Mobile gambling is gaining a significant grip in many markets, from the US, the UK and to Hong Kong. For many years, industry leaders have been anticipating a shift towards mobile gambling. However, technological shortcomings held back any meaningful progress and compelled betting firms to roll out their mobile programs slowly and with greater caution. But with the increased use of smartphones and tablets across the globe, many people are now able to participate in gambling activities like gaming, betting and lottery through their mobile devices by putting wagers on outdoor sports (such as football, cricket, tennis, horse racing and basketball) and participating in casino games, slot machines and game lotteries (like lotto, bingo and gaming machines).
Incredible Growth Potential
According to Jupiter Research, technological advancements in mobile gambling will cause immense growth in the industry. In September 2010, Jupiter Research predicted that the total sum of money wagered through mobile platforms would exceed $48 billion US dollars by 2015 and would surpass the $100 billion mark by 2017 as a result of technological advancements. This projection was backed by a report from App Annie which indicated that consumer spending on mobile IOS casino games increased by 55% between November 2013 and November 2014. In fact, with mobile deposits to Casino Room services growing from $329,000 to over $1.2 million since January 2015, the projected growth trend has been evident. Besides, according to Betfair, the UK betting exchange group, the number of bets made on its mobile platforms have increased by 94% from 2014, further affirming the growth potential of mobile gambling. Similarly, Paddy Power, the Dublin-based bookmaker, has reported that more than a third of its clients are now betting through mobile platforms.
How Is Technology Driving the Gambling Industry to Mobile Platforms?
Growth in technology has had a massive influence on gambling. As technological capabilities become more sophisticated, the gambling industry has been able to capitalize on new platforms and media in order to tap into a wider consumer base and to generate more revenue. More importantly, innovative technologies have had direct and indirect effects on the types and prevalence of gambling and allowed activities that were previously only possibly in dedicated gambling environments (such as bingo hall or casino) to be done at the workplace, at home or on the move. Indeed, from screen compatibility with tablets and smartphones, excellent graphics for optimization of mobile gambling apps to the proliferation of Android and iOS apps, technology has had a huge impact on mobile gambling. Below are notable ways through which technology is driving the gambling industry to mobile platforms.
(a) Emergence of Sophisticated Smartphones and Tablet Devices
One of the most significant innovations that have influenced gambling on mobile platforms is the emergence and popularity of Smartphone and Tablet devices. Since most consumers enjoy spending time on these mobile devices, tablets and smartphones have given providers access to a wider customer base that was previously unavailable. The devices are more convenient to use than PCs especially for individuals who are very busy or work for long hours, allowing them to visit gambling sites to place bets whenever and wherever they are. And with the rapid growth in the number of people owning smartphones and tablets across the globe, mobile gambling is expected to become more profitable and to overtake the PCs as the most popular gambling platforms.
(b) Better Infrastructure Support
While the introduction of mobile applications occurred as early as 2006, major growth in mobile gambling had to wait until 2010 when the availability of 3G and Wi-Fi connections and the expansion of wireless network occurred. These technological advancements provided a better support infrastructure for gambling through mobile platforms, allowing consumers to enjoy seamless connectivity, improved privacy and greater convenience. These innovations also allowed users to use same login for their betting accounts and management of finances, enjoy extensive coverage and high levels of security, access gambling sites 24 hours a day and be able to place bets, buy lottery tickets or play remote poker games anytime anywhere, helping to drive the global penetration of mobile gambling.
(c) Live Winner Updates
A number of gambling sites have technology-based live updates about winners. The updates typically appear as dynamic sidebars on provider websites after every 3-5 seconds and are a useful tool for helping players to determine the number of people who are winning and how big the payouts are. Updates may also be automatically sent to mobile devices of registered players to remind them of upcoming opportunities and make their bets. The updates are a major driver of the gambling industry towards mobile platforms.
(d) Games as a Service
Previously, games used to be purchased from retailers to be played at home and the release of a new game marked the "end" of a game's development and management. Today, however, games can be delivered through mobile devices. Cloud gaming technology (games as a service) enables gaming companies to offer regular updates, such as new content, new events and downloadable content. Indeed, the release of games is no longer the "end" and gaming companies nowadays provide ongoing management and development of games. Through cloud-based gaming technology, user states are simply saved in the cloud and are available on different mobile devices, allowing gamers to simply pick up from where they left off.
(e) Technology for Tracking Behavioral Data
New technologies for behavioral tracking are helping mobile gambling companies to keep track of players and develop tailor-made offerings for specific groups of gamblers. The tracking technologies usually take note of the games a customer plays, the amount of time spent per game and the number of losses and wins, allowing service providers to target the heaviest spenders with direct promotions or to help gamblers with problems or difficulties. Therefore, behavioral tracking technologies help to target mobile gamblers and influence their gambling behavior.
(f) Increased Multi-Media Integration
One very prominent trend in mobile gambling is the increased convergence of technology hardware to allow consumers to participate in different gambling activities through their mobile devices. For example, technology has allowed internet access through smartphones and enabled the blending of different activities such as gambling and gaming. Similarly, technological advances allow for convergence of content, such as the blending of video games with gambling elements or the mixing of various forms of gambling with video-game elements.
Conclusion
With continuous improvements in technology, mobile platforms will continue to grow and outperform traditional PCs as preferred mode of gambling. In fact, since the introduction of 3G data services, mobile platforms have been a key priority for providers. Besides, the roll-out of 4G phones with super-fast wireless connection has increased the popularity of mobile gambling by providing quick and reliable access to gambling sites and enabling operators to generate more revenue. Indeed, technology is ensuring the delivery of the requisite tools and sophisticated content that drives the gambling industry to mobile platforms. For more details on mobile gambling and other forms of gambling, visit http://www.grizzlygambling.com/. Grizzly Gambling has no deposit required.
