Social casinos, often referred to as sweepstakes casinos, are growing in popularity in leaps and bounds around the globe, but still remain relatively unknown in the UK.
While worldwide the annual income generated by social casinos is $6.2 billion, the majority of that is coming from the US and the Asia-Pacific region. There hasn’t been a similar explosion in the social casino market in the UK, or anywhere in Europe for that matter. In fact, Europe is viewed as offering huge growth potential by those in the social casino industry.
Prominent social casinos such as Chumba Casino, Luckyland Slots, WOW Vegas Casino, McLuck Casino and the High 5 Casino have made significant inroads into the US market. But they currently have no presence in the UK.
What are social casinos? Well, on the surface, they resemble very much the legal and regulated online casinos they seek to imitate. You will find many of the same slot games, table games and even live dealer studios on offer that you’ll come across when playing inside a real money online casino.
The main difference is in what it’s going to cost you to play at a social casino and if you choose, that amount can be nothing at all. While it is possible to purchase virtual coins to play these social casino games, it isn’t necessary. The social casinos offer a number of promotional opportunities through which you can gain coins for free.
Of course, the other side of these virtual coins is that you also won’t be winning any real money. You play for the sheer fun of it all. However, should you opt to upgrade your game play to the sweepstakes variety, it is possible to exchange your winnings for prizes that can include gift cards, merchandise and in some instances, actual sums of money.
UK Vs US Social Casino Market
The social casino market in America is massive. Social casinos are actually the fastest-growing form of mobile gaming activity in the US. It was a $10 million a year industry as recently as 2021 and is expected to grow to a valuation of $36 million by the year 2027.
There are a number of reasons for the popularity of social casinos in the US. Firstly, of course, is their availability to play. In the US, there are currently only seven US states offering legal and regulated online casino gambling – Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Delaware and Connecticut.
If you want to play online casino games in other states, you are left with two options. There are the offshore sites, which are in fact illegal, or the social casino option. Since social casinos aren’t considered gambling because you can’t directly win real money, they aren’t regulated in the same manner as an online casino. Instead, they operate under the same regulations as lotteries and sweepstakes, so they are available to play in the vast majority of US states.
The reason why social casinos haven’t resonated in the UK in the same manner as they’ve exploded on the scene in the US is entirely understandable. British gamblers who enjoy playing online casino games certainly aren’t left wanting for the opportunity to do so. A check in with the UK Gambling Commission showed that there are more than 8,000 online gambling outlets operating in the legal and regulated realm and they are accessible across the entirety of Great Britain. Some 36.4 million Britons hold an online gambling account.
With such easy accessibility to online casino gambling in every corner of the UK, there really hasn’t been a need, or a demand for that matter, to engineer a growth spurt in the social casino industry.
Top UK Social and Sweepstakes Casinos
While there aren’t any official social casinos currently operating in the UK, there are some among the many online casinos in operation under the regulatory governance of the UK gambling commission that will offer you the opportunity to play their games in demo mode.
Certainly, this isn’t the same as playing in a social casino. However, it does offer you the chance to play online casino games without the need to risk any of your own money. True, it also means you won’t be winning anything, but the fact of the matter is this type of game play is a safe method for finding out if you are comfortable playing such casino games. As well, it provides you with an opportunity to familiarize yourself with game play prior to being required to take the step of actually losing any of your own money.
Free Online Casino Games and Slot Sites UK
Let’s look at some examples of UK online casinos offering the demo mode slots play option.
Casinomite Casino
There are more than 2,500 slot games available inside the Casinomite Casino and they do provide you with the chance to try them out via demo mode. Learn the mechanics of the game and gain a feel of comfort before staking any money or taking risks. Among the slots available to play in demo mode at the Casinomite Casino are Glory And Brittania, Fortune House Power Reels, Misery Mining, Bonanza 2: Extra Chili, Return Of Kong Megaways and Esqueleto Explosivo 3.
Rainbow Riches Casino
First launched in 2019, the Rainbow Riches Casino provides players with access to a rich slot library of more than 100 games, all of which you can access in demo mode. Play slots such as Gonzo’s Quest Megaways, Rainbow Riches Deluxe and Gold Blitz Extreme all without risking any of your own money. As well at the Rainbow Riches Casino, if you make a minimum deposit of £10 to your Rainbow Riches Casino account, you can also partake in their daily free games, which offer the chance at prizes of as much as £750.
BetMGM
The American casino giant is a relative newcomer to the UK, so it’s not surprising at all that they will provide you the chance to experiment with hundreds of their slot games in demo mode. Play slots such as Immortal Romance II, Bloodsuckers II, or Buffalo Wilds without putting any of your own funds on the line.
Try free spins sites and real money online casinos, such as Monopoly or Bally’s Casino.
