81 Million People Play Social Games Daily

The United Kingdom and Germany are considered to be prime European markets for online games, the Global Online Gaming Report wrote earlier. In the UK, almost 20 percent of game time is spent playing online games on social networks. The amount of time spent on console gaming has also increased.

Socialnomics study showed that a stunning amount of 81 million people play social games every single day. This number is expected to be growing in the future.

Revenues from mobile applications are rising steadily with further growth expected in the future. British mobile casinos are considered to be the source of further revenue.

According to social games expert Rae Rutan, the most important trends in social gaming are:

1. Freemium games are gaining further popularity. A Guardian study estimated that half of the 10 top mobile apps in August were based on the freemium model. Most developers try to make real money from offering extra features such as premium equipment or virtual currency to speed up leveling or give in-game rewards. Virtual currencies are not subject to British gambling laws, which make their introduction much less complicated.
2. Almost every social gamer plays several times a week. Over 60 percent of the gamers play at least once daily. A recent study expected this trend to continue, with the percentage of daily gamers growing.
3. The volume and value of advertising in social games channel is growing. Last year saw major brands partnering up with game publishers to reach social gamers. Marketers like to associate themselves with popular titles. Similarly, popular TV shows are turned into in social gaming applications.

However, the gambling industry does not yet have a clear vision how to introduce real-money wagers for gambling services, such as internet betting in United Kingdom to social media games.

Rutan added: "Social gaming is hot. Using freemium models, tapping into online gambling and blending TV and gaming are just a few of the ways that the future of social gaming is moving ahead."