2020 has been a tough year for many industries but fortunately for the gambling industry, it was able to thrive. This is mainly thanks to its online sector. While many land casinos were forced to temporarily close their doors last year because of the pandemic, online casinos and bookies continued their operations and thrived.
Online casino gaming isn’t new anymore. It has been around since the 1990s and has exponentially grown since then. When online casinos launched during that time, people were only able to access them with a desktop or a PC. This was already groundbreaking for everyone but then came the mid-2000s when mobile tech has completely changed the game.
The Rise of Mobile Gaming and Gambling
Mobile gaming also started in the 90s when Hagenuk MT-2000 created a version of the popular Tetris game and have it pre-installed on the device. This was when people saw the potential of mobile devices for gaming. Since then, mobile tech has evolved a lot that even casino games were eventually added into the mix through casino apps.
Fast forward to the mid-2000s when smartphones are finally introduced to the market. It was in 2007 when the iPhone was launched and smartphones just kept coming. This was the time when gaming apps were also introduced. Many of the first casino gaming apps that iPhone users can download our casino games like Texas Hold’em.
Since then, smartphones have just kept on becoming more powerful. Mobile browsers were continuously improved and this made online casinos compatible with most mobile devices. Eventually, mobile browsers started to function or work like desktop browsers. This is how it is today and this is why many people can now easily gamble with their smartphones.
Why People are Choosing to Gamble with Their Mobile Device
It’s easy to understand why the number of mobile users has exponentially grown in recent years. Smartphones are now basically small computers that can fit in your pocket and they don’t have to be as expensive as PCs or desktops.
People are simply more willing to spend money on smartphones nowadays than on computers or PCs and other gaming devices.
Currently, it is estimated that there are already around 4 billion smartphone users worldwide and this number is still set to go up in the next few years. Casino operators and gambling companies simply know the potential of this market.
What this means to them is that they should be able to reach billions of people around the world if they give attention to the mobile market. This is what we’re seeing today since many online casinos are now releasing their native apps.
The numbers would even agree to this and a great example is the state of New Jersey. This state has reported that when it comes to sports betting, around 80 to 90 percent of the revenues they get are from the mobile sector. This just shows how mobile gambling is becoming the preferred option of many.
It also helps that more countries are starting to embrace the culture of online gambling. The United Kingdom has the biggest gambling market worldwide and based on reports, the majority of gamblers in the UK would also use their mobile devices to place their bets.
The Future is Mobile
Online gambling is poised to grow in the coming years and, likely, the mobile sector will still dominate this market. Even Google is starting to loosen up its restrictions when it comes to gambling apps.
Recently, it was announced that Google will finally allow real money gambling apps on Play Store in 15 more countries starting this March. Before this, gambling apps were only available on Play Stores in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and France. Since the recent update, a total of 19 countries can now download gambling apps directly from Play Store.
The additional 15 countries are Belgium, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. Not all gambling apps will be allowed on the platform. There will still be an application process that operators will have to go through.
This Google Policy update is just really another step towards having more gambling apps available worldwide. More countries may be included on the list shortly. When this happens, more people will have access to casino apps and mobile gambling will surely dominate the whole gambling industry.