26 Feb Regulating Play Money Social Gambling Sites: Could It Be Coming?
Should play money social media gambling be managed like its real cash siblings? You can find arguments for both edges. (Image source: Insidesocialgames.com)
The thrill of the casino doesn't really exist without one key feature: money for most gamblers. The risk that is potential of and thrill of winning money is what drives most gamblers to play at all. But despite the fact that not a penny that is single at stake, online 'social casinos' remain incredibly popular. These games allow players to enjoy blackjack, poker, slots, and a host of other games on Facebook as well as other social media sites for no cost, and millions of players take part in and enjoy these games every day.
Money On the Table, Or Not?
But while the games may look like gambling and feel gambling, the proven fact that there's no cash at stake on the results of each spin or roll of this dice ensures that they're maybe not really gambling. And meaning that industry experts feel that there is no reason behind real-money online gambling regulations to just take hold in their field.
'A social casino is no more gambling than FarmVille or Candy Crush,' stated Paul Thelen, CEO of social gaming business Big Fish. Thelen was speaking during the GamesBeat 2013 conference as part of the panel on social video gaming, and regulation was the topic that seemed to come up again and again.
'The industry is getting its act together,' stated Ken Murph