Real-money or play-money casino app: the difference

A real-money casino app and a play-money one often look the same on a phone: reels, tables, a balance at the top. The difference sits in that balance. In a real-money app it shows deposited money, and winnings can be withdrawn. In a play-money app, often called a social casino, it shows virtual coins that cannot be cashed out. The overview of the casino app compares Android, iPhone and web app for the four casinos on this site. When choosing between real money and play money, what matters is the balance, the payout and the licence behind it.

Real-money app and social casino app

A real-money app is an entry point to a casino account. You deposit through the operator’s cashier, stake money on slots or tables and have winnings paid out. For the operator the app is one more channel next to the mobile website. Searches such as “casino app mit echtem geld” or “slots app echtgeld” mean exactly this case.

A social casino app works with play currency. Coins or chips are handed out at the start, there is no exchange back into euros, and winnings stay in the game. Anyone searching for “casino app ohne echtgeld” ends up with this kind of app. One forum user asks whether anyone knows such an app that also has a website („Kennt jemand eine App (soll auch eine Webseite haben)“), looking for a casino without spending money.

Google Play keeps the two worlds strictly apart. Apps without gambling approval may not offer content that enables real-money stakes, including menu items, tabs, buttons or WebViews that lead to real-money play. Such apps are not permitted on Google Play.

The four casinos on this site are about real money only. According to goal.com, 22Bet offers an Android app as an APK from its own website; according to AskGamblers, Irwin has an Android app; Frumzi runs in the mobile browser, and according to AskGamblers 5Gringos needs no app either. Size, Android version and source of the file are covered on the page about the casino app for Android. Whether the four casinos offer a demo mode with play money: no data.

What “free” means in casino apps

“Free” has two meanings for casino apps, and searches such as “ist casino app kostenlos” mix them up. The first concerns the download. Google Play requires approved gambling apps to be free to download, and Apple’s guideline 5.3.4 sets the same rule for the App Store.

The second concerns playing. A free real-money app does not mean free play, because every stake comes from the deposited balance. No money passes through the store: Google Play forbids gambling apps from using in-app billing, and Apple’s guideline 5.3.3 forbids in-app purchases of real-money credit. Payment goes through the casino’s cashier.

The limits there differ. According to LCB, the minimum deposit is €1 at 22Bet, €5 in crypto and €10 with other methods at Irwin, and €10 at Frumzi. For 5Gringos: no data. Separate limits for the app only: no data. Methods and withdrawal limits per casino are collected on the page about deposits and withdrawals in the app.

Play-money apps work the other way round: the download and play with the starting currency cost nothing, but a win cannot be paid out. For the forum question where winnings can be paid out to PayPal („das Geld bei Paypal auszahlen lassen kann bei einem Gewinn“), only a real-money app comes into question, and that raises the question of the licence.

Licence and GGL whitelist

Google Play allows real-money gambling apps only after an application process and only with a valid gambling licence for every country in which the app appears. Germany is on the country list, but only for sports betting, horse racing and lotteries; online casino games and virtual slot games are not listed for Germany. A slot app in the German Play Store is therefore not provided for.

Apple requires licences in every location of use and geo-restriction to exactly those locations. One forum user asks what happens if the app no longer exists in the Play Store („Was ist aber, wenn die App nicht mehr im Play Store existiert“). The store rules page summarises the reasons behind a casino app not in the Play Store and the rules Google and Apple set in detail.

In Germany, a provider of online gambling needs a permit from the responsible state authority under § 4 (1) GlüStV 2021. Virtual slot games fall under the GGL; online casino games such as roulette or blackjack are regulated by the federal states themselves, as of May 2025 with 5 concessions in Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria.

Which providers hold a German permit is shown by the GGL whitelist. Advisers in forums point to it too: all providers with a licence for the German market can be found there („Alle Anbieter mit einer Lizenz für den deutschen Markt findest du unter“), followed by the link to the list. A full-text search of the list as of 02.10.2026 found 0 hits each for Frumzi, 5Gringos, 22Bet and Irwin and their operating companies; control searches for Tipico and Merkur returned 26 and 22 hits.

Permitted providers must refer to their permit and GGL supervision on their home page, since 01.07.2023 the “GGL Prüf- und Erlaubnissiegel” has been available to them for this. The whitelist contains no information about apps; the permit applies to the provider, regardless of channel.

Licence data of the 4 operators

According to casino.guru, 22Bet holds licences from Curaçao, Kahnawake and Estonia; according to AskGamblers, from Curaçao, Kahnawake, Nigeria, Mozambique and Kenya. According to de.casino.guru (as of 05.10.2026) the casino accepts players from Germany. A Reddit user writes that 22Bet has a Curaçao licence and can be used in Germany („22bet hat Curacao Lizenz und man kann es hier in Deutschland benutzen.“).

Irwin names a licence from Curaçao (Curaçao Gaming Authority); casino.guru, LCB and AskGamblers agree on that. For Irwin, LCB states “App Available: Yes” but names no platform.

Frumzi shows the widest spread: according to casino.guru Anjouan (Comoros) with number ALSI-202411077-FI2, according to AskGamblers Anjouan and PAGCOR, according to LCB no licence. There is no native app, only a web app manifest on the website.

According to casino.guru, 5Gringos holds licences from Anjouan and the Tobique Gaming Commission; according to the English edition of AskGamblers from Anjouan and PAGCOR, and according to the German edition from PAGCOR only.

For all four, licence data exists only from outside Germany (for Frumzi, according to LCB, none). An App Store app is named according to goal.com for 22Bet and AskGamblers for Irwin, while the German App Store search of 08.10.2026 found none; both sides are set out on the page about the casino app for iPhone. For Android, the format at Irwin is open. How to install a casino app, from allowing unknown sources to the first launch, is shown step by step in the guide.

Age limit 18+

Real-money gambling in Germany is allowed only from 18. Under § 4 (3) GlüStV 2021, participation by minors is not permitted; online, under § 4 (5) GlüStV 2021, operators exclude them through identification, authentication and a check against the self-exclusion register, on the website and in the app alike. Google Play requires approved gambling apps to carry the IARC rating AO (Adult Only) and clearly visible information on responsible gambling.

According to forum reports, the Play Store now applies a stricter age check. One user notes that the Play Store recently requires age verification by ID card or credit card („dass der Play-Store neuerdings eine Verifizierung des Alters durch Perso/Kreditkarte verlangt“), another that only apps rated USK 18 are affected („nur Apps die mit USK 18 ausgezeichnet sind“). According to an adviser, the date of birth in the Google account is often no longer enough.

The check at the casino is separate: an adviser in a forum names a copy of an ID and a recent bill of any kind for a payout at Tipico („eine ausweiskopie und eine aktuelle Rechnung (egal welche)“).