• Paul
• On August 4, 2018

Mobile gambling has exploded in recent years, with hundreds of casinos creating mobile-first solutions and native apps to keep up with customer’s movement from desktop to handheld use. Technology evolves at such a fast pace that gambling companies often find themselves struggling to stay current with the ever-changing environment. One thing they all know well, however, is that mobile is huge right now and it is only going to grow.

If there are still businesses that still approach mobile friendliness as something optional, they have already missed a lot of opportunities as today, 69 percent of users on average spend their media time on their smartphones and tablets. Terms like “responsive web design” and “mobile optimization” were first used more than five years ago, which means they have already been embraced by the most innovative companies and online casinos. In order to remain competitive, gambling operators need to modernize their offerings and meet the demand for better content, improved gaming experience, and a smooth, well-integrated mobile interface. Below, SuperCasinoSites.com have compiled a research about the latest mobile casino trends not only for 2018 but beyond.

1. 1. Mobile on the Rise

Clearly, the growth of mobile usage is not new but by the proportions of its expanding, we can safely assume it is here to stay. In 2016, Google started indexing websites based on their mobile sites, whereas desktop sites came second. Less than a year later, it became clear that businesses, including online casinos, had to focus on several things if they wanted to become mobile-friendly – fast load times, responsive designs, compatibility with touch screens, rightsizing everything, no need for zooming, etc.

According to the 2017 Gambling Participation and Perceptions Report issued in early 2018 by the UK Gambling Commission, 51 percent of online gamblers placed bets and gambled from their mobile devices. In comparison, the figures for 2016 were significantly lower at 43 percent. Across the globe, mobile becomes more crucial than ever. Another report by comScore found that in 2017, 71 percent of the total digital minutes in the United States came from smartphones and tablets.

1. 2. Progressive Casino Apps

An increasing number of people prefer to directly open their favorite casinos in the browser of their phones without the need to search and download applications. This gave rise to the so-called progressive web apps (PWA) which look just like mobile applications but are, in fact, regular web pages.

They combine the ease of the mobile experience with the features and functionality of web browsers and today, they manage to offer the same user experience as native apps. These responsive casino apps are safe, easy to use, and installable, allowing users to keep them on the phones’ home screens. By 2020, these apps are expected to replace half of the native apps.

1. 3. Live Casinos

Just like video content, and especially live feed, has become much more important than images on the Internet in the past few years, live casinos are growing in popularity among gambling fans. Just five years ago, live dealer rooms were viewed as something exclusive for VIP casino members – live tables had higher stake limits and not all players had access.

Today, live casinos are offered by most of the large operators and are considered to be a necessary element, along with online slots and poker rooms. Usually, the live feed is broadcast from production studios in high-definition quality but some gaming suppliers also use the baccarat, blackjack or roulette tables in some of the most prestigious land-based casinos in Europe. Thanks to the improved technology, players can easily access the live casinos on their mobile devices.

1. 4. Virtual Reality Casino Gaming

Augmented reality and virtual reality are no longer terms from a science fiction novel. In fact, they have not been for a while and while augmented reality was not welcomed with much applause by casino players, virtual reality did make a splash. Due to innovation and healthy competition from leading companies such as Samsung, Google, Sony, and HTC, VR systems are now offered at quite reasonable prices.

So far, just a handful of casinos have introduced virtual reality casino gaming and customers are still approaching it cautiously. With the prices of VR headsets constantly going down, more and more people are trying out this technology and are excited about how it could be implemented by casinos. Despite the small steps made in this direction, technology makers, gambling operators, and software studios are constantly improving VR and, very soon, this trend will explode.

1. 5. Cryptocurrencies and Mobile Payments

Due to the popularity of Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies are now being sought after by all types of casino players. The term “popularity” here is an understatement – over the past year and a half, it caused a huge sensation and its value reached record levels. Despite the normalization of the prices, however, cryptocurrencies like Litecoin, Ethereum, and Dash received a lot of attention, too. As a result, a large number of online casinos are accepting them right now and in the following years, they are expected to grow despite governments’ desire to regulate them.

Convenient, easy to use tools for mobile payments have also grown in demand, especially in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, global mobile payments exceeded $700 billion in a mind-blowing rise of around $500 billion over the past four years. This trend is so huge and so important that it influences various spheres of our life and economy, including casino gaming. Many desktop and online casinos have integrated at least one method for mobile payments within their banking systems. Along with the many local mobile payment services, customers now have options such as Apple Pay and the recently introduced Google Pay, an app that combines Android App and Google Wallet.