Smartphones are an important part of our lives. To some, the devices provide careers. With hundreds of apps to keep us busy and the Internet to connect us with the world, the small, hand-held computers are indispensable. As much as the gadgets are important to everyone, smartphones have been changing gaming in a significant way.
In 2017, mobile game providers earned a combined income of $40.6 billion, roughly the same amount as Facebook. Electronic Arts was the biggest earner thanks to the continued popularity of the Battlefield series, FIFA, NFL and Star Wars.
Apart from conventional games, online casino games are finding a new home in smartphones. More than 2.53 billion people around the world own a smartphone. Most of them use the devices every day to access their gambling accounts.
When notified of offers through their email accounts early in the morning, gamblers no longer wake up to use their desktop computers for gambling. They log onto their accounts using their iPhones or android devices. That is just one of the ways mobile devices have impacted the gaming industry. Here are other ways.
Quick Payments
Gone are the days when a credit card payment could only be completed using a personal computer. Nearly every payment method can be done on a mobile device. E-wallet payments like PayPal, VISA, and MasterCard can all be accessed and processed in the comfort of your phone.
Even newer payment methods like bitcoin don’t require an advanced computer to settle. Your typical Internet-connected smartphone is all you need for the job. In addition to the ability to access your account and fund it instantly, mobile devices also enable gameplay.
Seamless Game Playing
All your favorite online games can be accessed on mobile devices. From poker to slot games, Blackjack to live dealers, you can do everything done on web-based casinos with your phone. If you love apps, some casinos allow you to access their bonus bets through an app available on play stores.
Contrary to popular belief, modern smartphones support 3D games with advanced graphics and features like a computer can. Of course, the experience may differ. But a good smartphone will support every modern game found in casinos and run them with zero lagging.
Virtual Reality
It may be taking too long to actualize for some, but virtual reality is quickly advancing. Soon, using VR equipment to experience a new dimension as you play your favorite online games on your smartphone will be a possibility.
Millions of people around the world already use VR to watch films and play computer-based games. In fact, the demand for virtual reality equipment is so high that developers are having a hard time coping with demand.
On play stores, there are a few VR apps designed to help with several things. While not yet very advanced, it’s a great cue that virtual reality for mobile iGaming will soon be something everyone can access. Renowned provider NetEnt was the first company to produce a VR slot game in 2017. Mobile phone developer Samsung is also on record for saying its phones will soon have a VR feature.
When properly enabled, virtual reality places players in a new dimension where they view games in a better manner. Instead of viewing games as they appear in front of their smartphones, gamers become part of the game. Developers cater mostly to android and iOS, the two main operating systems for mobile devices.
Support for HTML5—best for iGaming
Mobile apps for online gambling are plenty on play stores, but casinos don’t like them. With no actual need for an app, HTML5 has been the driving force for bringing casinos to smartphones. The programming language ensures that games supported on computers can be displays on phones with the same quality.
HTML5 is the primary language for building websites. You can check for Neds bookmarker review thanks to a site built using the language. HTML is also important in helping developers make interactive games. From geo-targeting to formatting screen sizes, animation to graphics, most features are possible on smartphones thanks to the language.
When playing games displayed on HTML5, players don’t have to adjust their settings. They don’t have to change anything at all to increase convenience.
Attracting Millennials
Before the advent of the smartphone, young people constituted only a small portion of gamblers. Since 2010, millennials are the biggest age group in iGaming. When you add generation Z (born after 2000), the youth have become the engine that drives online game playing.
Millennials are flocking to iGaming because they are the biggest consumers of smartphones. They also spend the highest amount of time online. In a recent Pew Research, 92% of teens admit to using the Internet daily. 56% of them use the Internet multiple times using their mobile devices. They love mobile games and spend millions on the games they love. It’s no surprise that the popularity of casino games is growing rapidly into the large age group.
Social Casinos
A unique segment of iGaming growing rapidly among mobile users is social casinos. Popular with social media users, these gambling platforms are linked directly to social media sites like Facebook. Started to attract millennials, the sites only became popular around 2013.
Social casinos have been growing quite fast in recent years. And as expected, they have been immensely popular among millennials. 71% of young people that own smartphones are members of a social media network. Some social networks are largely popular with all age groups, which also helped expand the growth of social casinos.
Due to the difficulties of integrating games to some social networks, only a few game types are offered through social gambling sites. Slot games lead the way followed by poker and bingo. The latter type is particularly popular and has features that allow players to chat and interact.
In Conclusion
Smartphones are here to stay, and so are mobile games. With more than 3 billion people expected to own a smartphone by 2020, developers are not slowing down in developing solutions for mobile owners. When it comes to iGaming, handheld devices are the new conduits for accessing games.
Many gamblers are embracing smartphones for gambling. And though not exclusively, players admit they use their mobile phones to play or access their accounts on a regular basis.
