Social Casino Terms: Coins, VIP, Sweepstakes Defined
Definitions of 14 social casino and app terms, including virtual currency, sweepstakes casino, loot box, VIP tier and simulated gambling, plainly.
On this page
Social casino apps borrow the look of a casino without real-money stakes, and they bring a vocabulary that mixes gambling words with free-to-play business terms. These definitions explain each one in plain language and say how it applies to Cashout Arcade.
Two ideas matter most. First, virtual currency has no cash value in a social casino, which is the whole difference between it and a real-money casino. Second, the way an app earns money, through purchases, streaks and VIP perks, is separate from how its games work. The games' chances are on the Odds page and perks never change them.
Cashout Arcade is for adults aged 18 and over and is entertainment only. If you want a longer comparison, see What Is a Social Casino? Plain-English Guide and Social Casino vs Real Money Casino: Key Differences. Gambling words are in Casino Game Terms: Slots, Tables and Arcade Games Defined and maths words are in Odds and Maths Terms: RTP, House Edge, Variance Defined.
Terms
Social casino
A free-to-play app that offers casino-style games played with virtual currency that has no cash value and cannot be withdrawn. Money is spent, if at all, on in-app purchases of virtual coins. Cashout Arcade is a social casino. Read the full Social casino entry
Sweepstakes casino
A site or app, different from a social casino, that runs a second kind of virtual currency which can be exchanged for cash prizes under sweepstakes rules. Cashout Arcade is not a sweepstakes casino, and its coins have no cash value. Read the full Sweepstakes casino entry
Virtual currency
A currency that exists only inside an app or game, such as Cashout Arcade coins. It can be earned by playing or bought, but it cannot be withdrawn, sold or exchanged for money or prizes. Read the full Virtual currency entry
In-app purchase
A payment made inside an app through the platform's store, here Apple's App Store, to buy digital items. In Cashout Arcade purchases buy coins and extras and never a random item, so you receive exactly what the shop shows.
Free-to-play
A model in which an app is free to download and play, and income comes from optional purchases. Free-to-play does not mean there is no spending, only that spending is not required to start or continue playing.
VIP tier
A status level that rises as you play and brings perks. In Cashout Arcade, VIP multiplies the coins from rewards such as the Gift Wall and Lucky Pick. It multiplies the coins, never the chances of any outcome.
Daily bonus
A reward you can collect once per day for returning to the app. In Cashout Arcade the Gift Wall offers one wall a day with 12 boxes, of which you open 3. The prizes are virtual coins.
Login streak
A run of consecutive days on which you open the app, often rewarded with larger gifts as the run grows. Cashout Arcade's login calendar pays fixed amounts for days 1 to 7. Streak rewards can encourage daily habits, so they are worth noticing.
Loot box
A purchase or reward that gives a random item, so the buyer does not know what they will get. It is a debated mechanic because it resembles gambling. Cashout Arcade purchases never buy a random item. Read the full Loot box entry
Whale
Industry slang for a player who spends far more than the typical player. In many free-to-play games a small share of players account for a large share of revenue, which is why spending limits and clear prices matter.
Live ops
Short for live operations. The ongoing work of running a game after launch, such as events, new games, limited-time offers and balance changes. Players see it as a steady stream of updates and new things to do.
Age rating
A classification showing which age group an app is suitable for. Apple generates it from the developer's answers about content. Frequent simulated gambling or any real gambling gives an 18+ rating on the App Store. Cashout Arcade is for adults. Read the full Age rating entry
Simulated gambling
Apple's term for betting or wagering without real money or any in-game currency that can be exchanged for real money. Social casino games fall into this category. Apple rates frequent simulated gambling 18+. Read the full Simulated gambling entry
Coin pack
A bundle of virtual coins sold as an in-app purchase. A pack has a fixed price and a fixed number of coins, shown before you buy. Coins bought this way have no cash value and cannot be refunded in-game for money.
Sources
- Apple, App Store Connect Help, Age ratings values and definitions (accessed October 27, 2026)