Gambling has become a lot more intimate and accessible since casinos went digital, and now with mobile gaming becoming more prevalent, we can easily see the benefits of playing online.
Playing on smartphones and tablets has created a sense of portability for Internet gamblers, but we can only presume it will continue to advance. We take a look at the current mobile gaming market, as well as the potential for growth in the online gambling industry in association to mobile gaming.
Mobile online gambling
Many online casinos and software providers are catching on that players enjoy the portability that smartphones and tablets bring when accessing Internet casino games. The best thing about playing on portable devices is you can play anywhere you have an Internet connection. Therefore, you can play when commuting to work, while waiting for your coffee to be made, or even while laying in bed.
Mobile software developers: Software providers, including the top leading gaming giants Microgaming and Net Entertainment, have adapted some of their popular games to be compatible with the mobile platform; while other software providers, including Play’n Go, are specifically mobile-focused and create all games they release to be compatible with smartphones and tablets. These include:
- Baccarat
- Blackjack
- Keno
- Poker
- Roulette
- Scratch cards
Advantages of gambling on a smartphone or tablet
While playing via our smartphone or tablet is quite beneficial in terms of portability, there can be drawbacks. Games played on mobile devices generally require you to play in landscape mode, and, depending on what device you are playing on, the screen size can be limited. Additionally, some of our favourite desktop games aren’t available via mobile devices and it might be quite some time before they are.
Regardless, smartphone and tablet users can play a large number of games with many Internet casinos offering a substantial mobile game catalogue; they can make real money deposits and withdrawals via their portable device; and all personal and financial details are protected by the same data encryption technology the Internet casino desktop counterpart offers, provided it is a reputable online casino. We have found the best mobile casinos to play via your smartphone or tablet to ensure your safety.
Best mobile casinos
There are countless Internet casinos out there though some are better than others, while there are quite a few which aren’t good at all. We have put together a list of recommended online casinos to play via your mobile in order to remain safe and secure when playing on your smartphone or tablet. None of these have received a poor review and ensure customers are safe when playing. Playing at these sites means you won’t accidentally play at at a rogue online casino and have your money stolen from you.
So where to next for mobile gambling? We can’t ever be too sure of where the market is going but we can make some calculated predictions. First up, we are going to take a look at the near future of mobile gambling, which includes a change in the platform.
Gambling on wearable technology
Smartphones and tablets have been pushed aside to make way for wearable technology. These include watches, headsets, rings and more. While some have been available on the market for quite some time such as the Sony Smartwatch, it is only coming to the forefront due to the mainstream media’s attention on the Apple iWatch, released April 2015. This means that it hasn’t really been necessary for online operators and software developers to look into creating games compatible for wearable technology.
Until they become the norm for consumers to use, as smartphone and tablets eventually became, there won’t be a market for online casinos to enter. But if and when they do, players may be able to play on their wearable technology, for example their smartwatch, via voice commands.
Will gambling become even more portable?
But how will this benefit players any further than smartphones and tablets already do? Wearable technology means we don’t have to hold it in our hand, or run the risk of dropping it on our face when laying in bed, and this means mobile gambling will become even more portable. But then of course there are limitations in terms of just how portable it can be.
Until it becomes acceptable in public to randomly call out commands to these type of devices, playing in public may be a bit difficult via voice command. Additionally, screen size is limited with some of these types of devices, which can be considered a drawback. The best advantage we can see coming from casino games made for wearable technology is the immersive experience some devices offer.
Virtual reality smartphone gaming
There are two types of Virtual Reality headsets that could potentially change portable gaming at online casinos. The first one involves an attachment for smartphones, and the second one, which we will discuss below, is a standalone headset. There are many VR headsets for smartphones available, but Google was the first to bring out this type of device.
Gambling with Google Cardboard
Google launched Google Cardboard for smartphones in 2014 and it is literally a headset attached to smartphones made out of cardboard. It is mounted on a smartphone and works in conjunction with lenses, a magnet, a fastener, and a rubber band for users to view a screen.
Since the release, there have been a series of VR headsets which mimic the design. It basically creates a 3D landscape and this can be quite beneficial for gambling. However, since we need to make bets by tapping the screen, we would have to constantly take the smartphone out of its VR set and make the bet, then put it back in to view. This kind of gaming would benefit from voice commands and that is exactly what VR headsets, the standalone type not the smartphone additions, may offer for online gambling in the future.
However, since smartphones are constantly upgrading, we soon may be able to do everything via voice commands including making bets so these headsets for our smartphones may be quite useful. We do want to note though that this type of attachment may actually make portable gaming more limited, with players vision completely immersed into the virtual reality.
Virtual Reality Headsets
The second device is the VR standalone headset which are definitely on the horizon to be the next big thing. Oculus Rift, created due to a crowd funding campaign, could be considered the reason big tech giants like Google and Samsung are creating, or have created, VR headsets. These headset are mounted on the head and the images are projected to the users eyes via a projector, which can vary in number and placement depending on the headset. For example, Samsung Gear VR was released in 2014 and while you need a Samsung Galaxy Note to use it, it creates 96-degree viewing angle for users to view a virtual reality. This is incredibly beneficial for those who want to really be engrossed in a casino game.
While no specific casino apps from any of our online casinos have been created specifically for the Samsung Gear VR, it could be in the works. Additionally, users can visit the online casinos site via the headset as it allows website browsing. While these aren’t really comparable to smartphones or tablets, because you can’t use the headsets wherever you like due to their inability to use vital senses at the same time, it is set to create a more immersive experience for gaming online.
Additionally, some need smartphones to power them, which requires players to have the same brand of smartphone which many may not have. There is potential, however, for these to be a product that do not rely on other devices to work.
Benefits of VR headsets for online gaming
Overall, we think that if software developers view this type of platform as a worthwhile opportunity for their games to be launched on, it could benefit the players who want a land-based casino experience but cannot physically get there, nor are satisfied with the level of immersion when playing via a laptop, desktop, smartphone or tablet.
Our mobile gaming predictions
The tech world is a hard world to predict in terms of where it will head next and due to this, online operators and software developers have to always be on their toes. Even if VR headsets are released by big tech giants they may not be very popular amongst consumers and this is what the online operators need to consider. So while it may have seemed it was quite a while before online casinos began to go mobile, it was the best time period for the online casinos and developers, since the tech world can go either way when it comes to how consumers receive a certain device.
Since smartphones and tablets have taken off, it is only fitting online operators and software developers follow suit and offer a mobile casino catalogue. This is how we have come to the conclusion that the future of smartphone and tablet gaming, in terms of tech wearables, smartphone attachments, and, VR headsets, ultimately depends on whether the devices take off.
While we have pointed out the benefits of each category, there are drawbacks too which can take mobile casino gaming in another direction. For example, VR headsets aren’t as portable as smartphones and tablets, but they are more immersive meaning online gaming becomes less transportable but more thrilling.
However, the future of smartphone and tablet gambling may just see more platform potentials for players as the ultimate benefit. So rather than having to choose from a desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet, we will also be able to choose form a VR Headset, standalone or for smartphones; or other wearable tech devices when playing online.