Gambling has entered a new era. Gone are the days where gambling either took place in a brick-and-mortar location in big cities (often limited to a handful of casinos in an entire country) or a shady back alley with all the risks you can imagine. Players and online casinos alike have embraced mobile gambling, putting every game imaginable at the accessibility level of texting, online banking, and finding your next lunch spot. Mobile gambling doesn’t just give you an array of games, but ensures you’re playing in a safe and regulated environment where your money is safe.
Although mobile gambling has seen an incredible rise in popularity, we’re still seeing the beginning of all that’s possible. Casinos are increasingly shifting their attention to offering new mobile games, new experiences, and offering each and every one of their services straight to your pocket.
Mobile gambling provides a lot of benefits for the players
The rise in mobile gambling is mostly the result of technological advancements, further aided by the explosive growth in players’ interest in new casino games. Similar to the growth of casual games, mobile gambling helps players build small moments to escape the drag of normal life. Using mobile devices further gets these popular games right where people use them – the old practice of downloading a casino environment on your desktop computer kept more casual players at bay.
By offering mobile websites, online casinos further eliminate even the need for a dedicated app. Online video slots, live casino games (where traditional table games are streamed over live video), and sports betting options can be played straight from the website itself. Players can play for a short period of time, giving an entirely different experience. Even those players who’d never visit a casino for a number of reasons will pull up a gambling website on their phone. Mobile gambling simply lowers the psychological threshold to start playing, which is one of the main advantages for both casinos and players.
Eliminating the need for mobile casino apps or software also makes mobile gambling much easier. Before mobile gambling options were available, players had to enter a physical casino. As regulars will know, casino floors come with an etiquette that needs to be learned, and can be overwhelming at first. Browsing an online casino on your phone is much less intimidating. As online casinos give players the option to try many games for free, learning the games is easier, too.
Mobile gamers tend to spend more money than traditional desktop players
It’s not just the players that benefit from the rise in mobile gambling. Casinos are also wise to heavily invest into their mobile offering. Not only does it make for happy visitors and does offering multiple platforms bring multiple revenue streams, but from the casino’s perspective, mobile players are simply better players.
Mobile casino players spend more, play faster, deposit faster, and convert better than their traditional web peers. Part of this comes simply from the ease of use: once you’re using mobile gambling apps or the mobile casino website, playing a mobile casino game becomes something you do while waiting for a bus, going to the bathroom, or any of the other things people do while picking up their phone 1,500 times a week.
This multitasking is thought to be another reason mobile players outspend their web-preferring peers. Web players sit down to play at some point during the day, while mobile gamers play throughout the day in short bursts. This speed also translates to conversion speeds (turning players into paying customers).
While conversion rates don’t show a significant difference, the median mobile player starts depositing after 8 days – web-based players show a median of 21 days. For a subsequent payment, the median mobile gamer is twice as fast still, with a five-day gap between the first and second payment versus a ten-day gap for web players.
The future of online betting
The world of online casinos is rapidly changing. Mobile gambling now includes playing roulette and blackjack across the world through live video streaming. This already mimics the classical roulette experience a lot better than the outdated software players were forced to download just a decade ago.
Mobile gambling allows players to step into a virtual casino at any point in their day, changing a mundane moment into a chance to win big. Live casino games (through video streaming) are still rapidly developing. New game types are added regularly, and developers of live casino games are growing their revenues by staggering numbers.
The next step in developing mobile gambling is introducing a true VR environment where players can immerse themselves into a casino experience at any time. Some casinos have experimented with VR technology, but no breakthroughs have happened yet. However, it’s only a matter of time before mobile gambling includes the option to step aboard a 1930sstyle Mississippi river boat with all live casino options in a literally sensational experience.