One of the most interesting smartphone gaming trends has been the rise of the social casino. These hugely successful apps are created by developers who have combined two kinds of gaming. On one side was social gaming that united players and allowed them to play against each other. On the other side, the online casino, where people play for real money. 

What’s interesting about the social casino games is they borrowed the significant elements of both (social and casino) and omitted the money. In other words, social casinos allow people to access games like poker, slots, and roulette, but players cannot bet during the games. 

Social casinos have largely been driven by casual users, who have embraced them. However, there is evidence to show social casinos have a short shelf life. It seems people prefer the real online casino experience and are using social casinos as a gateway into the world of gambling. People increasingly value being able to play for real money at venues like casino.netbet.co.uk and don’t necessarily need the social aspect. 

That said, there’s no doubt social casinos are hugely popular in the mobile space. Moreover, they act as a gateway into the world of casino games for many people. Online casinos that have real-money games have an uneasy relationship with social casino games. While on one hand, these apps are competitors, they are also providing a boost by sending new users to online casinos. These users are inspired to seek a monetary casino experience for the first time. 

It turns out many casual people love playing casino games. For many years, online casinos struggled to detach themselves from the stigma that their games were only for gamblers. Online slots started to turn the tide before mobile technology and social casinos highlighted people love roulette, poker, and slots. 

They love these games whether they’re playing for no money or laying down wagers. Social casinos took the blueprints of popular games and added the element of people playing against each other. Aside from some developer-specific touches or features, the games themselves remained largely identical to their online casino counterparts. 

As people continued to embrace social media games, sometimes making them the most popular games on mobile, they also found more interest in traditional online casinos. One moment they enjoy a game while making no wager and the next they realise they may want to play for real money. 

So, while social casinos and online casinos are different, they have inherent similarities. Attracting casual gamers to the world of online casinos has always been a challenge. However, social casinos have opened doors and traditional online casinos are now one of the fastest-growing forms of recreational entertainment. 

Interestingly, as the online casino realm moves through an era of major growth, the social casino appears to be on the decline. Social casino games no longer top lists for most downloaded apps and user figures are declining. The glory days of a few years ago are over and the major benefactor of the social casino boom may have been the online casino industry.