Mobile betting and gambling are on the rise. The trend is clear, for example, from the number of mobile payments. Players not only play on mobiles but also pay with them. According to research, in 2012 only 6% of all gambling payments were paid by mobile. In 2018 this figure rose to 70%.
The most popular form of mobile gambling is betting on sports and lotteries. The way people bet is also drastically changing. In the UK, for example, 55% of all players use a mobile phone to bet. 45% bet on desktop or laptop. The online casino has also noticed this evident trend and started offering many advantages to mobile players. These may include exclusive bonuses or loyalty rewards.
There are currently two ways to bet on mobile. Players can download the casino/bookmaker app or register directly on the website to play there.
Browser Playing vs the Mobile App
Virtually all online casinos offer mobile gaming directly in the browser. This means they have websites optimized for access from smartphones and tablets. Due to touch screens technology and different screen sizes, the casino games vary slightly. Respectively, the games remain the same, but control is adjusted, such as setting up buttons.
Otherwise, playing casino games on your mobile is the same games as playing on your computer. The significant advantage of mobile gaming is that you can start the game practically anywhere. And because of the high-capacity data tariffs currently available to virtually everyone, you no longer need to be within the range of a Wifi network.
Android vs iOS
The question is, for which operating systems are these applications designed for? In general, Android apps are more often seen. In 2019, Apple issued changes to the guidelines for posting gambling apps in the Apple Store. According to the new rules, developers can no longer only embed websites using HTML5 technology but must use native iOS coding.
In understandable terms, apps developers now need to create a unique Android app and a separate app for iOS devices, which is time-consuming and costly. Besides, the gambling provider must have a license for the country in which the application will be offered. For example, more than 25,000 apps were banned from the Apple Store in China in 2018.
There are limitations for Google Play as well. All mobile apps allowing gambling must comply with these rules:
- Companies must be licensed in France, Ireland or the UK
- Apps must restrict downloads from foreign countries
- Apps should be free
- Apps must restrict underage players
- Apps must display information promoting responsible gambling
- Apps must offer real money gambling
- Companies must pass Google’s application process
In-app Bonuses
For the last few years, casinos are creating own mobile apps. These casinos then provide exclusive bonuses for players using these applications.
Types of casino bonuses:
- Free spins on slot machines
- Cash deposit bonus
- Cashback
- Loyalty points
It depends on each casino what kind of reward it chooses for mobile players. Most often, like in sunmaker casino you can see a cash deposit bonus. This means that every time a player sends money to their account, the casino, for example, doubles the deposit. Each casino has several similar bonuses, but only recently has there been a trend where selected promotions are only available to mobile phone users.
Of course, all these bonuses are subject to relatively strict conditions. For example, players cannot withdraw bonus funds before they wager a certain amount proportional to the amount of bonus received.
