• Paul
• On December 1, 2020

The gambling industry as a whole was worth around $495 billion in 2019 and around $60 billion of this was spent on the online gaming market. This includes casinos, bingo, sports betting and other online activities. During 2020 with the global pandemic causing millions of people to self isolate and spend longer periods indoors the online market grew even more.

There is no doubting that online gaming of all sorts is more popular than ever. You may enjoy playing Fortnite online or you may be more of a casual player and like puzzle games like Candy Crush. If you are then you know that most mobile apps play quite happily on a standard smartphone except some more graphic intensive games needing a more powerful device. To enjoy FPS (First Person Shooters) games to their full potential you would want a reasonably powerful set up with a high end graphics card for full HD.

But, what if you are looking to play online casinos or other mobile gambling sites? Is there anything to consider when choosing a device to play these games on or will anything work sufficiently?

Legislation and gamblling laws

Before we look at what devices are available and their pros and cons you should consider whether it is legal for you to access online casinos in your region or country. A search on Google should bring up local gambling laws. Usually it is ok to use online gambling sites as long as the companies are based offshore.

Smartphones

The most popular and common device on the market is the smartphone. Nearly everyone has one or at least has access to them. Online gambling companies will optimise their websites for smartphones so there should be no problems with running any of them on them. A mobile casino may have less options than a full website but they will still have the most popular games like slots, blackjack and poker. If there is a specific game that you like to play then there may be dedicated apps just for this. For example there are many stand alone bingo and poker apps to download where you can play for free or for money.

The main advantages to using a smartphone are the size; it is easy to carry by hand or put in a pocket. The battery life is generally very good as long as you don’t have multiple apps running in the background. They can connect to WiFi hotspots or use mobile data allowing you to play anywhere at any time.

The disadvantages include small screen size. Even on the latest smartphones the screen will be much smaller than a tablet. You may find this is completely adequate for your needs but some of the older smartphones have small displays meaning that text in some games can be hard to read. Sports betting may not be so easy on a small screen either. Another disadvantage is the battery life – although it is mentioned above that smartphones generally have good batteries if you are playing intensively your battery life will dwindle. This is especially true if the brightness is set high, other apps are running and you are downloading in the background.

Tablets

Tablets offer many great qualities. They are good for gaming, less cumbersome than a laptop, have a good sized screen and are ideal for reading books on as well as browsing the internet.

Advantages of a tablet over other devices is their strong battery life. Tablets will normally outlast laptops. They have touchscreens and can connect to the internet in the same way as a smartphone by using mobile data or WiFi when available. They are portable and convenient to carry around with you.

Disadvantages are that a tablet is too big to put in your pocket like a smartphone. If you are using a tablet for gaming then you are almost certainly still going to bring your phone meaning you now have two devices to carry about.

Laptops and notebooks

Laptops are generally bigger than a tablet although notebooks come in smaller sizes. Assuming you are looking at a laptop with a screen around 15 inches then they will be more cumbersome than a tablet and will need a laptop bag to carry them in. Laptop processing speed and other considerations like HD size and RAM vary wildly as does the cost.

The advantages of a laptop is they can handle your workload as well as just gaming. They have larger screens and more processing power than a smartphone and if there is no WiFi available then you can use your phone as a hotspot. If you only want to play online casinos, browse the web and watch movies then you can find an inexpensive model easily.

Disadvantages are that the battery life of a laptop is often fairly short meaning an intensive poker game might come to a sudden end if you do not have a power source available. They are by far the most awkward of devices to carry although laptop bags are widely available. They are also likely to be more expensive than smartphones or tablets.

Desktop computers

You have a wide choice when it comes to desktop PCs. You could spend a small fortune on a high powered rig or buy a more basic PC depending on your needs. For online casinos and playing games like roulette, poker or bingo you do not need so much processing power. You will need room for the PC to be set up though, a desk and chair is a necessity. A PC will allow you the options of using it not only for entertainment but for work too. You can set up speakers to it and stream movies like a tablet but with a larger screen and maybe better sound.

Advantages are that you don’t need to worry about battery life. It can have a crisp HD monitor attached. If you are into sports betting then the markets will be easier to read on a large screen than on a smartphone.

Disadvantages are it takes up space. A PC is not mobile so you can only play in one place. If there is a power cut you cannot use the PC.

Summary

Things to take into consideration are battery life, screen size and do you need mobility but ultimately your decision will also come down to your own particular needs and your budget. You may be happy to use your smartphone for casino games or you might want to spend a bit more to have a device with more options like a tablet.