Social casino games as a form of gamble-play

View Open Access Article View Snapshot Back to Search Results

snapshot summaries

Author(s): Ross, Alexander ; Nieborg, David

Journal: Journal of Consumer Culture

Year Published: 2021

Date Added: August 17, 2021

Social casino games are free-to-play games that mimic gambling activities. Social casino games mix three industries: social media platforms, casino gambling, and the game industry. In this study, the researchers showed how social casino apps are an example of casualizing risk and normalizing uncertainty. They did so by using the “app walkthrough method” with three popular social casino gaming apps: Slotomania, DoubleDown Casino, and Zynga Poker. Using these three examples, the researchers showed how social casino games use game progression and reward mechanisms instead of monetary payouts. They also showed how social casino games incorporate social media mechanics into their games. Overall, social casino games are used as an example to show how risk and chance-based mechanics are becoming more incorporated in our daily lives.

Citation: Ross, A., & Nieborg, D. (2021). Spinning is winning: Social casino apps and the platformization of gamble-play. Journal of Consumer Culture, 21(1), 84-101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540521993931

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540521993931

Keywords: casino gambling ; casual ; free-to-play games ; gambling ; mobile gambling ; risk ; social casino games ; social media ; social networks

Conceptual Framework Factors: Gambling Types ; Types - Structural Characteristics ; Exposure - Marketing and Messaging ; Exposure - Convergence of Gaming and Gambling ; Gambling Exposure

Study Design: Observational: Cross-sectional

Study Funding:

No funding was received for this study.