It’s no secret that mobile gambling is immensely popular, with the industry estimated to have taken £21.54 billion last year, making up almost 17% of gambling takings worldwide, and expected to be worth a staggering $100 billion by 2017.
There are hundreds of mobile casinos available to the millions of online players looking to satisfy their gambling needs, and there are options to suit every interest, whether it be sports, table games or arcade machines.
So it’s easy to see where the meteoric rise in mobile gambling has come from, but at Pocket App, we think that there are three key factors that are contributing to this growth.
Convenience and ease of use
Time is a precious commodity. As we work longer days and make longer commutes, we often have to make a conscious effort to balance work and play. As a result, we want to take full advantage of every moment of our free time and to have the best leisure activities ready and waiting at our fingertips whenever we want them. The growing plethora of mobile gambling sites available ensure that we can satisfy our need for quick and easy entertainment almost anywhere.
Being able to quickly and conveniently access mobile gambling sites is particularly important for consumers who want to bet on sports, an area which accounted for an impressive £845 million worth of revenue in 2014. Odds can fluctuate rapidly, and with the vast number of different sports and games that mobile has made available for players to bet on only continuing to grow, audiences expect the ability to be connected anytime, anywhere.
The specially developed apps by companies such as Ladbrokes, William Hill and Bet365 are excellent modern examples, and have drawn a huge following by making the mobile gambling process beautifully simple, allowing players to link their bank accounts to the app and instantly place a bet. A significant portion of the success of mobile gambling can be attributed to this simplification of what has previously been a time-consuming process. The trip to the bookie’s shop is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
Cost
The low cost of mobile gaming in general makes it a very attractive option as quick and easy entertainment, and mobile gambling is no different. With the majority of console games, such as Playstation and Xbox, retailing at around £50 when released onto the market, the prospect of a mobile alternative that costs just a few pounds to download, or may even be completely free, is a significant factor fuelling the increase in players looking to mobile to satisfy their gaming needs.
The cost of downloading an app or joining a mobile casino aside, the price of gambling itself can be significantly cheaper online than in a walk-in casino. Players of games such as poker and blackjack can join a game on some mobile sites from as little as £5, a significantly lower cost than if they were to sit and play at a casino table.
Social
As I’m sure you may be aware, there is growing social aspect to mobile and online gambling, with sites such as Facebook allowing players to use real money to pay for virtual currency that can be gambled with in games such as poker and blackjack. What sets the majority of these particular games apart from the experience of playing in conventional online casinos is the fact that players receive no cash reward for winning games. These games are intended to be purely social, by encouraging players to engage specifically with their friends on social media sites, and as a result, adds a new side to gambling that simply can’t be experienced in a conventional casino, playing solely for the sake of enjoyment as opposed to the chance of earning financial rewards off the back of a wager.
It’s safe to say that mobile has forever changed the way people gamble. Being able to access online casinos and apps via a mobile device has added speed, flexibility and convenience to the process, so much so that many will now visit the bookie’s shop only as a novelty to place a bet on a truly significant event, such as the Grand National or the World Cup.
Whether it be placing a quick bet midway through a football match via the Ladbrokes app, settling in for a lengthy game on Pokerstars, or joining your friends on social media for a friendly game, mobile gambling is booming and there are no signs of it abating in the future.
But this mobile revolution is not restricted to the gambling industry. Mobile is having a game-changing effect upon almost every aspect of modern life, and the value of mobile development that stands out from the competition and improves everyday processes for businesses and consumers is reaching devastating heights, as evidenced by the recent acquisition by large media corporations of not one, but three mobile app developers – Mubaloo, The App Business and Arctouch.
At Pocket App, we believe that convenience, low cost and sociality are key to success in the majority of apps, whether it be for gambling, ordering a takeaway, making a charitable donation or hailing a taxi. The phrase “there’s an app for that” has never carried as much meaning as it has today.
Our prediction for the gambling industry is therefore much the same as it is for the majority of industries that are embracing mobile to improve their processes. As long as developers appreciate their audience’s desire for an app that allows them to simply and efficiently manage what is important to them, whether that be social or business, the app market is only going to keep on growing.
About Pocket App
Pocket App is the UK’s largest independent app developer, designing, developing and distributing award-winning mobile apps. Founded in 2011, Pocket App’s senior executives collectively have over 30 years’ experience in the mobile industry having worked in partnership to deliver projects for large telcos, as well as a vast array of leading brands and marketing agencies. Pocket App is a recognised specialist multi-platform application provider, designing mobile apps and mobile solutions. For further information please visitwww.pocketapp.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @PocketApp.
By Paul Swaddle, CEO, Pocket App
PrivSec Conferences will bring together leading speakers and experts from privacy and security to deliver compelling content via solo presentations, panel discussions, debates, roundtables and workshops.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the website.
comments powered by Disqus