What Buying Social Casino Coins Gets You (and What It Doesn't)

Buying coins in a social casino gets you a licence to more virtual currency inside one app, and nothing else: no cash value, no prize, no ownership and no way to sell the coins on. Coin packs are sold through the App Store, Google Play and Facebook, and in some cases directly by the publisher when you play on the web. Prices are set by the publisher in Canadian dollars in the Canadian stores, they vary by pack and platform, and they can change without notice.

Where can you buy social casino coins?

There are two routes, and the difference matters when something goes wrong.

• Through a platform. On a phone or tablet, purchases go through the App Store or Google Play, and some apps also sell through Facebook. Playtika’s terms list the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and facebook.com as platform providers; DoubleDown’s terms mention paying through your Apple, Google or Amazon account. In each case the platform’s own payment terms also apply.
• Directly with the publisher. Several apps can also be played in a desktop browser (Slotomania and House of Fun both mention this in their listings), and Playtika’s terms describe paying Playtika directly by card. Here the publisher’s own terms govern the purchase.

The route decides who handles a refund. Playtika’s terms say refunds for platform purchases are handled by the platform provider under its own policies, while direct purchases are generally non-refundable apart from errors such as unauthorized charges, items not delivered or the wrong amount. DoubleDown’s terms say virtual content sales are final. If you need to dispute a charge, our guide to refunds through the App Store and Google Play walks through the process.

How are coin packs priced?

Coins are sold in packs of different sizes at different price points. On the Canadian App Store listing for Slotomania, for example, in-app items carry names such as Mini Package, Advanced Package and Deluxe Package across a spread of prices (October 2026). Exact prices vary by app, by platform and over time, so we do not quote them.

Three things in the fine print are worth knowing before you buy:

• Prices move. Playtika’s terms say prices and availability of virtual items can change without notice, and DoubleDown reserves the right to change its pricing. An “offer” price is not a fixed reference point.
• Some purchases are random. House of Fun’s listing says its in-app purchases include random items, and the Canadian App Store flags both Slotomania and House of Fun as containing loot boxes. Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines (section 3.1.1) require apps selling randomized items to show the odds of each type before purchase.
• Gifts stay gifts. The same guideline says a gifted in-app purchase can only be refunded to the person who paid for it and cannot be exchanged.

How offers are presented inside the apps, and why they appear when they do, is covered in how in-app purchases are priced and offered.

What does a purchase get you, and what doesn’t it?

That last row is easy to miss. Both publishers’ terms allow them to end your licence or close an account that breaks their rules, and DoubleDown’s say virtual content is forfeited when that happens. The money spent stays spent. Our page on why coins have no cash value explains why the apps are built this way.

Do you pay GST or HST on coin purchases?

Generally yes. The Canada Revenue Agency says its GST/HST measures for digital-economy businesses have been in effect since July 1, 2021. Under them, non-resident sellers of digital products and services, and the distribution platform operators that handle those sales, may have to register and collect the tax from Canadian consumers. The CRA’s definition of a digital platform includes a website, store or distribution platform.

Which tax you see depends on where you live. Per the CRA’s rate table:

• Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador: a single harmonized sales tax (HST).
• Alberta and the three territories: GST only.
• British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec: GST plus a separate provincial tax (in Quebec, the Québec sales tax or QST). Each of these provinces sets its own rules on whether and how that tax applies to digital purchases.

Rates change from time to time, so we do not list them here. Playtika’s terms note that displayed prices may include or exclude tax depending on where you live, with taxes itemized at checkout. Your store receipt is the reliable record of what you paid. This is general information, not tax advice.

You can turn off in-app purchases in your device settings, as the Slotomania and House of Fun listings point out, and our guide to setting your own spending limits shows the tools Apple and Google provide. For the free alternative, see where free coins come from.