Casino games, where players gamble cash or chips on random outcomes, were adapted for desktop use from the early days of computer programming. Atari published the first card game, Casino, in 1978. With simple, repetitive gameplay, many casino games began to be developed on iOS and Android using the same basic principles.
Many casino game apps have taken the form of traditional slot machines. The outcome of gameplay is apparently random and if players are successful, they win tokens and coins with which to play again.
Instead of offering real-money gaming where players can win cash and transfer it into their external bank accounts, these games tend to work on a freemium model, with users able to purchase additional spins or in-game items. In addition to traditional slot games, casino apps often offer social elements where players can compete against friends or send boosts.
The sub-sector has had relatively steady revenue and download figures for several years and weathered the coronavirus pandemic with minimal disruption. The casino genre was the only one of the top five genres to increase revenue from 2021 to 2022, according to Sensor Tower.
Coin Master has been particularly popular with the sixth-highest revenue of any mobile app game in 2022.
The approach to advertising casino apps has at times been controversial. After rolling out increased advertising on App Store listings in 2022, Apple restricted gambling promotions as some were being promoted inappropriately. The slots app Jackpot World was reportedly being advertised on a gambling addiction support app.
As casino apps are labelled as video games, in some countries there is little scrutiny of whether their business practices are fair or predatory and some complaints have extended to the app platforms. Apple, Meta and Google have challenged a 2022 US court ruling which suggested online publishers’ immunity from liability for third-party content does not protect them from claims they have acted as bookmakers by allowing the purchase of virtual chips in casino apps. The appeals process is expected to conclude in December 2023.
We have collected data and statistics on the casino game sub-sector. Read on below to find out more.
Key casino game statistics
- Casino games apps earned $8 billion in revenue in 2022, down slightly from $8.1 billion the year before
- There were 1.2 billion downloads of casino games last year
- Coin Master was the most lucrative casino game, earning $769 million in 2022
Top Casino Game Apps
| App Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| https://support.coinmastergame.com/hc/en-us | Coin Master | Free, single-player, casual game Coin Master uses gambling mechanics allowing players to spin to win coins which can be used to build up villages |
| https://www.bingoblitz.com/ | Bingo Blitz | Playtika's Bingo Blitz was initially developed for Facebook and offers online bingo matches related to different cities around the world |
| https://www.slotomania.com/new/ | Slotomania | Slotomania uses a freemium model to offer more than 160 slot games. Players can interact with each other and compete in live tournaments |
| https://www.jackpotparty.com/ | Jackpot Party | Published by SciPlay, Jackpot Party includes free slot games on desktop and mobile |
| https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.productmadness.lightninglink&hl=en&gl=US | Lightning Link | Lightning Link has a range of slot games including Las Vegas style casino games |
| https://www.doubledowncasino.com/ | DoubleDown | There are over 200 free slot games available on DoubleDown |
| https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cashman-casino-las-vegas-slots/id1123582513 | Cashman Casino | Cashman Casino includes 5-reel and 3-reel 777 free virtual slot machines |
| https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grandegames.slots.dafu.casino&hl=en_GB&gl=US | Jackpot World | Jackpot World has free 777 games, missions and quests, and can be played with friends |
Casino Game App Revenue
The casino games sub-sector generated $8 billion in revenue in 2022, similar to the previous year and $3.1 billion more than in 2019.
Casino game app sector annual revenue 2019 to 2022 ($bn)
Casino Game Revenue by App
Coin Master had the highest revenue of any casino app in 2022 by a significant margin at $769 million.
Casino game revenue by app 2022 ($mm)
| App | Revenue ($mm) |
|---|---|
| Coin Master | 769 |
| Bingo Blitz | 255 |
| Slotomania | 212 |
| Jackpot Party | 206 |
| Lightning Link | 187 |
| DoubleDown | 177 |
| Cashman Casino | 163 |
| Fishing Battle | 155 |
| Cash Frenzy | 134 |
| Jackpot World | 129 |
Source: AppMagic
Casino Game App Usage
Slotomania has an average of 1.5 million daily active users for an estimate of 4.5 million monthly active users.
Casino game average monthly users by app (mm)
| App | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| Slotomania | 4.5 |
| Lightning Link | 2 |
| DoubleDown | 2.1 |
Sources: Udonis, Product Madness, company data
Casino Game App Downloads
Downloads of casino game apps increased in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and have been above a billion each year since then.
Casino game downloads 2017 to 2022 (bn)
Casino Game Downloads by App
Coin Master also leads by number of downloads at almost 43 million last year. Bingo Blitz was downloaded 11.9 million times in 2022.
Casino game downloads by app 2022 (mm)
| App | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| Coin Master | 42.9 |
| Bingo Blitz | 11.9 |
| Slotomania | 7.4 |
| DoubleDown | 3.5 |
| Lightning Link | 2.9 |
Sources: AppMagic, Appfigures
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