Social casinos are prevalent in the United States, with the top sites boasting thousands of players. However, these platforms didn’t gain popularity overnight. It’s been a journey of constant advancement and improvement from the early days to the present. Keep reading to learn all about it as we take a historical overview of the development and evolution of social casino games.
The Early Days
The origin of social casinos can be traced all the way back to the early 2000s when online gaming first emerged. At the time, these platforms weren’t precisely known as social casino websites. They were simply online locations where people could play casino games, especially slots and poker. Unlike today’s sweepstakes sites, there were also no real rewards of any kind. It was all fun and entertainment.
Rise of Social Networks
Social media has significantly contributed to the evolution of social casinos. Facebook was at the center after the platform became popular around 2006 and 2007. At the time, Zynga launched Texas Holdem poker on Facebook, allowing players to access the classic card game on the social media platform (Wikipedia, 2024). Gaming was 100% free. Historically, Zynga Poker is renowned as the pioneer of true social casino gaming.
Advent of Social Gaming App
It’s impossible to deny the role of mobile phones in transforming the online gaming industry. This was significant in the social casino niche during the early 2010s, as more and more players wanted to play on the go. Before then, gaming was mainly via desktop.
Of course, players could access their preferred social media platforms via mobile browsers. However, sites weren’t overly responsive and optimized to adjust to varying screen sizes at the time. So, the best experience was via apps. Things amplified in 2012 when International Game Technology (IGT) acquired DoubleDown Casino from DoubleDown Interactive (International Game Technology, 2012). The development signaled the online gaming market of the huge potential of social gaming apps.
Introduction of More Game Variants
Slots are the primary gaming category at social casinos, as well as conventional gaming platforms. As sweepstakes casinos gained popularity, the vast majority of sites focused solely on games where players spin reels. However, some sites took the initiative to diversify their game offerings.
With time, the social gaming space began seeing new genres, such as blackjack, roulette, and bingo. Another exciting development was the increasing popularity of jackpot games. But it wasn’t only variety that improved. The overall graphics and visual quality of social casino games also recorded significant upgrades.
Boost From the COVID Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic halted global activities in 2020. Everyone had to do everything from home, including work and studying. As lockdowns became prevalent, people began looking for options to entertain themselves at home. This led to the popularity of social media platforms such as TikTok, but it also skyrocketed activities on social casino sites.
More and more players turned to social casinos to have fun with thrilling games for free. The aftermath was the launch of contemporary social and sweepstakes gaming sites with more diverse and innovative offerings. For example, Fortune Coins — one of the best social casinos in the United States, launched in 2022. On the site, players get a broad range of gaming options, including slots, fish games, jackpots, and more.
Bottom Line
The social casino journey has been a progressive one, and it’s only expected that the sites will advance further in the future. Emerging technologies like VR, AR, and AI are set to pioneer the next stage of social casino gaming.
Also Read: Why Lottery Games Are Much Better than Casino Games
