What do Daniel Craig, Robert De Niro and Kevin Spacey all have in common? They’ve all featured in films linked to gambling. Jumping on the classic Hollywood bandwagon of high stakes casino games, these leading actors have all shown games such as blackjack, roulette and poker in all their gambling glory. However, these iconic images of riffling chips, spinning wheels and flying cards could be in danger thanks to the advent of mobile technology.
Through a combination of online payment processors, random number generators and age verification methods, online casinos have been able to transform common casino games into digital products. These innovations have since been scaled down, optimised and improved so that players can move seamlessly from their desktop to their mobile device.
The Rise of Mobile Gaming
Today, mobile casino gaming sites, such as Fortune Frenzy UK, have become big business for both players and operators. Recent estimates from iGaming experts suggest that the mobile casino industry is now worth close to $3billion annually thanks, in part, to a 55% increase in casino app spend via the iOS store. While the overall worth of the industry is still lower than the live casino economy, the marked growth of mobile gaming in the last three years suggests that punters are turning away from traditional options in favour of modern mobile games.
Instead of following the allure of live casino games and emulating the likes of Craig, De Niro and Spacey out in Las Vegas, young gamers are now looking towards online icons that show off their skills via live streaming networks such as Twitch. This affinity with the virtual world means players are now more likely to ante-up via their smartphone or tablet in an effort to make some money.
Virtual Casino Heroes
However, an industry cannot survive on the influence of a few online streamers. It needs to offer something more. As any avid app user will know, the speed and efficiency of doing things via a mobile device is highly impressive. Having the power to shop, bank, socialise and even earn money through a portable device is something that has changed millions of lives across the globe. In fact, it is this ease of access and overall efficiency that has made mobile casinos a winning bet for companies such as Fortune Frenzy UK, Playtech and NetEnt over the last few years.
Beyond providing instant access to casino games, mobile apps allow users to run through more bets-per-minute which, if you know anything about long-term expectation, means they can make more money. While bricks and mortar venues may hold a monopoly when it comes to interaction, these venues simply cannot compete with mobile portals in terms of money making potential. Modern life operates on a time equals money basis and the quicker a device can complete a task, the more desirable it is.
A $100 Billion Industry
It is thanks to this logic that mobile casino apps have attracted a huge following. In fact, if current projections are accurate, then the mobile casino market could be worth more than $100 billion globally by 2017. While that may not put Craig, De Niro and Spacey out of work, it might mean they will have to assume new personas if they ever want to portray a casino gambler in the future.
Photographs by Kārlis Dambrāns and Dutch Boyd