Ever since the internet came into the mainstream twenty years ago casinos and bookies have been at the forefront of monetizing the web. Before smartphones hit the scene mobile gambling was of little interest to most casinos, but once the potential was noticed, it sparked what amounts to an arms race to design the best apps for mobile play. All this has been great news for players who now enjoy superb quality games on the move whenever they wish. Here’s the five key reasons why mobile is now the main platform for online betting.
1) Smartphone Exposure
Let’s start with perhaps the most important reason why mobiles have become so essential to the gambling industry. Quite simply ever more people now own a smartphone capable of running casino apps and the latest football tips and odds on the upcoming football fixtures.
This is a worldwide trend. Likewise WiFi both domestic and public – is widely available, allowing for people to easily download games as they wish. There’s more here than meets the eye though. Many people play games – especially slots – just for fun, but in order to do so need to run the game via a casino app. By making these games free to play, casinos anticipate that a certain percentage of their customers will in time reciprocate by engaging in some real money play too.
2) Mobiles Allow For Instantaneous Betting
The importance of this factor cannot be underestimated, especially in regards to sportsbooks. In play betting while an event is taking place has become a huge part of the online betting industry, just as bonus codes have been for a long time. Via live betting players can react literally within seconds to predict the course of the game. On the other hand casinos can offer to buy players out at reduced odds. It’s highly involving and smartphones are by far and away the best device for engaging in this style of gambling. Of course the same goes for many other forms of gambling too. Casino games and sporting events can be accessed and wagered upon at any time.
3) There’s A Growing Social Scene
For years casinos have been trying to develop a social aspect to their sites, but with very limited results. Dedicated bingo sites have had some success but in the main players tend to hit the tables alone. There are signs that this might be starting to change though. Many of the most popular games that offer both free and money play are very active on mobile social media, and casinos are developing ways of encouraging people to mingle why they compete for prizes and points. However it’s likely only going to be when mobiles are powering VR (possibly just 2-3 years away) that the virtual casino night out will likely become a reality.
4) More Money Is Spent On Mobile
When considering what makes a ‘main platform’ – is it the number of participants, or the amount they spend. Obviously from a casino’s perspective it’s the latter – and this is precisely why they are dedicating so much resources into developing their online app brands. Research suggests via Optimove that people who play games for fun will convert to money play twice as quickly as those who do so on a PC. Primarily this is because they have constant access to the game wherever they may be. In regards to sports the aforementioned in-play betting looks set to soon overtake the revenue generated by traditional pre-game wagering.
5) Mobile Gaming Offers Something For Everyone
Gambling and gaming is now a very mainstream form of entertainment. No matter what a person’s interests might be, it’s almost certain that there will be an opportunity to gamble on it! For some players slots are a casual way of passing a few minutes, and for others mobiles allow them to keep an eye on fluctuating odds on horses at the day’s big meet. Even E-Sports is now becoming popular as a gambling market, while of course the old casino favorites won’t be going anywhere fast anywhere soon. There’s such a broad variety of options available for players who gamble via smartphone that there really is something for everyone.