Unpicking California’s Burgeoning Social Gaming Industry
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Social gaming is one of the fastest-growing niches in the global gaming industry and it’s already making a splash in California too. With the state still firmly closing its doors to real-money iGaming, social gaming is fast becoming a fun and reputable alternative to the real thing.
The beauty of social casinos is that they deliver all the entertainment and immersivity of an online or land-based casino, without having to use US dollars to get involved. Instead, most of the leading social casinos use their own virtual play currencies: this is essentially the prize that players win through their gameplay and the currency that allows them to build upon their social betting bankroll.
Just like conventional online casinos, social casinos branch out and appeal to new demographics by offering competitive bonuses and promotions. Consider, for example, the effective marketing ploy of franchises like McLuck Casino. First-time visitors to receive an immediate 7,500 “Gold Coins” which can be used towards any slot or table games. In addition, this social casino platform also has a progressive “McJackpot” where players can win as much as 200 million Gold Coins entirely at random.
With a knack for understanding user needs and a willingness to reward new, but potentially long-term and loyal customers, social casinos really do their utmost to stand out from the crowd. Another way in which they do this is they’ll sometimes allow members to cash in virtual “sweepstake coins” for real-money prizes like prepaid gift cards.
If you’re a Los Cerritos local and you’re thinking of dipping your toes into the world of social gaming, it’s important to know what you need from a credible social gaming site.
First and foremost, look out for sites that are licensed to serve other jurisdictions. Although the state of California – and most other US states – don’t require social casino operators to be licensed and regulated, it’s general peace of mind to opt for a site that’s licensed elsewhere. If you can find a brand with an active license with reputable iGaming jurisdictions like the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority, you should be sweet.
Another important facet of choosing a social gaming site in California is finding a site with the best choice of games. Whether it’s classic table games you’re after or video slots, look for sites with a deep library of games provided by industry-leading iGaming software studios. Developers like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Nolimit City, Blueprint Gaming, and many more offer a great starting point for any first-time social casino gamer.
With games powered by these studios, you can be sure of the fairness and transparency of their gameplay. Most of these studios will use random number generators (RNGs) to determine the outcome of every random spin of a slot or deal of a table game. These developers have their RNGs periodically tested by independent verifiers to guarantee their legitimacy.
Many people enjoy visiting social casinos online as a form of casual gaming. Whether it’s the early morning or late afternoon commute to or from work or just enjoying some downtime in the evening, social gaming provides risk-free entertainment. Those wanting to play on the go should look for sites that are fully responsive and available on any smartphone or tablet device. They don’t need to have native mobile apps, but most are now powered by HTML5, making them compatible with most mobile web browsers.
Ultimately each site will have its pros and cons, so just go with your gut and pick the site which looks and feels the best to you.
