Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, continue to grow more advanced and powerful with each passing day. As a result of those developments, new industries entering the marketplace, seemingly overnight and old ones are being rapidly revolutionized to meet new and changing consumer needs. Perhaps nowhere is that state of affairs more clearly evident than in the gambling industry, which has been forever changed by mobile technology. Plenty of people have discovered a new and far simpler way to bet, right in the palm of their hand.
The word “gambling” may fill your mind with images of roulette tables in Las Vegas, or slot machines in Atlantic City, and those are places many of the world’s gamblers can still be found. But increasingly, people are turning away from that traditional idea of gambling, and to their mobile devices instead. The mobile gambling industry is a huge and sprawling enterprise that has seen rapid expansion and gained global reach. In many countries, it has already surpassed more traditional, physical, methods of gambling. Passionate sports fans have come to admire the convenience of placing their wagers from home, rather than visiting a physical bookmaker.
The increased prevalence and rapid adoption of more powerful and technologically advanced smartphones and tablets in recent years is the driving force behind this growth. These devices have distinct advantages over physical bookmakers, which require you to come to a brick and mortar location, or make a call to place a bet. Smartphones and other mobile devices only need to connect to the internet to put the world of gambling at a user’s fingertips. Dedicated apps have made things even simpler. Apps are compatible with most devices, run smoothly, and use few resources. Companies can offer access to promotions and lucrative bonuses that can sweeten the deal further.
App technology has created a series of new ideas and gambling opportunities. It has expanded the gambling audience throughout the world, and increased the number of opportunities they have to gamble. One of the most interesting new ideas is live betting opportunities. Live betting opportunities are another layer of convenience being offered by online bookmakers. A person watching a football game at a sports bar, or cheering with friends, from the stands can make a wager on the event in real time. The odds of an educated guess being correct are better when one has information from the game to inform it. The addition of live betting, therefore, makes gambling a more pleasurable, profitable pastime.
Statistical data clearly indicates that, because of the convenience provided, mobile casino revenue has spiked dramatically over the last two months. Lucrative markets are impossible to ignore for any length of time, and gambling operators have decided to enter the arena. Their business approach, thus far, has been a simple one: make a Herculean effort to entice fans of mobile gaming.
To that end, if you walk into a casino these days, you’ll notice dedicated sections that focus on mobile. Each of the games in those areas is specially designed to be compatible with tablets and smartphones. Special bonuses are also offered to players who elect to play traditional table games, video poker, or the slot machines. Over 100 mobile casinos have been in operation since 2013, and nearly all of the larger casinos have invested in a mobile component. Some of these casinos feature mobile games that can only be played in the casino, or on the surrounding grounds. The idea is clearly an effort to embrace the new market, while simultaneously advancing the interests of the old one.
This attitude stems from an abundance of caution, and such caution cannot be considered wholly unjustified. The growth of mobile gambling caught everyone by surprise, including lawmakers, who struggled to play catch-up, and bring the practice under control. In a surprise move in 2006, the government of the United States outlawed all internet-based gambling. In the face of blanket reactions like that, gambling operators feel the need to protect their more traditional revenue streams. The law was overturned a few years later.
Not even a full fledged ban could dim people’s enthusiasm for the convenient new way to gamble technology had placed at their disposal. Studies have shown that smartphone users in particular refuse to be deterred. The devices are often capable of sophisticated graphics that can bring casino games like poker and blackjack to users anywhere in the world. Smartphone users are downloading mobile gambling apps with increasing frequency, and new websites strewn across the internet are growing the market as well.
Today, in the face of a ballooning market, a company is creating the first Android app market dedicated exclusively to mobile gambling apps. The aim is to provide casino operators with a unified, branded destination for distributing and managing their apps, while providing players a trusted place to discover new apps and other downloads.
“Founded with the goal of creating an ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders in the gaming industry,” a statement reads. “Betcade solves the problems of gaming app distribution, discovery, payment and management complexity, and security.” The endeavor was announced on the third of September, and plans to launch in every jurisdiction where it is legally permitted, early next year.
David Chang, who founded Betcade, will serve as the new market’s CEO. He is excited by what the future holds, and mobile gamblers’ love of unique, new apps. Technology and gambling have come together to create a phenomenon that has changed the online world. Mobile users have embraced it completely, and it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
