By Story Console

The online casino industry is constantly evolving and looking for new ways to win customers. It’s a forward-thinking sector, with significant innovations arriving on a regular basis.

One of the more recent developments has seen the rise of social casinos. As the name indicates, these platforms are geared up for casual play, and the emphasis is on fun, with no money at stake. It’s a popular area of the industry, but how are those social casinos impacting traditional online gambling?

The Mechanics

Casino play has always provided an element of entertainment, but most players head online with the hope of winning a cash prize. Online play, in contrast to gaming at a physical casino, is a solitary activity, and that’s why money is a clear focus.

Social platforms are also played online, but the theme is concentrated on entertainment. It’s possible to connect with other players, and there are incentives to invite friends along. Social casinos play with virtual currency, usually known as coins or sweepstakes coins. Players earn coins by signing up, logging in daily, and introducing friends, among other methods.

The virtual coins are used to play games, and customers have the opportunity to win more currency. In some cases, these coins can be redeemed for cash and vouchers when they reach a certain level. There is a small element of real funding, but most social players simply head to these casinos for the fun of free casino play.

Making the Switch

Social casinos are a relatively new phenomenon, so research into their impact is relatively limited. It is, however, easy to make some educated assumptions which can be confirmed or otherwise in the near future.

One of the concerns is that casual players may be persuaded to switch to paid play. There may be some who have never played at an online casino in their lives, and are attracted due to the free play element of the social platforms.

In time, it’s conceivable that those players will migrate over to traditional online casinos. As yet, there is no confirmation that this is happening in great numbers, but it’s certainly plausible.

Players may develop their skills at a social casino before deciding that they want to play for real money. Traditional casinos should see their customer bases increase as a result.

Social casinos must obtain a license, but the rules and regulations are not as restrictive due to the fact that real money stakes are not involved. Some feel that because of this, they should make their customers more aware of how to follow a responsible gambling strategy.

Learning From Each Other

It’s certain that traditional online casinos will be watching the development of the social platforms, and they’ll look to see which elements are successful. Regular online operators already offer free play through trial versions of slots, roulette, blackjack and more, but it’s possible that they will elevate the free concept.

Could traditional online casinos begin to offer virtual currency while devoting a part of their platform to social play? It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see the established operators open a separate social casino. They will have noted the success of this new innovation and will aim to imitate it. The result could be increased competition, and more choice for the player.

A Tale of Two Platforms

The idea of gambling as a social phenomenon is nothing new. In the UK in the 1960s through to the 1980s, bingo offered a night out and a chance to meet up with friends. While it was always nice to win a prize, the staking element was secondary.

The rise of online casinos from the mid-1990s led to the decline of bingo halls, and the social focus was lost. Digital play was always a solitary affair, despite new innovations such as chat rooms and live casino areas.

It’s a gap that social casinos have stepped in to fill and it’s proving to be a success. It’s now over to those traditional operators to see how they respond.

The impact of social casinos is likely to have an impact on traditional platforms in different ways. While the figures have yet to be confirmed, it’s likely that more players will be drawn to the industry, and the two distinct platforms will see their customer bases increase.

Traditional online casinos may also introduce virtual currency and offer social gaming as part of their experience. The overall result should see a significant increase in revenue for an industry that is already producing exceptional income figures.