This month, the Social Gaming Association has been established. In recent years, social gaming has become increasingly popular, causing local politicians to wonder if the activity should be regulated. When the industry does become regulated, the new Social Gaming Association will protect the regulatory interests of developers, players and affiliates.
“The SGA will also provide a unified voice from the industry to address the concerns of industry detractors and pro-actively educate policy makers concerned about social gaming,” reads a statement from Stuart Tilly, director of the Social Gaming Association.
Politicians have recently set their sights on social gaming, because they are concerned about the potential negative impacts it could have on young people. Most social games are innocent enough, but they often encourage players to spend money in order to unlock unique features. As such, there are some concerns that young people, who are the target audience for these games, are being conditioned to gamble.
There is the also the issue of social gambling. There are several social casino applications, in which players can wager play-money on games like poker and online slots. Since players are not wagering real cash, they have not been restricted from minors, which is a major concern for federal gaming regulators.
These are just a few of the issues that are currently being debated in the social gaming market, and operators require a representative voice to speak on their behalf. This will be the main function of the Social Gaming Association, which will represent the best interests of social gaming developers and players when it comes to gaming regulation.
The SGA will also establish a set of self-imposed rules, which will govern the market in the meantime. This will ensure that all social gaming operators will adhere to the same rules and codes of conduct that will protect players as well as their own interests.
