Social casino games are free games available on social networking sites, such as Facebook. They are set up to be similar to gambling games. No money is required to play and no money is won or lost. Instead, players are given free credits to wager and the aim is to win more credits to continue play. However, players can buy additional credits to continue play or to progress in the games. There is some evidence that suggests playing social casino games can reduce gambling behaviour in people with gambling disorder. But other research has also suggested that playing social casino games can lead to future gambling behaviour. A research study reported that players of social casino games made the move to online gambling when they were re-contacted six months later.
The motivations or reasons that people play social casino games may have an influence on gambling behaviour. Some people may try to build their gambling skills by playing social casino games even though skill building is not possible with games of chance (e.g., slot machines). Others may play social casino games to help them avoid engaging in real gambling. Thus, this study examined how motivations for playing social casino games might affect the gambling behaviour of disordered gamblers.
