Meme coins no longer live only on social media threads and trading charts. They now power real bets at top crypto casinos. What started with Dogecoin as a joke currency in 2013 has grown into a full movement. Shiba Inu proved the model in 2021, while PEPE, BONK, and Dogwifhat accelerated the pace in the years that followed.
In 2025, meme-coin casino adoption sits at the center of iGaming’s payment evolution. Some casinos embrace them as a marketing tool, while others tread carefully and support only a handful. For the crypto community, this shift carries weight: meme coins are not just speculation anymore. Their integration into gambling platforms shows how cultural tokens can evolve into real payment rails, changing how users interact with Web3.
The meme coin lifecycle in iGaming
Every meme coin that makes it into a casino follows the same path. First comes viral hype. A coin launches with no real utility but explodes on X, TikTok, Discord, and Telegram. If trading volume climbs into hundreds of millions per day, exchanges list it, and whales start trading it.
Next comes payment gateway support. Services like CoinsPaid or NOWPayments integrate the coin, making it simple for casinos to plug it in. After that, tier-2 casinos may test it.
Timelines keep shrinking. DOGE took years to gain traction. SHIB needed about a year. PEPE sprinted from launch to casino deposits in weeks. BONK and WIF integrated even faster thanks to Solana’s low fees.
The strategies vary across operators. BC.Game stands out by supporting more than 17 meme coins, from DOGE, SHIB, and PEPE to niche names like BOME, Hamster Combat, and Pump.fun.
Stake and Cloudbet remain more selective, sticking with DOGE, SHIB, PEPE, and a handful of high-liquidity newcomers like Bonk, WIF, Brett, and PONKE. Cloudbet itself is BASE-friendly.
Rollbit positions itself as degen-friendly, offering PEPE, Bonk, WIF, Popcat, and Cats in a Dogs World. It also has dedicated Solana meme coins hub.
Metawin mixes Ethereum and Solana tokens, reflecting its Web3-first design.
Solana memes like Bonk and WIF gained traction faster than ERC-20 tokens because cheap, instant transactions made them perfect for micro-bets. Bonk in particular saw explosive momentum, with prices jumping 160% in a single month as it cemented its role as Solana’s top meme coin.
For the crypto community, this shift signals something bigger: meme coins are no longer just speculative assets. They function as gateways to utility, giving holders access not only to trading hype but also to real ecosystems like casinos, games, and broader Web3 experiences.
How are legacy meme coins represented in crypto casinos?
Out of 60+ sampled platforms*, support levels look like this:
- Dogecoin (DOGE): 76.6%
- Shiba Inu (SHIB): 48.4%
- Both coins: 45.3%
- Either DOGE or SHIB: 79.7%
Nearly 80% of casinos accept at least one of the two, showing how entrenched they are in payment options.
What drives casinos to list meme coins
Casinos do not chase every new meme launch. They look at a few clear drivers.
- Liquidity: Without deep order books, players cannot deposit or withdraw smoothly. PEPE crossed $1B in daily volume within weeks, which convinced casinos it was viable.
- Payment Gateway Support: Most casinos rely on CoinsPaid or NOWPayments. Once these gateways add a coin, integration becomes easy. SHIB and PEPE both spread quickly after NOWPayments included them.
- Community and Marketing: Meme coins bring their own traffic. Supporting them doubles as free advertising. When casinos announced PEPE support in 2023, social buzz spiked and new users followed.
- Longevity: Operators watch for staying power. DOGE held a loyal base for years. SHIB proved itself beyond a hype cycle. Casinos wait until a coin’s community proves it will not vanish in weeks.
Volatility and short hype cycles remain risks. Casinos sometimes de-list coins if liquidity dries up or the community moves on.
Community impact: These drivers underline the power of crypto communities. A meme coin that rallies online and shows staying power forces serious businesses to adopt it. For holders, it validates their role – they are not just speculators but part of a cultural force strong enough to influence global platforms.
Timeline: From DOGE to 2025’s meme explosion
The adoption of meme coins in iGaming spans more than a decade.
- 2013-2017: DOGE pioneers. Dice sites add Dogecoin for its cheap fees and fun culture.
- 2020-2021: SHIB proves scale. Shiba Inu rallies and enters tier-1 casinos like Stake and Cloudbet within a year.
- 2023: PEPE breaks speed records. From launch to Binance listing to casino support in weeks.
- 2024: Solana wave. BONK and WIF explode in popularity, casinos adopt them quickly thanks to low fees.
- 2025: Broad adoption. Around 20-30 meme coins see casino support. Tier-1 casinos stick to blue chips like DOGE, SHIB. Tier-2 casinos add dozens more for degen audiences.
What this means for the crypto community: The timeline shows more than casino innovation. It reflects how meme coins matured into cultural assets that shape real economic activity. DOGE and SHIB proved that internet humor could sustain billion-dollar ecosystems. PEPE, BONK, and WIF demonstrated how fast liquidity and exchange listings now turn memes into payment tools. For the crypto community, it signals a shift: memes are no longer dismissed as fads. They act as gateways for millions of users to engage with Web3, blending entertainment, speculation, and real use cases.
Predictions: What comes next
Looking ahead, the meme coin adoption cycle will keep shrinking. Tier-1 casinos will continue supporting only the largest and most liquid memes. Expect DOGE, SHIB, Trump to stay on top.
Tier-2 casinos will keep experimenting. They compete by listing the latest viral tokens, from Popcat to Pump.fun. Solana and Base chain memes will likely dominate the next wave, as both chains offer low fees and strong communities.
For the crypto community, the prediction is clear. Meme coins are becoming on-ramps into the broader ecosystem. Someone who buys a meme coin for fun can now use it in casinos, DeFi apps, and even payment platforms. This convergence strengthens the idea that crypto is not only about investment but also about culture and real-world use.
Meme coins no longer sit at the edge of iGaming. They now shape payment strategy and customer acquisition. The next viral token may already be trending on Twitter, and within months, you might see it sitting in the cashier tab of your favorite crypto casino.