What are social casinos? Know your basics
First, let’s have a quick review of what social casinos are. While scrolling through social media or the internet, have you ever come across a casino-style game that didn’t require a real money wager from you? If you have, you have already been exposed to a social or sweepstakes casino. They are essentially sites with casino-style games that don’t involve a single cent of real money. You still get to place wagers, but these are based entirely on virtual credits, provided for free by the social casino to its players.
Why aren’t social casinos in the UK trending?
Given the UK’s obvious history with gambling casinos and betting sites, you might think that it’s the perfect place to find social casinos. That’s unfortunately where many players are taken by surprise.
Social casinos and sweepstakes casinos have recently emerged as gambling-like
sites, primarily in countries like the US, where real online gambling is not fully legalised in most jurisdictions. In fact, part of the reason they are so popular in the US is that they don’t need true gambling licenses at all. They are 100% free-to-play, so they aren’t real casinos at all.
Now, given that online casinos are indeed quite popular in the UK, there isn’t yet an active market for social casinos. Although, it’s clear that interest is starting to rise as players seek a casino-like/betting-like experience, without the heavy financial risks involved in traditional casino sites.
Why UK social casinos would be a hit
A list of the top UK social casinos would probably attract a very diverse crowd of online gamers. Afterall, social casinos often mimic the game libraries that a traditional casino would offer. So, if UK social casinos were big, you’d probably find:
- A substantial selection of games, ranging from slots and table games, to live casino games and arcade games – and with similar RTPs.
- A comparable list of game studios
behind the game titles – big names like Pragmatic Play, Beter Live, NetEnt, etc.
- Real money prizes
– Social casinos can’t offer real payouts, but many are also sweepstakes casinos, which can offer players real money prizes in the form of prize exchanges or redemptions.
- Fun, free promotions –
Some of the
best betting sites in the UK
offer various perks for playing with them, and so would social casinos. The core difference is that the former would require a real money deposit from you, and the latter would probably just give you the bonus for free for signing up or playing on their site regularly.
Of course, this is all theoretical, and it’s based on the type of experiences we’ve had with social casinos in other regions in the world. You’ll be hard-pressed to find top UK social casinos floating around, but if you do, we’d hope this is what you’d find.
5 things to look for when rating any UK social casinos
Until social casinos are truly in demand in this region of the world, we can’t really offer a list of the best ones the same as we would for
new bookmakers in the United Kingdom. If that does ever happen though, we would check out any social casinos in the market to see if they meet our standards. Our criteria would follow the expectations we have for any social casino, such as the ones in the US:
- Licensing– Typically, social casinos, like those in the US, don’t need real gambling licenses, but this may differ depending on the jurisdiction. We’d expect any UK social casino to adhere to local rules, just as any gambling site or even
UK sports betting apps
would.
- User reviews
– Public opinion can play a big role in the reputation of a site. Take for instance
UK football betting sites, where many players chip in their thoughts on their experience. It’s helpful to see what others are saying about a social casino.
- Bonus offers
– If you’ve ever gambled, you probably know that
UK sports betting offers, as well as casino promos, are hugely popular. We’d expect that from the top UK social casinos too.
- Payment methods
– Social casinos do not require real money deposits, since it’s not true gambling. However, payment methods are still important to those who buy virtual credits or want to redeem their credits for cash prizes.
- Security
– As with any site, we’d expect UK social casinos to protect user data. We’d highly value safe encryption and security measures.
3 tips for finding alternatives to the best UK social casinos
Stay tuned for our reviews
Our experts love to write reviews about real money casinos, betting sites, sweepstakes casinos, etc. As soon as we have worthy UK social casinos on our list, we’ll be sure to update our page with in-depth reviews.
Consider real money casinos in the meantime
If social casinos still aren’t yet widely available in your region, real online casinos probably are. These can give you an authentic casino experience, but just remember that real deposits will be involved at these sites, unlike social casinos. Still, there are ways to play responsibly and within a safe budget.
Try out social casinos when you’re abroad
While UK social casinos don’t have a strong presence yet, these sites are popular in other countries like the US. If you find yourself traveling or moving to a place where they’re accessible, it might be a good opportunity to try one out. Just be aware that you’ll need to be able to prove your local residence to get full access.
Conclusion – Key takeaways for those interested in UK social casinos
As we have discovered in this article, UK social casinos are yet to steal the spotlight away from real online casinos and gambling sites. That’s why finding a list of the best UK social casinos is rather difficult at the current time being. While UK players hear of the thrill of cashless casino-style gaming online from across the pond in the US, they’ll likely have to settle for the likes of gambling and betting with real money deposits. However, if these social casinos ever do go on the rise in the UK, our experts at Betting.net will be sure to report with quality reviews of the best UK social casinos. Until then, we may suggest you to check out our other casino and sports betting reviews as a possible alternative.
UK social casinos FAQ
🏆Which are the best UK social casinos?
It’s hard to say what the top UK social casinos are because they aren’t very prevalent yet, especially with real casino gambling and sports betting sites widely available. When they do reach a higher demand, Betting.net will be sure to report on the best of the best.
🆓Are there any free sites in the UK that are similar to social casinos?
Unfortunately, free casino-style gaming sites, like the ones played in the US, are difficult to find in the UK. The next closest thing are real online casinos themselves. They aren’t free to play, but you can often find great casino bonuses and promotions to reduce your spending.
🇺🇲Can you sign up at social casinos in the US from the UK?
No, usually social casinos in the US are designed for players based in the US, due to regional restrictions. If you try to access these sites from the UK, you might find the site to be blocked.
❓Why are there online casinos in the UK, but not social casinos?
Social casinos are not the same as online casinos. Online casinos involve real money deposits while social casinos are free-to-play sites that operate on virtual currencies only. Since gambling and betting is already largely available in the UK, there is not a huge demand for social casinos, which are like mock versions for players where actual gambling is mostly restricted.
🌍Can I use a VPN to access social casinos in other country?
We wouldn’t recommend trying to play at social casinos in other countries with a VPN. While it’s possible you might be able to make an account, you won’t be able to verify your account and gain full access to all of the site features. For example, you might be able to play some games, but you won’t be able to participate in real prize redemptions.
