make them engaging and safe, unlike real gambling software. There is no potential for one to gain monetarily, but players experience the thrill of wins when they emerge victorious over opponents. This is mainly because of communal engagement back and forth that usually ensues when a session is on. The win is also not about money or having an urge to spend your wins on another gambling round.
Social Casinos Akin to Sport
One could even venture so far as to look at it as virtual sports. Interactive entertainment is also branching out to include different kinds of virtual sports. For instance, some social casinos launch a sports betting aspect that features different sports such as volleyball, basketball, soccer, tennis and other sports that are played in big tournaments such as ‘FIFA World Cup’ or ‘Champions League’.
One might wonder why people would put bets on virtual sports when they could be doing so on the real events. Sports betting have a communal aspect that appeals to players and comes at the forefront of such apps. One can place bets as a team engage with friends and make it engaging and fun. They don’t need to risk losing money as well. Those who like sports in real life will like to partake in such sporting events. For all such reasons, social sports betting is sure to be on the rise.
What Is Betting in Social Sports?
There is a difference in how a sport betting takes place in such apps. Here betting requires people to interact with peer to peer, and it is more around social aspects and not about losing a bet. There is no loss made since virtual chips are regenerated by the next day in their accounts. The risks are highly limited and fit in the mentality of casual play for players. The matches have potential lows and highs, but once a match is over, there is no bet or monetary loss or gain to think about.
Sports Betting Socially
It should not be considered as a stop-gap solution or a way to enter the world of gambling. Sports betting communities are a separate way of gaining entertainment since it addresses certain needs that are separate from what gambling provides. The success of such features is mainly on the interaction that players have between each other. One of the enjoyable aspects of watching a sport is when one can discuss the same or be with others who are supporting a certain team or wish to see the same side win. The experience of interacting with others is also enjoyable. All this can be experienced via a social sports app. It helps people to connect with friends or with strangers who share common interests. They would all be watching a match at the same time, which adds on interaction and intrigue during a session.
Need for Regulation
The industry of online games has been scrutinised by different governments and regulatory bodies since there are several links to gambling or similar mechanics that come into play. There are loot boxes employed by many online games for which several governments have taken a stance to state that these continue gambling activities. Departments in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands have released full reports to state that loot boxes can be considered to be gambling since they involve addictive and immersive technologies. They are also being bought with currencies of the real world, and the contents of the same are disclosed to buyers from before. For such reasons, they can be considered to be games of chance that are being played for their money’s worth. Hence, these need to be regulated and classified as gambling activities.
Pay as a Service
With the above ruling, the online games industry now comes under the Gambling Act 2005 of the UK and in other countries as well. When people are spending currencies of the real world in social casinos, they are increasing the risks of gambling. However, from a social point of view, players know what they are buying when they purchase chips at a social casino. Also, they realise that there is no prize since there would not be any real money to cash out. They can only perform virtual transactions on the platform. Hence for the players and society at large, the risks of gambling are not present in such platforms or apps. It is akin to paying for a service which is mainly the gateway to interact with others socially as one engages in different games.
Buying Chips at Social Casinos
There is a difference in how one buys chips at a social casino to how one deposits to real casinos. In social casinos, one makes payments in exchange for being entertained or engaged. Those who spend on different games in social casino apps are paying for a service, that of entertainment, they can not cash out the winnings. These apps are mainly about getting to enjoy the games, with others and also hone the skill that these games call for.
Trend for Social Casinos
These apps will experience a boom in the future as social elements are being introduced in traditional casino software as well. Many apps have introduced variants of blackjack and poker which would see players enjoying the well-known game features in a community and a friendly environment. These are points to consider in favour of such entertainment apps, especially for those who wish to stay away from the risks of gambling and try the well-known casino games at the same time. The public interactive elements also make this software more engaging.