After spending over a decade in the iGaming industry, I’ve seen how mobile gaming has completely changed the game. The majority of us are now smartphone owners, leaving 54% of the world population mere taps away from their favorite casino games.
More and more providers are making the move over to this convenient technology, with whole game libraries now available. I do not doubt that mobile gaming represents the industry’s future, but what else is driving us towards the robotic age Blade Runner dreamed of?
How Mobile Gaming Has Impacted the iGaming Industry
Mobile gambling dates back to the early 2000s, with many lotteries being the first to leap forward to allow punters to purchase tickets online. In fact, the UK lottery was one of mobile gambling’s first examples when it rolled out in 2003. It wasn’t until 2011 that Apple actually allowed users to download real-money gambling apps from their store, giving mobile gambling a sizable boost.
Of course, with iGaming more accessible than ever, thanks to mobile phones, that means a record number of players. Mobile gaming has also become the dominant online product, with 85% of online revenue now coming from mobile platforms; it’s clear that mobile gaming has become the future focus for the iGaming industry.
Why Is Mobile Gaming Popular?
I think it’s impossible to deny that the primary reason behind mobile gaming’s popularity is the element of convenience. Rather than having to commute to a casino or head to their PC to play, users are just a couple of taps and swipes away from their favorite casino games. It means that we can play from wherever we are, whenever we like. That’s a big development for those who haven’t got time to travel to a casino or those who live quite a distance away from one.
It also means that there’s none of the pretence that you can sometimes get at casinos. By that, I mean having to dress up, travel, and gain entry. Instead, I just pull my phone out of my pocket and begin playing from the comfort of my own home, and even in my PJs if I like!
More Game Choice
I’m consistently in awe of the incredible amount of choice available at iGaming providers. It’s not like in-person casinos where you’re picking between a roulette wheel or a poker game; there are options on top of options. There are more niche games, as well, that you don’t often see at casinos, like keno, mines, and plinko; there’s always something new to try.
Each game choice then has additional options within it. Let’s look at one of the most popular iGaming options, slots, as our example. They’ve exploded in popularity thanks to the incredible variety of options that cater to a huge range of players. First, there are low-budget options with each slot spin starting from just a few cents. You will also find interactive slots, which utilize mini-games like puzzles to determine their overall outcome. Another option is progressive slots, where the prize on offer grows alongside the number of spins.
More Bonuses
How often have you experienced a bonus at an in-person casino? Personally, I’ve never seen it, but I have, on rare occasion, heard of them for the very highest of high rollers. That couldn’t be further from the case at mobile casinos, where absolutely everyone can enjoy the bonuses on offer. There are even no-deposit and low-deposit options, each aimed specifically at those on a lower budget, allowing them to stretch their money further.
High-Level Security
I’ve heard many players discuss concerns about uploading their personal information to online casinos. While I definitely appreciate that, and you should never enter your details unless you’re sure that a site is safe, mobile casinos now have high levels of security. It’s pretty much an industry given that sites will use SSL encryption and firewalls to keep your information safe.
Additional Payment Methods
The mobile gambling industry owes a lot to the development of convenient electronic payment methods. We started with card payments and bank transfers, both of which are still popular payment methods today. Now, there are e-wallets and cryptocurrency payment methods, which make paying at online casinos even easier.
E-wallets have just recently become the most popular payment method at casinos; they include the likes of PayPal, Apple Pay, Skrill, and Neteller. E-wallets’ popularity stems from their faster transaction speeds, with most transactions arriving within 24 hours, and their lower fees compared to cards and bank transfers.
Those are the same reasons behind the popularity of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Ethereum at casinos. Crypto also has other advantages, like the fact that it’s a universal, decentralized currency; that means that players don’t face steep exchange rates when playing at overseas providers.
The Rise of Live Games
One of the stumbling blocks for many players when it comes to moving from land-based casinos to mobile ones is the loss of the social element and atmosphere. It’s incredibly hard for online providers to compete with the bustling environment of an in-person casino; after all, there’s nothing quite like seeing the glittering lights of a casino sign in the distance.
One way that the iGaming industry has been better replicating the atmosphere of land-based casinos is through live dealer games. These use a real dealer or croupier, like you would get at a casino, and allow players to interact with them through a livestream. They can compete against the dealer in real time, while experiencing the enhanced set design.
Entering Virtual Reality
I mentioned earlier that there are other factors that have been supporting the iGaming industry’s growth, and one of those is virtual reality. Similar to live dealer games, this cutting-edge technology is used to bring players within touching distance of the real casino deal. They simply don headsets to be immersed within the elaborate virtual casino world.
Intricate graphic design, combined with all of the sounds you’d expect to hear in a casino, creates an incredibly immersive experience. Players can even interact with elements like spinnable wheels, poker chips, and cards, as well as other characters. They can also customize the avatar that represents them in the virtual world.
Adding Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has been one of the biggest developments for mobile gaming and has truly impacted every area of the industry. Starting with the most obvious — you’ve more than likely seen AI used in a customer service capacity with chatbots. They answer questions much faster than a human representative could, scouring the internet for accurate answers. Of course, there’s always going to be queries that only humans can handle and AI actually frees up human representatives for the more complex inquiries.
Improving Security and Safety
One of AI’s most bantered-about assets is its ability to process a vast amount of data in a short time, an advantage that has great potential in the iGaming industry. In terms of security, it can help improve it by efficiently analyzing player habits. For example, if the algorithm detects that someone is making a choice faster than humanly possible, it can flag it. It also highlights any accounts that are sharing the same personal information, often an indication of someone creating multiple profiles to claim a bonus more than once.
Providers have also started to seriously consider how the same process could be used to improve player safety. The same algorithm can be used to detect unhealthy player habits, like overnight playing or high spikes in spending. I think we’re not far away from seeing it not only detect problem habits, but also offer interventions through suggesting responsible gambling tools.
Is Mobile Gaming the Future?
Mobile gaming offers an unparalleled level of convenience, helping iGaming reach more players than ever before. It’s not just convenient, though; there are also more games, ways to pay, and bonuses, which appeal widely to a range of players. More of us own a mobile than ever before, putting casino games right at our fingertips and explaining why so much innovation is focused on the technology.
I find it hard to deny that mobiles are the future for the iGaming industry, and combined with other technologies like cryptocurrency, VR, and AI, I believe they’ll become the most popular way to gamble in the near future.
Author Bio:
Lucius Boehm is an expert in iGaming and sports writing with over ten years of industry experience. His wealth of knowledge, combined with direct insight from being a player himself, as well as a Degree in Sport, Health and Physical Education from the University of Auckland, has made him one of the industry’s most prolific voices.
Read Dive is a leading technology blog focusing on different domains like Blockchain, AI, Chatbot, Fintech, Health Tech, Software Development and Testing. For guest blogging, please feel free to contact at readdive@gmail.com.
