The ACMA has published a snapshot of social casinos, providing insights into consumer habits and industry trends for this growing market.
Social casinos provide online casino-style games without offering the ability to win real money. They are typically free to download and play but users can spend real money on in-game purchases.
The report shows Australia was in the top five markets by consumer spend as of the first half of 2022. Global revenue from these games is projected to grow around five per cent per annum through to 2025.
It has been estimated there are 85 million daily players worldwide. Some research indicates players of social casino games tend to be older with a close-to-even proportion of male and females. Separate research indicates younger males are more likely to spend money in social casino games.
Slots are the most popular social casino games, with Australians spending US$302 million on mobile slots games in 2021. Some companies have combined traditional casino games with other types of game play to increase their appeal.
Social casinos are not regulated under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. Because users cannot cash out winnings, the games do not meet the definition of a gambling service, which requires games to be played for money or anything else of value.