Social Gaming in Europe

Not a day passes without new games being launched, others closing down and the debate on whether or not social games need sector-specific regulation heating up. If you were asked what “social games” actually are, what would your answer be? “Social Gaming in Europe” answers this question from the commercial and legal perspectives, describing the social gaming sector and including an overview of games and operators, substantive market data and excursions on monetization, virtual goods and the lifecycle of social games. The book’s legal section examines the distinction between social gaming and gambling by looking at gambling in the EU and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, taking a detailed look at the definition of gambling in seven Member States. EU law applicable to social gaming operators, case law on virtual goods and the debate on regulation of social gaming are also discussed.