The social casino games that are becoming more and more popular, are considered to be a source of huge revenues for the providers and lots of fun to the players. They are widespread, enjoyable and most of all – charge-free. However, several experts raised the question of the safety of the players who are keen on playing social games.
According to a recent study, these games pose a great threat to the vulnerable part of the population and may lead to the desire to try out the games that bring real money. Even if things don’t go too far, the social games are said to be distracting and make the players unable to concentrate on the important daily errands they have to run.
In brief, these social casino games resemble the real gambling activities. The player can play via the social networks at any time. Although the games are not a source of any income for the participants, statistics show that their popularity is growing and while the number of players two years ago was estimated to be 170 million, it has grown with more than 20%.
These games are a phenomenon and the providers that work in collaboration with different social media channels can take pride in having a thriving business.
However, the games they provide are not as innocent and inexpensive as the operators claim. They have a great impact on the players’ health. Moreover, when the player reaches a particular level, they have to buy a certain product in order to move to the next level.
The revenue of the social games is expected to reach more than $4 billion within 2015.
As for the risk they pose to the society, the survey shows that a some of the social game players are also willing to take part in real casino games. So far so good but if those players are teenagers who still do not realize the huge risk, they may become addicts.
It seems like the social games are here to stay. The regulators are not able to take any measures towards limiting them. Yet, some politicians tried to impose some restrictions and even ban the games in their countries but they had no success.
The aggressive advertising campaigns, prior to the launch of every social game, turn out to be a wonderful tool for making the players looking forward to take part in the latest games released.Plus, some players admit that they are likely to try out a new game, offered by a friend who send them an invitation.
The survey concluded that while the players 20+ are well aware of the risks and regard the social games as a method for relaxation, a great part of the teenagers, who took part in the experiment said that the social games give them a chance to gain some experience before taking part in real money games, a statement, which is an indication that the social games should be closely monitored.
The authorities who conducted the survey are now planning to carry out another one that covers other important aspects of the gambling issues and the connection between social games and addiction.
