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Social casinos are a new and growing niche in the iGaming industry, with a great deal of engaged players.
The figures are also impressive—according to a Grand View Research report, social casino gaming market revenue was 8.4 billion dollars in 2024, and it can reach 14.3 billion dollars by 2025.
The question is, what is a social casino, and how does it work? What games can be considered as social, and what are the monetization opportunities for the niche?
AffRoom team explains it all in the article!
What is a social casino, and how does it differ from a real-money casino?
To put it simply, a social casino is any game that resembles classic casino games, yet it doesn’t presuppose real money gain, only virtual money. It can be social slots, poker, bingo and other variations.
The thing is that such currency cannot be exchanged for real money like in a traditional casino; it reminds one of a regular online game with its own currency that can be earned during the gameplay or bought via real money.
Such types of games offer an iGaming experience to users without fostering addiction, unlike real casino games, and are aimed at boosting social interaction. Most often, users can start playing for free just by installing the app. All these answers to “What is social gambling?”
What types of social online casino games exist?
So, what are social casino games?
There’s a great variety of social casino games on the market, they can be traditional casino-style games or more trendy, depending on the game provider. We’ve collected some of the most hyped ones for you to have a better understanding.
Top social casino games:
- Poker
- Slots
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Bingo
- Crash games
- Casino table games
- Lottery
- Multiple-user casino games
You can also see that some games as slots and poker bring bigger revenue, according to Grand View Research statistics.
What are the benefits of social casino for players?
The social casino experience can be called alluring for any player, despite his level of engagement in real casino games, which opens a great deal of opportunities for game providers.
Main reasons why people play social casino games:
- Zero risks: such games can be played for free and without real money losses; in-game purchases are available, yet this is not a must, unlike real casinos.
- Accessibility: such games can easily be played anywhere, due to their ubiquitous nature via mobile devices. Again, the entry is also pretty simple.
- High engagement: players can meet new people via participating in tournaments or invite friends and gain in-app value, which raises their motivation.
- Responsible gambling: it helps to reduce the addiction risks while providing real iGaming experience to players, giving them the thrill and entertainment.
- Legal nature: such games can be called a “grey” zone, as they’re not prohibited even in those countries where gambling is illegal.
What are the pros of social casino platforms for operators?
It may not be obvious from the notion of social casinos itself, yet there are many pros of adding such games to your base as an operator. Let’s see what iGaming operators can gain closer.
Advantages of social games for online operators:
| Advantage | Explanation |
| Deeper understanding of gamers | Such games help to analyze user habits and behavior much better and lead to improving not only social casino experience but also regular casino games. |
| Wider portfolio | Social casino games can expand the variety of games and attract more users, so-called zero-patients of casino games. |
| Stronger networking | Such games are all about users’ referrals, which strengthens brand names and helps to improve marketing strategies. |
| Loyal players | Due to the possibility of sharing the game with multiple friends, it’s often perceived as entertainment and boosts user retention. |
| Wider audience | Many players are skeptical and hesitant about playing real casino games, while social casinos seem more attractive to them. |
| New GEOs | As social casinos aren’t about real money, more strict GEOs are open for operators. |
| New revenue stream | Operators get more users—new segments from different GEOs and more new players who aren’t into real casinos—as well as friends’ referrals, opening more revenue opportunities. |
Finally, if you don’t believe the pros, let’s see revenue figures of both Android and iOS social casino games providers.
According to Statista, the biggest social casino revenue via Android was generated by Scopely, which was 44 million dollars in June 2025.
Scopely was also the leading social game provider via iOS—it generated 64 million dollars as of June, 2025.
Source: Statista
How to monetize social casino sites?
Taking into account the growing revenues and undeniable pros such as players’ retention, high engagement, bigger GEO range, and loyalty boost, the only question is how to monetize such games?
Here are a few ideas for operators that will bring monetization to a new level:
- In-app purchases (coins, for instance).
At first players can enjoy the game completely free, but they can buy more coins once they’re gone, not to waste time. This is the main monetization source — can be boosted via offering time-limited tournaments. - Premium subscription or VIP account.
You can offer cool bonuses for a monthly VIP subscription—unlimited coins, exclusive games or competitions, and privileges during games. - Rewarded ads.
Old but gold—a user watches a short ad to get more coins or other bonuses. The experience won’t be disturbing, as the user chooses to watch the ad himself. - Time-limited events and offers.
Such hooks as “daily offer” or “happy hour” tournaments create the urgency effect and users are more prone to make in-app purchases. - Gifts and accessories.
You can offer customized tables, game avatars, or the possibility to make gifts for friends to boost engagement and user spending.
FAQ on social casinos
What is a social casino?
A social casino is an online platform or app that offers gambling-like games such as slots, poker, or roulette without real money usage. Users win or lose in-app virtual currency.
How does a social casino differ from real gambling?
The main difference is the absence of real money risks and losses. A regular casino is all about losing or winning real money, while a social casino uses in-app currency that has no monetary value. Here people play for pleasure and communication.
Are social casino games legal?
Yes, as they do not offer real-money gambling. It makes social casinos legal even in strict GEOs, yet there may be some limitations—check the jurisdictions and laws just in case.
Can you win real money in social casinos?
No, social casinos do not pay real money. All you can win is virtual in-game currency or bonuses that can’t be exchanged for cash. The main aim of such games is entertainment, not profit.
Conclusion
Social casino is not a new gambling niche, yet it has quite a number of bonuses for both players and operators. Despite their no-real-cash nature, social casinos can easily be monetized and lead to increased revenues for iGaming operators.
