Google Reclassifies Its Social Casino Games Category

The Google Ads Gambling policy has recently been adjusted. This has reclassified sweepstakes casinos, removing them from the social casino game category.

For some time, sweepstake casinos and social casinos have been hard to tell apart. Yet as laws across the globe tighten, Google has also been forced to differentiate between the two. It has now brought in new rules on how social casino gaming is classified, meaning better transparency for users and operators.

Social and Sweepstake Casinos

Social casino games are online platforms that provide entertainment you would find at online casinos. They may have table games like roulette or craps or may even feature the most well-known slot franchises. Even newer genres, such as crash gaming, can be found there. Social casinos do not operate using cash and are intended solely for fun. People can play the best social casino games without having to hand over deposits or without the allure of financial incentives. You may have played similar titles through the app store in the past.

Sweepstakes casinos are similar because they do not ask players to hand over money either. They also use in-game currencies that allow people to play online casino titles. The difference here is that they do have incentives, as people can win prizes. The sweep coins, which can be attained during gameplay, can then be cashed in to enter draws, which result in prizes.

Google's Recent Social Casino Changes

These sweepstake casinos could previously advertise under the social casino games category in approved countries. Google's changes now state that advertisers must include a disclaimer. This must contain information warning that users must be above the legal age to play these games, and the games must not target minors. Local licenses must be held for distribution in the developer's local country or district. This is essential to retain Google's Ads certification.

Those advertising social casino games must also clearly state they do not offer prizes of real-world value, nor do they offer cash prize casino gaming. In-app purchases must be disclosed on the landing page or in the advertisement. It is also no longer possible to use the logos, branding, and names of any real-world gambling companies.

Lastly, the advertising of social casino games is only allowed in certain countries. These include Canada, Australia, the US, the UK, India, and selected others. For those who operate online gambling and social casinos, licenses must be applied for separately. Providers will have to apply using separate accounts, and recertification may be required should any details change.

The Growth of Social Casino Gaming

Social casinos, and their growth, have been in line with the boom in social media. Platforms like Facebook began to allow the integration of games, in which people could play against each other and share ‘social’ news like wins. Casino-style games proved extremely popular, particularly ones such as poker and blackjack. They rose to popularity at the same time as other casual game experiences, like Farmville and Candy Crush.

Another development came in the late 2000s, when games began to use in-game currency. These were coins and credits given to people for tasks such as playing and logging in daily. This incentivized people to come back and created in-game ecosystems.

The final boost to social casinos came with the introduction of laws in the United States, turning online casinos over to the state authorities instead of the government. Each state could now decide if it would let people play real-money casino games. So far, only seven have. This has left the other states with a hole, which social casinos have filled. People can't play these games for cash, so they log on to social casinos and play for fun instead.

The Benefits of Social Casinos

The obvious benefit of social casino gaming is that it is much more accessible. You can play these tried and tested, fun games in places that ban real money casinos. Added to that is that you don’t have to spend any money at all. This allows you all the entertainment, without the financial pressure. There is nothing to win, and so no deposits are required.

Most app stores will also have a range of social casino games. They are created with interaction in mind. If your friends play them, it is easy to go up against each other and even share in the trials and tribulations of social casinos.

Lastly, they don’t come with the inherent dangers of casino games. Too many people find themselves becoming addicted to cash titles, chasing losses, and gambling irresponsibly. Social casino games do away with all of that.

If you want to get started with social casino games, head to your app store. Google will have them filed away neatly under its new heading, and you won't get confused with sweepstakes casinos. This will allow you to play for free while staying responsible and compliant with the law.

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