{"id":13341,"date":"2013-11-02T17:30:20","date_gmt":"2013-11-02T17:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=13341"},"modified":"2015-02-04T07:43:41","modified_gmt":"2015-02-04T15:43:41","slug":"regulating-play-money-social-gambling-sites-is-it-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/regulating-play-money-social-gambling-sites-is-it-coming\/","title":{"rendered":"Regulating Play Money Social Gambling Sites: Is It Coming?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Social
Should play money social media gambling be regulated like its real money siblings? There are arguments for both sides. (Image source: Insidesocialgames.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For most gamblers, the thrill of the casino doesn\u2019t really exist without one key feature: money. The potential risk of losing – and thrill of winning – money is what drives most gamblers to play at all. But despite the fact that not a single penny is at stake, online \u201csocial casinos\u201d are still incredibly popular. These games allow players to enjoy blackjack, poker, slots, and a host of other games on Facebook and other social media sites for no cost, and millions of players take part in and enjoy these games every day.<\/p>\n

Money On the Table, Or Not?<\/h2>\n

But while the games may look like gambling and feel like gambling, the fact that there\u2019s no money at stake on the outcome of each spin or roll of the dice means that they\u2019re not really gambling. And that means that industry experts feel that there\u2019s no reason for real-money online gambling regulations to take hold in their field.<\/p>\n

\u201cA social casino is no more gambling than FarmVille<\/a> or Candy Crush,\u201d said Paul Thelen, CEO of social gaming company Big Fish. Thelen was speaking at the GamesBeat 2013 conference as part of a panel on social gaming, and regulation was the topic that seemed to come up over and over again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe industry is getting its act together,\u201d said Ken Murphy, vice president of studios for GameHouse. \u201cAt end of day, we\u2019re not doing ourselves a favor talking about regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n

If it seems strange to talk about regulation in an industry where no money changes hands at the “gambling” tables, it\u2019s important to remember that there is actually a lot of money at stake here. Social gaming may not let people win a jackpot on a slot machine, but it does give players plenty of opportunities to spend money through micro-transactions. Players might buy more chips to play more often, or buy accessories for their in-game avatars. These transactions are even more popular in social games that rely on strategy or building (like FarmVille), where players may be able to purchase exclusive items or perks for real money.<\/p>\n

Given all of the money involved, the regulation of these games is something that has been discussed in many countries around the world, even if the idea hasn\u2019t picked up much momentum. On the other hand, some nations, such as Australia, have had debates specifically about social casino games, due to fears that they could lead children to develop bad gambling habits, kind of like a starter drug.<\/p>\n

Competing for Gambling Dollars<\/h2>\n

This talk has intensified as online gambling companies have increasingly turned to social gaming as a way to attract new players and as a secondary income stream.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that real-world players are coming into the space, we hear mumblings if social should be regulated,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cWe need to be active participants [in these discussions].\u201d<\/p>\n

One concern for social gaming operators is that regulation could actually benefit the major gambling companies that have currently been only partially successful in the social gaming sphere. Since these companies have already dealt successfully with regulatory challenges, they may be better prepared to adapt to regulation in social gambling as well.<\/p>\n

But until that happens, the social gaming companies have the advantage. They aren\u2019t limited by offering only slots and other casino games, something gambling companies have struggled to move beyond when it comes to social games.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not bound by real money gambling,\u201d Thelen said. \u201cWe can be creative about things the real money guys can\u2019t think about.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For most gamblers, the thrill of the casino doesn\u2019t really exist without one key feature: money. The potential risk of losing – and thrill of winning – money is what drives most gamblers to play at all. But despite the fact that not a single penny is at stake, online \u201csocial casinos\u201d are still incredibly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":13352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,20],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRegulating Play Money Social Gambling Sites: Is It Coming?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Given that social gambling sites charge for extras, even if actual gambling is play money, should these sites be regulated? 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