The Meaning of Social Casino: Definition, Features, and Practical Examples

Playing online table games, trying all kinds of slots, and immersing yourself in fast-paced, exciting crash games for free while still winning real money: does it sound too good to be true? Some years ago, people scoffed at the idea of such a platform. Today, though, the phenomenon of social casinos is gaining traction, making multiple popular titles accessible to users who never liked gambling for money.   

If you’re new to the concept, we invite you to try this guide and learn everything about social casinos. What are they like? What’s the catch? What features do they have, and is it worth trying them out?

Social Casino Meaning

A social casino is an online platform with casino-style games like poker, slots, crash games, blackjack, roulette, and many others that can be played for virtual currency. The main goal here is entertainment and interactions with other players; at the same time, you stand a chance to win real money. And yes, once you do, you can actually withdraw it.  

How can any casino mix these two drastically different approaches? The secret lies in the model that such platforms use as their foundation.

• They stick to sweepstakes mechanics: every player gets virtual currency to play with, and some of these players can also receive special promotional funds.
• The conditions for getting promotional currency vary: in most cases, you need to participate in contests or take part in fresh promotions.
• If you do it successfully, the platform will reward you with its special currency: it’ll have real money value.
• Later, you can place bets with the help of these real funds, and if you win enough, you can withdraw everything to your bank account.

Social casinos tend to allow registration through social media. It means that you can easily invite your friends or post updates about your progress: interaction lies at the center of everyone’s activity, but it’s not obligatory either. If you prefer solo play, you can still enjoy yourself just as much.   

How Social Casinos Work

We are going to illustrate how social casinos work through the example of Crown Casino, an actual social gaming platform that follows the sweepstakes model. The mechanics are simple, so take a look, and you’ll understand how everything works in no time.

• Every user who creates their account on a social casino platform receives two types of currency as a welcome gift. In the case of Crown Casino, you get Crown Coins, which are for fun, and Sweeps Coins, which can translate to real money.
• There are plenty of Crown Coins, or their alternative, given to users upon registration: you can get thousands of them, which will give you access to all kinds of games on the platform.
• When it comes to Sweeps Coins, they have real-money value, so when used as a welcome bonus, they come in very limited quantities; some platforms don’t provide them at all, while others give one or two.
• If at some point you feel like you need more Crown Coins (or the alternative) because you’ve run out of them, you can buy a bunch of them right on the platform. They are cheap, and they always come with some Sweeps Coins as a bonus.
• You can earn Sweeps Coins in other ways, too. For example, you can get them by taking part in promos like logging in daily, playing specific games, winning at a specific speed, achieving the specified results before other players, etc.
• Many games at social casinos are designed in a way that allows their users to bet with Sweeps Coins. The more you win, the more you increase your balance; at some point, this will make you eligible for a withdrawal.
• Social casinos have different withdrawal thresholds. At Crown Casino, 1 Sweeps Coin equals $1; after you hit the threshold, you can clear your balance and get your money to your preferred method of payment. 

Different social casino platforms have different rules for their real-money coins. In many cases, they are given for winning in tournaments, outperforming other players, following special tasks or missions, and so on. 

The simplest way of getting more of such coins is by purchasing virtual currency from a platform. However, there is no need to do it if you don’t want to; that’s the greatest benefit of such casinos. You can win real money there without making any deposits. 

Key Features of Social Casinos

Apart from the obvious fact that social casinos allow users to win real money without spending anything, they have some other key features you should know about as a potential new player. Let’s consider them together:

• Wide game selections. The best social casinos have as many games as the most prolific casinos: you can find both popular and rare titles across all casino-typical categories, including card games, classic and video slots, crash games, etc.
• Social engagement. Such platforms thrive on social engagement, so they frequently launch tournaments, special game missions, and leaderboard events where users get a chance to compete against one another.
• Safe environment. While you typically need more special coins to win real money, there is no need to buy anything. You can play as much as you want on virtual currency only; this allows enjoying gambling without facing typical risks.
• Full accessibility. Social casinos are available across multiple locations. Even if one of them isn’t working in your region, you can find many other options that will definitely offer services to people from your country. 

These features allow social casinos like Crown Coins to grow more and more popular on a regular basis. People from all over the world are drawn to dual currencies, an opportunity to play whatever games they’d like without betting their own money, and a chance to win and withdraw cash anyway.

Do social casinos have no drawbacks? No, that’s not the case. The biggest factor is that, while it’s true that you can win actual money without buying anything, the chances of this happening are slim. You will get a limited number of real cash coins; if you want more, you’ll have to pay for them.

At the same time, the price of such coins tends to be cheap, so even if you pay, you’ll get to play various games at much lower rates than at actual casinos. This fact makes social casinos a compelling choice of entertainment for all kinds of users.