iGaming Editor
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Social casinos have evolved rapidly since they first came onto the scene. But what casino was the first to offer online social gambling? None other than Slotomania – and it really did set the bar for future social gaming.
Ever since the launch of Slotomania in 2011, the social gaming industry has adapted, with every new operator bringing its unique twist. Now, you have an abundance of social and sweepstakes casinos to choose from with games that suit every player.
Social casinos offer casino-style gaming for free, thanks to the virtual currency system. You will find an abundance of games that you would expect to see in any other casino including slots, table games, and live dealers, but there will also be scratch cards, bingo, keno, and much more.
As you will see in my social casino guides, all social casinos will offer a unique experience. While slots and table games are common, not all platforms will host live dealers, bingo, scratch cards, and other types of games. So, it’s a case of finding the site that works for you.
Social casinos offer a brilliant alternative to traditional casinos for anyone who lives in an area where real money casinos aren’t regulated or for players who simply don’t want to invest their own money.
The virtual currency system operates with two coins – Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. Gold Coins are used for entertainment purposes only and can be used to play games. Sweeps Coins, however, are used to redeem real prizes such as cash, gift cards, and merchandise.
You will be rewarded with plenty of free coins in a variety of promotions including welcome bonuses, daily login bonuses, VIP programs, referral programs, and more. While you can unlock coins for free, you can also purchase bundles of Gold Coins to boost your bankroll.
Welcome bonus | First-time user reward, in the form of free coins or free spins |
Daily login bonus | A reward for signing into your account |
Free spins | Opt into free spins offers for free slot play |
VIP program | Unlock tier-based rewards as you achieve objectives |
The core difference between social and traditional casinos is that social casinos don’t support real-money gambling. Instead, you will use virtual coins. There are several key features of social gaming, which are:
One of the vital elements of social casinos is the socializing aspect. You can expect to find opportunities to chat with friends, family members, and other players from around the world. This may be in the form of a live chat system or forum.
I did some digging to find what was the first social casino to be created. Slotomania, launched in 2011, was the first casino to offer social gambling features. As the name suggests, this platform offers a variety of online slot machines but with a fun social element. Slotomania allows players to enjoy free gaming in a social setting. Since 2011, it has grown into being one of the most popular social casinos and has a huge global community.
The influence of Slotomania has been substantial and it has simply changed the online gaming industry, for the better. With its launch, many other social casinos have followed. But while the industry offerings have expanded, Slotomania remains one of the leading social gaming platforms and represents a key chapter in social casino history. Beware though, with the rise in social gaming, scams are creeping in, so it’s better to learn about the warning signs of sweepstakes scams so you don’t get caught out.
It’s fair to say that social casinos have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. What began with some pretty basic sites has now grown into a phenomenon where the following six social casinos can each give you a spectacular way to play:
Most gamers would agree that Stake.us is the best social casino on the market right now. This is because it has a stunning variety of games that take in hundreds of slots, table games and there’s even a live casino and some innovative Stake Originals. The best part is that if you sign up using the exclusive JAXON code, you could get $25 in no deposit bonuses alongside 250,000 Gold Coins and 5% rakeback on your losses. Plus you can play the casino games in sweepstakes mode with your Stake Cash and potentially redeem cryptocurrencies, merchandise or gift cards.
Lots of people go to the Wow Vegas social casino because it’s got a hugely impressive range of slot games. These include lots of Megaways slots, jackpot slots, bonus buy slots and pretty much any other kind of slot you can think of. I loved the fact that you can sign up here and get a welcome bonus that gives you 30 SCs on your first purchase and you’ll also get 4.5 SCs free. This means that you can use those SCs to play the games in a sweepstakes mode and redeem real money prizes.
You might already know that High 5 brand name from it being one of the best slot developers for real-world casinos. But High 5 also recently launched its own social casino that gives you an excellent way to play hundreds of slot games that includes its own exclusives. Signing up here gives you a $5 no deposit bonus, 250 GameCoins and 600 Diamonds and from here you can work your way to redeeming anything from gift cards to real money prizes. I should also note that High 5 Casino has one of the best sweepstakes casino apps on the market and well worth checking out if you like to game on the go.
Sometimes it’s not always the biggest social casinos who give you the best way to play. After all, Fortune Coins has a relatively small selection of games but they are all great fun. You can sign up here and play great jackpot slots like Freaky Tiki, and the brand also has lots of keno games, video poker games and even some fishing games. There is a good welcome bonus that gives you $10 in no deposit free coins, 360,000 Gold Coins and $8 more free coins, and what’s best is that you can redeem cash prizes if you play in the sweepstakes game mode.
I would definitely recommend giving the Golden Hearts Games social casino a try. After all, this brand is available in all 50 states and it’s also a charity based gaming platform. This means that whenever you purchase virtual credit, some of this money will go to a charity that you can pick. There’s a good welcome offer here that gives you 250,000 Gold Coins and 3,000 free Sweeps Coins. Those Gold Coins can be used to play slots, bingo games and video poker games for fun, while the Sweeps Coins can potentially be redeemed for real money prizes and gift cards.
I couldn’t leave Sweeptastic off this shortlist as the brand is one of the hottest new social casinos to hit the US in recent times. Much of this is down to the fact that Sweeptastic has a stunning game variety that takes in everything from slots to lots of table games like blackjack, baccarat, roulette and even dice. Plus I loved playing some of those Originals games like Space XY and Plinko. You can sign up here and get a welcome offer that gives you 25 SCs extra free on your first purchase and two SCs free. Just note that these SCs let you play in a sweepstakes mode and redeem gift cards and real money prizes.
Slotomania had a key role in the way that the social gaming industry has been shaped. With its launch in 2011, it’s had a lasting impact. You will now find a large amount of social casinos for fun and free gaming. Check out the banners on our site, where you’ll see all of the social casinos that are currently available in your location.
Slotomania was established in 2011 and was the first casino to offer gaming with features such as virtual coins and social elements.
Slotomania is a platform for one of the most popular casino games – slot machines. It hosted these games for free, allowing players to redeem real prizes, while creating a community of like-minded players.
Social casinos allow you to play casino-style games for free, with no purchase required. Simply unlock free coins to keep playing.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.