Social Gaming Or Online Casino?
Without a doubt, we have all witnessed an amazing growth of the gaming industry during recent years. Social games and Online Casino games are easy to play directly from any smartphone and have come to symbolize the “play-and-go” phenomenon of mobile gaming. Combining social with money gaming by taking popular casino games, like the Game of Thrones Slot Machine and turning it into a social casino game are projected to cause the market to grow even more. But the issue of monetizing social games has turned out to be a challenge. Statistics speak about only around 2% of all active players actually paying for a game subscription or a new game purchases. This is one of the main reasons why social gaming operators are struggling to incorporate more features that they can monetize. It’s a battle for the dollar and reaching higher revenues by the year is a desiderate for all participants in the market. While social games have a lot more potential when it comes to reaching more people, the gambling industry has the money to evolve at a faster pace. It’s a clash of the titans that passionate gamers are particularly interested in.
We believe that the two “competitors” could actually find ways to help one another grow faster and more efficiently. Here is why;
Social Gamers VS Gamblers: Who Is More Engaged?
Social gamers appear to be a lot more involved in the gaming phenomenon on social networks compared to casino gamblers who wager online. A social player who is considered active is expected to play every two hours on average. In comparison, an active gambler will play once every four days. Also, 60 percent of social gamers who choose to make single payments will keep playing for fun after the single deposit will vanish. In opposition, only around 7 percent of online gamblers keep playing after making (and using) their first deposit with a casino online. We are, therefore, talking about an engagement rate that is nine times higher for social players who pay for their games.
Plus, social gamers are six times more engaged in social games, with half of the players remaining active after six months, whereas only 8% of players remain engaged in a game or platform.
Gambling Games Are More Out Of Sight
The online gaming world allows players to simply download a PC app or access a game using the casino’s website. To further interact with the respective game, the player needs to either personally access the app or site or expect an email reminding them to play. Social games enjoy a lot higher visibility rate. They are always out there, readily available and easy to spot, smartly integrated with other platform functions such as chatting with friends. When a player sees his friends have started to play a game he likes, he will be more tempted to join his friends. Status updates allow players to know what everyone else is doing on the platform and their contribution to the increased engagement rates is undeniable.
Mobile Gameplay: Casinos VS Social Games
Around 50 percent of social gamers choose to play their favorite titles on their mobile devices. Mobile gambling is also on the rise thanks to the boom that the smartphone industry has recorded in recent years. Casino apps that can be installed on mobile phones and tablets and the instant play gaming options that require no download are doing a good job at keeping players happy and coming back for more. Mobile gaming is worth $68.5 billion at a global level and counting.
The Adrenaline Factor
Gamblers usually play to get a rush of adrenaline – especially when winning. This rush, however, tends to drop once the cashout is complete, which also leads to a decrease in the engagement level in the future. Social games, on the other hand, are doing an excellent job of keeping players motivated to keep coming back. The desire to go up high in-game levels, get on top of the leaderboard, prove they are better than their friends/competitors and interact in various ways are all reasons why more players stay engaged on social gaming platforms.
It is also a matter of perceived value that is returned by a payment, which is higher when speaking about social games. When online casino gamblers lose money, they have nothing left to play with. Social gamers, however, enjoy a more pleasant overall experience and they also reach higher game levels, get more gaming gear and the list goes on.
With the differences in mind between online casino and social gaming the question is where we are heading. Looking a few years ahead one may ask if this head-spinning, fast expansion rate of social gaming will be on ascending rate on account of some of the main advantages of the online casino industry; The heavy use of state-of-the-art gaming tech, the low costs of games combined with increasing incomes, along with a boost in online content and its dispersal on digital platforms.
Cloud apps and augmented reality devices have also emerged on the market and now compete with social gaming platforms as players are loving it. With this in mind, we believe we can expect an increased growth in the upcoming years, in spite of the drawbacks that are currently slowing down the process. Among them, we can mention the lack of sufficient resources for fast development, improper online infrastructure and an increased threat in terms of pirated games. Social gaming platforms that are still reticent when it comes to allowing social gaming to turn into real-money gambling are also an impediment. So why would social gaming continue to grow – well, because social gamers are engaged!
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