Complete these offers and get a FREE THING.

Have you played any online social games recently? If so, you may have noticed that they’re becoming tiny industry cash cows, even though you don’t really want to pay for currency. Game companies have noticed this, don’t worry.

Offerpal, who runs quite a few of the promotions attached to game incentives, released the results of a survey at GDC that sheds light on some statistics related to social gaming currency incentives.

First off, a little over half (53.3%) of people who play games are willing to complete marketing actions (like filling out a survey, buying from a specific online retailer, or watching a video) in exchange for in-game currency. Sure, that’s one way to do it. (Just a reminder that if you choose this route, be incredibly careful when completing these offers – especially the surveys! You don’t know who’s selling your information once they get it, and you have no control over it past the point of clicking “next.” People pay big bucks to get information and do nefarious things with it, so if you do this and start getting twenty Pottery Barn catalogs a week….well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

About a third of people who play online games don’t have the means to pay for currency, and of that remaining two-thirds, one third (that’s two-ninths of the total for those keeping score at home) is “highly unlikely” to pay. Those two groups are a lot more likely to complete offers, with filling out a survey being most popular, and signing up for a movie subscription program to be the least popular. At the end of the day, only one in five gamers are willing and able to flat-out purchase currency, with men ages 25-34 comprising a majority of that group. As far as that age range goes for men and women, well, they’re also the most likely to complete marketing actions. At least half of all players play their social games once a day, and the favorite is virtual world simulations (your Farmvilles and their ilk).

Filling out surveys is a pretty easy way to get your fake cash, but just be careful out there, okay? Some companies are a lot more reputable than others, and it’s hard to tell the difference. The only way to be 100% safe is to just flat-out buy your in-game money if given the option. Or, just buy a game that won’t force you to do that. It might not connect to your Facebook, but trust me, your friends won’t mind.