Game apps like High 5 Casino and Monopoly GO! are wildly popular. Players pay up for perks and the mobile game industry makes money – a lot of money. But scrutiny on these kinds of games and what some players call addictive, gambling-like qualities could challenge the way they do business.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg reporter Vernon Silver go inside the world of so-called “social casinos.” Who’s profiting the most from them? And could a slate of ongoing lawsuits change their business model?

Read more: The $11 Billion Casino-Style Economy Built on Players Who Can Never Cash Out

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Vernon Silver and Peter Robison; Edited by Aaron Edwards.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Game apps like High 5 Casino and Monopoly GO! are wildly popular. Players pay up for perks and the mobile game industry makes money &ndash; a lot of money. But scrutiny on these kinds of games and what some players call addictive, gambling-like qualities could challenge the way they do business.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg reporter Vernon Silver go inside the world of so-called &ldquo;social casinos.&rdquo; Who&rsquo;s profiting the most from them? And could a slate of ongoing lawsuits change their business model?
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-social-casino-apps-addiction/">The $11 Billion Casino-Style Economy Built on Players Who Can Never Cash Out</a>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Vernon Silver and Peter Robison; Edited by Aaron Edwards.
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

The Online Games Where the House Always Wins

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