Social Casino Apps Vs Real Money Casino Apps: What’s the New Trend in 2024?

Over the years, The casino gaming industry has evolved in many ways, one of them being the shift from casino apps that pay real money to social casino apps. Some years ago, the thought of social casino apps was alien to many people, but now they have become so prevalent they look like a strong competition to upstage the regular real money casino apps. 

To put things in perspective, stats from OSF revealed that between 2012 and 2020, there was a record-high increase in the prevalence of social casino game installs from 33.30 million to 1.39 million. More interestingly, the projections for this industry in 2022 showed an estimated increase from $1.73 billion to $2.03 billion.

In this article, we will compare both casino apps while filling you in on their unique strengths and weaknesses.

What are Social Casino Apps?

If you're just coming across this term, don't worry; this section will help throw more light on what they represent. Social casino apps are mobile gaming platforms that offer users the opportunity to enjoy a virtual casino gaming experience with zero potential of winning. Typically, these apps are played with virtual credits available without requiring you to play the games for real money.

In the grand scheme, the apps generate money from in-game gaming purchases and ads.

Pros and Cons

Pros

a. The apps allow you to enjoy your favorite casino games like video slot, blackjack, bingo, baccarat, social poker, and roulette without risking money
b. The games offer an opportunity to interact with friends 
c. Gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with your favorite online casino games before investing real money
d. Easy to access with your accounts on a wide range of social media platforms
e. It is widely legal in a lot of jurisdictions, unlike with real-money gambling

Cons

a. There are fewer varieties of table games on social casino apps than you would find on real-money apps
b. There is a need to use real money to access certain in-game benefits
c. There is zero potential to win real money in your preferred currency

What are Real Money Casino Apps?

Multiple best casino apps require no introduction as they are more of the norm among online gamblers worldwide. What is different is that these apps require real money to play for real winnings.

Pros and Cons

Pros

a. Regular casino apps offer you the potential to win big
b. They often come with attractive promotional packages to further increase your winning potential
c. By accessing these apps, you can get up to 1000 different options
d. With these apps, you are allowed to play live dealer games for money with players around the world like you are in a brick-and-mortar casino

Cons

a. There is a huge potential for addiction if checks are not put in place
b. These apps are considered illegal in a plethora of countries
c. The risk that comes with losing money cannot be understated.

Social Casino Apps vs Real Money Casino Apps - Which is More Popular?

While social casino apps are becoming more vogue as the days roll by, real money casino apps are more in circulation. One of the major reasons contributing to this is that real money apps were the pioneers in the industry, and the best social casino apps can do is play catch up. This has helped catapult the idea of more casino games for Android and iOS.

Also, studies have shown that the popularity of social casino apps is more prevalent among players aged 35 and above. Furthermore, people in this demographic tend to tilt towards taking less risk. On the other hand, real money casino apps are widely popular among different age groups.

It's also important to emphasize how availability and accessibility tend to favor the popularity of actual real-money casino apps over social casino apps. More often than not, there appears to be some form of scarcity in distributing social casino apps, as they haven't been explored to their full potential in the iGaming industry. However, this doesn't seem to be the case with real money casinos, as they are more represented in the industry.

Which is better Social Casino Apps and Real Money Casino Apps?

We can't say one is better than the other because it is subject to personal preference. The yardstick you can use to measure which is better for you depends on what you are looking for. 

Are you looking to enjoy playing casino games for free, without minding the zero real money-winning potential? Social casino apps are the best fit for you. On the other hand, if you place more importance on winning real money without caring whether you fund the activity, then you should tilt toward real money casino apps.

The Choice is Yours!

You have two main research hubs when deciding what you want to play. For Social Casino apps, the user reviews from the app stores best reflect the user experience and data. For Real Money casino apps, some casino analysts select and compile lists of rated apps of such kind.

Regardless of where you settle between real money casino apps and social casino apps, you will surely enjoy a satisfactory mobile gaming experience.

By Aman Gaur

Sr. Content Writer

Aman Gaur is a Senior Writer at MobileAppDaily (MAD). He is an IT engineer (as per academics) who turned to writing because of his flair for storytelling. He has an experience of 6+ years and has worked with multiple companies in many niches but primarily ‘Tech’. He has many interests that range from being a tech enthusiast to an admirer of international music and cinema. Currently, he is using his skills to help MAD expand and create valuable content for the platform, thereby, helping in improving overall traffic, leads, and branding of the company.