Gambling dates centuries in history and has always been portrayed as the high-class game full of anticipation and enthusiasm. Through centuries many new games have emerged, thus giving us the opportunity to choose among a variety of games, such as poker, roulette, blackjack, bingo, and many others. The excitement that emerges from gambling and the adrenaline rush we all strive for cannot be replaced.
Over time, technology has improved considerably, thus enabling gambling to become even more interesting.
With the appearance of the Internet, gambling online has conquered the world. Even the elderly have started using the internet to play their favourite games, bingo for example. The world of gambling online is filled with many new games for the purposes of entertainment and fun. Nowadays, technology has enabled us to spin the reels in casinos online for actual money.
However, the development of gambling does not stop there. The emergence of social media placed casinos in its center of attention, and playing casino games via social media is becoming more and more popular at this very moment. However, what makes social media casino games so popular and catchy? In the following paragraphs, social gambling and its benefits will be explored and discussed.
WHAT IS SOCIAL GAMBLING?
Gaming operators that offer gambling games on social media are constantly emerging. Among the leading gaming operators, the Number one place is occupied by Facebook. However, Google+, Bebo,and MySpace keep the rate and, along with Facebook, present the favorite place for the online 
gamers.
When they first appeared, social gambling apps were free of charge. However, at the beginning of 2014, a poker game for the actual money was released on Facebook by Zynga for UK players. The 60% of social media players enjoy games on Facebook. 17% of gamers play online games on Google+, 15% on MySpace, and 7% on Bebo.
The most popular gambling games on social networks are slots, Texas Hold’em, blackjack, the popularity of which continues growing.
THE INCOME OF SOCIAL GAMBLING GAMES
The overall income of the social gambling industry is more than $2.7 billion. This comes as no surprise due to the popularity of the games. The question that remains is how the money is made if the majority of social gambling games are free of charge.
The secret lies in in-game benefits, virtual goods and currencies available only for the real money. The players eager to play the games buy the available in-game benefits. For that reason, the social gambling industry gains money and keeps expanding.
THE IMPORTANT NAMES IN SOCIAL MEDIA CASINO INDUSTRY
The social casino business has powerful representatives in the world of gambling.
The name that occupies the top of the list is Slotomania. Slotomania gives a great number of slots with amazing graphics which players love and enjoy.
The other big name is social industry is Zynga. Zynga is well-known on Facebook, Farmville being one of the most famous ones, along with Poker, Wizards of Oz Slots, Zynga Poker Classic and Hit It Rich.
DoubleDown Casino is another big name in social gambling industry with several million active users. On Facebook, they offer a large number of games with a large pack of game options such as bingo, poker, video poker, and blackjack free of charge. Furthermore, DoubleDown Casino allows their users to download the mobile app to play whenever and wherever they are. They offer promo codes useful for purchasing digital items in the game and virtual currencies.
As it was mentioned in the paragraphs above, gambling games have developed and improved over centuries in order to suit the players’ needs. From lavish casinos, and finally to social gambling games the popularity of which keeps growing.
