Gamble On Mobile Devices : Stats, Guide, Tips, Pros/Cons & Options

What’s Mobile Gambling?

When mobile devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, or tablets are used for the purpose of gambling, it’s referred to as mobile gambling. Reports state that about 10% of smartphone users and 5% of tablet users, use their devices primarily for online gambling. That’s about 3480000 users that gamble regularly on their mobile devices. This derived from a total of 2.32 billion mobile users recorded in 2017. It’s important to state that this is only the people that stated online gambling is their primary activity on their mobile devices. There are potentially a lot more people that use their mobile devices for online gambling purposes in those remaining 85%, which aren’t regular players or don’t consider online gambling as their primary smartphone activity. The mobile gambling market is expected to reach up to 54k million USD globally by the year 2025.

Options Available for Mobile Gambling :

If you’re new to mobile gambling you’re probably asking yourself how you could get started.

The answer is simple.

The main thing you need is access to the internet. This can be done through Wi-Fi, 3G or LTE. The best option would be Wi-Fi as you won’t be wasting any mobile data.

The next thing is line is accessing a gambling site. This can be done through a few options.

Option 1 – Mobile Site (via Mobile Browser)

To use a mobile site, open your mobile browser and enter the web address in the address bar. Next, you’ll need to register. A lot of older websites have separate versions of their website for computers and mobile devices. A downside of this is that in most cases they’re only compatible with Android and Apple devices. An easy way to tell that a website has a separate mobile site is if they redirect you to a different location while accessing their website.

Option 2 – Native App

Casinos that have their own apps mean that you can get them from your phone’s application store, or via a third-party software supplier. Most apps are available for all platforms. It’s good to note though, that some apps are exclusive to a particular software, so some will work only on Apple products and some will work only on Android. To play on an app, you need to download it and register, once you enter your account details and verify your account you can start playing. The pros of apps are that they’re designed specifically for mobile devices. In most cases, this means that they’re more responsive and user-friendly than a lot of websites on mobile and have better graphics and gameplay. The cons of apps may be the fact that the website must send you a download link or QR code, or you’ll need to download it from the application store which might take a bit of time.

Option 3 – HTML5 Site

HTML5 is a programming language that’s primarily used to build websites. Casino games on browsers are great since they allow users to play right away. They’re usually in the forms of Flash or HTML5 based applications that work well on mobile browsers. It’s good to have your phone updated to the latest version, and to make sure it supports Flash Player so you can play. Most devices should work fine but it’s always best to keep up with the latest software. HTML5 based websites are quite responsive on mobile. This means that there is no need for separate app downloads or websites since the website elements shift around to fit the mobile screen. HTML5 is the most compatible out of all of the options listed.

If you’re unsure of what you can get from the gambling site or what they can do for mobile users, try accessing their mobile website. Most of them have information on how to find and download their apps or list links for how to access their mobile-friendly sites.

Pros and Cons of Mobile Gambling:

Pros of Mobile Gambling

There are so many reasons why people prefer mobile gambling and below are the top choices.

Convenient: You can gamble at any time and any place.
Kill Time: Thanks to mobile devices boredom is a thing of the past. You can use your phone to check the odds on a mobile sportsbook while waiting in line to grab your morning coffee, you can play a round of poker while commuting to work, or play the slots while you sit in your dentist’s waiting room.
One Account is all You Need: Easy access is a saving grace mobile devices grant us in this day and age. You can have all of your accounts on one device and all you need to do is simply log in. In contrast to traditional casinos, you don’t need to cash out every time you make a winning. Your balance can remain online and you can continue playing whenever you please.
Wi-Fi Is Everywhere: With how fast the internet has grown altogether, the need for it has grown with it. This has prompted Wi-Fi access points to be everywhere. Not only that but mobile data plans are now a lot better, offering much more, if not unlimited usage. This makes access to online gambling websites as easy as pie.
Special Bonuses: A lot of the online gambling platforms out there offer special bonuses for mobile users. You can take full advantage of this and earn free spins on slot machines, free tips, and even free cash.
Free to Play is an Option: The phone game market is booming at the moment. This means that there are plenty of options out there for people that like casino-style games that they can get for free. The downside to a lot of these though is the fact that many of them come with pop up ads and banners that can put a damper on the whole experience. To top it all off, you only get a limited number of times per day you can play. Online casinos offer a free to play option on their websites and apps for people to try out the games and get used to them before plunging into playing for money. You still need to register to the websites so you can play but you don’t need to play for money until you’re ready.
Touchscreen: One of the big advantages of mobile gaming is touch and swipe technology. This makes it possible for new types of games to be made, and for existing ones to easily incorporate this system. This way the games are more optimized for mobile and they’re easier to play.

Cons of Mobile Gaming:

Addiction to Gambling. Like everything in life, mobile gambling should be practiced with moderation. While playing for real money can be a nice incentive, it can lead to spending hours on your phone without stopping. If you think you may be experiencing some signs of gambling addiction you should seek help and try to avoid gambling altogether. Many casino games were designed specifically to keep the player glued to them for hours. This is especially true for slot machines. The music, the lights, the special effects are all part of it. These games were made by programmers to keep players in a loop of continuous play. All of these marketing tricks combined make slot machines up to four times more addictive than the rest of the games you can find in a casino.
Internet Connection. Sometimes the internet can be our biggest downfall. While playing online games it often happens that our internet disconnects and we’re left with a bitter feeling. Other times our internet connection may be slow and lagging, making games load too long or get interrupted.
Hacking. Every time we go on the internet and exchange information, there’s a security risk present. The internet can be an amazing platform for so many things but sadly the risk of your information being accessed by hackers is a very real possibility. Everyone who practices online gambling needs to be aware of this possibility, and know that their personal information might be stolen if the websites they use get hacked.

Tips for Mobile Gambling :

Apps for online gambling should always be free. The profit these apps make is through the people that use their app to gamble with real money. It’s best to avoid casinos that require a purchase of their app.
In general, you aren’t able to play on more than 3 tablets at the same time on mobile devices, so plan with this in mind.

Conclusion

Gambling on mobile continues to grow each year with an expected increase of 18.84% by 2021. This is because of the increase in mobile device usage in general and the fact that companies are starting to target the younger audience a lot more. While the average age of online gamblers is 35, younger gamblers are much more likely to be using their mobile devices instead of PCs or laptops. There are a lot more choices now when it comes to the online gambling world. Branded slots are dished out more often which are appealing to the younger demographic, and a lot of new features are added regularly to keep up with demand. For those that enjoy the action but can’t afford to travel to see it, live casino games have been made available on mobile devices which gives them easy access from the comfort of their own home.