At the dawn of online gambling in the late 90s, online casinos were only accessible via internet browsers and, at best, 56.6K speed modems. Mobile technology was still in its nascent stage and analog cell phones were emerging in the market.
With the birth of smartphones, there was a boom in mobile technology, which introduced faster processing chips, high-resolution screens, and HTML 5.0 to make websites mobile responsive. As mobile technology advanced, so did the online gaming industry. Therefore, this has made it possible for online players to access gambling sites at their fingertips. So instead of needing a laptop, desktop, or even a land-based casino, players could access online gaming through mobile apps and websites.
Today, mobile customers represent at least 80% of online casino activity. So, online gaming sites are more mobile-first when it comes to design, gaming, and payment processing. Fishing Slot machines, an independent casino game review site, has witnessed the evolution of online casinos and game providers over the years. They highlight the major impacts of mobile technology in these 3 main categories:
Online gaming interfaces
As smartphone usage began to grow, gambling platform providers recognized the need for mobile-friendly websites. This led to the creation of HTML 5.0 technology which allowed websites to adapt to smaller screen resolutions. So each site would have a unique desktop site and a mobile site without having to direct mobile users to a single mobile site domain URL.
This has enabled gambling operators to offer new mobile-oriented games to their growing mobile users. Additionally, operators were not required to target mobile and desktop SEO separately with different URLs. So, if a customer clicks on a generic link via a search engine, then the website interface can determine whether you are on a mobile device or not and relay the relevant site to the customer. If you are on a mobile device, then you access the responsive mobile site and vice versa, you access the desktop version.
As AI technology begins to be introduced into many industries, gambling operators are also starting to use it. So it will be interesting to see how AI will be used in the future to improve user experience and development in the online gaming industry.
Casino gaming software providers
At the turn of the century, there were only a handful of casino software providers. They have controlled their market share for many years. However, as mobile technology improved, new gambling startups began to take advantage of technology focused on responsive mobile gaming. Thus, slowly taking market share from large companies, who had not anticipated the transition of customers from desktop to mobile.
Today, all game studios are focusing on mobile first. All their new game releases are adapted for mobile devices. Additionally, advances in high-speed compression and live streaming allow game providers to create games with very high resolution and animation, without worrying about their games getting stuck on players’ screens all the time. . If in the past you could only play your favorite slot machine, for example Fishing frenzyat your local casino or betting shop, today you can access casino games from anywhere in the world.
Due to increasing competition among game studios, many corporate mergers have taken place between competing companies. Additionally, many older software providers have had to remaster many of their old games that gamers love, so that they can be compatible with mobile devices.
Mobile payments
Fintech is another industry that has seen major growth over the past decade. Today you can’t leave the house without your smartphone. Your entire life revolves around some piece of technology, whether it’s taking photos, using social media, emailing, calling, or making payments. Your entire life basically depends on the battery life of your cell phone.
Today, you don’t even need to carry a purse or wallet. All you have to do is tap your phone, scan a code and make your payments without cash or credit cards. So, since mobile gaming is on the rise across the globe, mobile payment solutions play a major role in facilitating transactions at online casinos. Mobile payment solutions consist of mobile e-wallets, e-vouchers, in-house smartphone applications such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as credit and debit card transactions.
Conclusion
During the Covid pandemic, online gambling increased significantly as people around the world went into lockdown. As a result, the revenues of fintechs and gaming software providers have increased significantly. Additionally, online gamblers have become more conditioned to using mobile gaming apps instead of visiting their local land-based casinos. The future of mobile gaming and the industries that power it therefore looks promising. It will be interesting to see what new innovations and technologies will appear in the gaming industry in the future.
Disclaimer:
Online gambling carries huge risks, so it should only be used for entertainment purposes. It may seem like you are winning right now, but keep in mind that the advantage is always in favor of the house. Therefore, always practice responsible online gambling at real money casino sites.
Are you, or someone you know, addicted to gaming? The National Gambling Helpline is available to help you overcome your gambling addiction. Contact them at 1-800-522-4700. Unless otherwise stated, all gaming sites and articles are restricted to persons aged 18 or over.
Some of the casinos on our list may not be accessible in your area. To find out if online gambling is legal in your area, familiarize yourself with the local laws.
Our online casino reviews are completely independent and unbiased. Although we receive commissions for our recommendations, this does not influence our ranking. We only recommend casinos offering the best gaming experience.
For free resources on gambling addiction, visit the following organizations:
* https://www.ncpgambling.org/
* https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/
* https://www.gamblingtherapy.org/
