In recent years, mainstream platforms such as Meta and Google have frequently made "controllable relaxation" adjustments to their gambling game advertising policies, attracting widespread attention from practitioners. What kind of business model do these games belong to? And why, under regulatory pressure, are they still favored by the media?
This is not only a focus of traffic but also a special gaming domain concerning regulatory games and commercial profits.
I. Market Size of Gambling Games: A "Fatty Meat" Not to be Ignored
According to the "2024 Global Mobile Gaming Market Enterprise Competitiveness Report" released by Gamma Data (CNG), gambling games now account for 11% of the global mobile gaming market. This figure clearly conveys a message: although gambling games face many regulatory restrictions, their market value and profit potential are highly attractive, making them an unignorable track.
II. What are Gambling Games? Two Legal Forms Clearly Distinguished
The core mechanism of gambling games is based on "randomness," where players invest virtual or real resources to win uncertain rewards. Legally, these games are usually divided into two categories:
Social Casino In these products, only virtual currency is used, and cash withdrawals are not supported. For example, "Slotomania," although users experience gambling gameplay, it does not involve cash transactions, so it can be launched as a "simulation gambling" game in some countries and regions.
Real Money Gaming (RMG) involves real money betting and cash withdrawals, where users must use real money to participate in the game and have the opportunity to win returns. The operation of this type of game usually requires a government-issued license and compliance with very strict regulations.
The attitude towards gambling games varies significantly from country to country:
Mainland China: Any form of real money gambling is prohibited, and social gambling must also avoid obvious gambling implications.
Western countries: Some countries have legalized it, such as the United States, where 21 states have opened online casinos, provided that mandatory age verification and regional compliance are in place.
III. Mainstream Gameplay Inventory: From Slot Machines to Fishing, Each Hides a "Bestseller Gene"
Gambling games are not a single category but are highly diverse, with different mechanisms each having representative works:
Slots The core gameplay is to match symbols to obtain rewards through a random number generator (RNG). Innovations include theme integration (such as Egyptian, Marvel, Chinese style) and multi-level reward systems (such as free spins, cumulative jackpots). For example, "Starburst" has a jackpot pool that has reached up to $2 million. Slot machines with Chinese elements have the highest daily active user ratio globally.
Poker includes Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and localized Indian gameplay Teen Patti, etc. Generally, it adopts a player-vs-player format, and the platform profits by "raking," typically 5%-10%.
Bingo Users win by matching numbers in a 5×5 grid. The product design is more social, such as chat rooms and guild systems significantly enhance user retention. For example, "Bingo Blitz" has increased its next-day retention rate by 30% due to its strong social attributes.
Arcade Gambling represented by "Fishing Master" and "Coin Dozer" etc., integrates physical collision and feedback reward mechanisms, especially popular among Asian users.
IV. User Portrait: Social Light, Real Money Heavy
Gambling game players can generally be divided into two categories:
Social Casino Users: Mainly 35-55-year-old women, especially concentrated in bingo games, with strong control over gaming time, averaging about 30 minutes per day.
Real Money Gaming Users: Mainly 18-40-year-old men, with significantly higher payment capabilities, ARPU over $300/month. High-net-worth users, although a small proportion, contribute more than 70% of total revenue.
V. Placement and Materials: Social Relies on Major Media, Real Money on Independent Channels
The promotion methods of gambling games vary according to the product form:
Social Casino
The placement path is basically the same as ordinary games, relying on mainstream channels such as Meta and Google for volume purchases, focusing on conversions such as installation, registration, and recharge. The material update rhythm is slow, focusing on stable delivery effects.
Real Money Casino
Due to regulatory restrictions, mainstream media advertising thresholds are high, and DSP-type small and medium channels become the main force. The material review cycle is long, and online efficiency is low, so testing and adjustment strategies are particularly critical.
VI. Media Policy Changes: The Cost and Bottom Line of "Loosening" by Big Factories
Meta and Google do not fully liberalize gambling ads but show a trend of "risk-controllable opening":
Increased compliance costs: Small developers have to bear more compliance expenses, such as legal consulting, regional legal judgment, material legality proof, etc., with overall costs increasing by 20%-30%.
Platform responsibility delegation: Advertising platforms no longer actively provide legal judgment support for gambling ads, but require advertisers to assess whether the placement area complies with regulations themselves.
Moral and public pressure: The surge in social gambling ads has sparked controversies over addictiveness and misleading nature. Although platforms emphasize excluding minors, regulatory agencies continue to scrutinize related advertising content.
VII. Practitioner's Perspective: Handling "Package" and "Connection" is the Key
For practitioners involved in user placement, the demand for creativity in gambling games is not the most complex. A widely recognized experience in the industry is:
Handling "package uploading," keeping a close eye on "approval," and finding the right "channel" is more important than creativity.
Even though high-quality materials will enhance conversion, what's more important is whether they can go online smoothly, promptly identify non-compliant content, and flexibly respond to platform policy changes. In the field of gambling games, efficiency and compliance are far more competitive than creativity.
Conclusion:
Gambling games are a track where risk and return are highly intertwined. On one hand, they become a gold mine coveted by many manufacturers due to high ARPU, high retention, and high profitability; on the other hand, they always walk on the edge of the industry due to policy sensitivity, high regulatory pressure, and ethical controversies.
For teams wanting to enter the field, the most critical aspect is not fancy gameplay or materials, but whether they can find a "legal landing spot" in the gray area and stabilize "business returns" outside the red line. The real winners are always those who can make the right judgments in chaos.
