In a recent survey done by Newzoo it was discovered that 46% of players from the United States actually spend money on free social gaming sites.
While this sounds ridiculous to the average poker player, for some casual gamers this makes perfect sense. Below we look at three reasons why social gamers spend money to continue playing on free play websites.
1. Gambling is Entertainment
We understand we sound like a Caesars commercial saying that gambling should be entertainment.
The reality is that many players don't believe they can win at any type of gambling, including poker, and view any money spent as an entertainment expense.
If you have this type of mentality a play-money casino with a chip-purchase option becomes pretty appealing.
Let's say that your average spend in a live casino is $500 to $1,000 for a weekend trip. What if you could get the same amount of play for $49.99?
If all you care about is the entertainment value then $49.99 is a deal. Some players have this mentality and decide to go with the cheaper option of paying for play chips.
2. Paying to Play for Free Cheaper than Real Thing
How far will $25 get you playing inside a live casino or online at a virtual casino? Not very far. Some free play sites will exchange you a large number of virtual chips in exchange for $25.
That amount of chips can last hours, days or even weeks if you're winning or if you're playing reasonable stakes at an online poker site.
Some players that are not concerned about winning money will look at a $25 investment on a free casino site as an entertainment investment that could last them a while.
Many players only play for an hour or so at a time, so the 2 million chips they got for $25 may last them months. The same amount won't even provide a decent buy-in to a $2-$4 Limit Hold'em Game in a typical poker room.
3. Free Play Casinos Viewed as Gaming - Not Gambling
Next, one must realize that many of the players that frequent these sites aren't your average "gamblers." They're actually gamers looking to play online games rather than gamble online.
That's an important distinction as it reveals the mentality of the user. The gambler is looking to make the "big score" or to make "life changing money."
The gamer is looking to make the high score, to have fun, or see how far he can go in the game. If he or she loses, big deal. There's always tomorrow.
If the game is too hard and they can't win they will move on to a game they will win. Online gamers are not like gamblers. They don't throw good money after bad hoping to get lucky. They either win or lose and then move on.