The Evolution of Mobile Gaming

What is Mobile Gambling?

To truly understand what mobile gambling is, we must start with its origins. It is believed that the first-ever online casino was launched by Microgaming in 1994. Whether this is true or not, the origins of online casinos can be traced back to the mid-90s and targeted a niche audience of players. Fast forward 25 years and the market of online casinos is more popular and bigger than traditional land-based casinos.

While gambling online rose in reputation, so did mobile gaming. Mobile gaming is the act of playing any casino game on a mobile device. Typically, mobile gaming is used to describe smartphones, but even tablets and laptops can be included in this.

Mobile gambling refers to games that are both played through web browsers or through downloading to your device. This includes a huge variety of casino games, including slots, table games, live casino, lottery and even sports betting. Basically, any game that you can access from the comfort of your smallest gadget.

Are you a mobile gambler?

It depends. Have you ever accessed an online casino through your phone? If so, then yes, you are considered a mobile gambler. By playing a game just once, you have opened up the world of mobile gaming.

The Rise of Mobile Gaming

Primarily, mobile gambling is so popular because of its easy-to-use setup and accessibility. With the advance in technology over the past two decades, a growing number of people are using smartphones, tablets or laptops. The days of desktops are slowly dying out as a large majority of people do not even own a desktop in their homes. That number is decreasing year-on-year.

Previously, you could say that desktops were the best way of playing online games. Their large screens, fast hardware and memory capacity could not be beaten. In addition, older software was only compatible with desktops. But as technology has evolved, so has the online gaming industry.

We can now access all the same qualities on our smartphone. It is easier and more convenient. With mobile data or a Wi-Fi connection, you can access any online casino from just about anywhere.

The only real concern about mobile gambling is choosing what method to play your favourite games. You can either opt for downloading the casino app or through the web browser. At Queenplay, our website is completely mobile compatible, so there is no need to download any apps. In the past, the argument could be made that downloading was faster than launching a game through web browser. In 2022, they both operate at the same speed and playing through a web-browser portal does not require your device to download any additional data.

The best casino games are the ones that use HTML5 technology. This ensures that whichever mode you choose, you will have the high resolution and a smooth running of the game. Slots developed with HTML5 are fully compatible with iOS and Android devices. They are an upgrade on the previous software, which we will be taking a look at later.

How to Mobile Gamble

Ultimately, mobile gambling would not exist without online casinos. To understand where mobile gaming is today, we must look at its history. The birth of online casinos around 1994 was the first of many steps towards the booming iGaming industry that exists today.

In the mid-noughties, Flash was the main source of software used for producing mobile games. Although it was considered popular at the time, unfortunately, Flash was incompatible with many devices. Thus, most mobile gamers could not use their smartphones to play any casino games. This triggered the launch of HTML5 technology.

HTML5 was established in 2008 and became the most used technology as it is compatible across many platforms. The technology allows software providers to develop games that online casino players could use on their mobile devices. Today, HTML5 games can be played on Android, iOS and other devices with ease.

To use your mobile device for gambling, you simply need to find an online casino that is compatible with your device. At Queenplay, you can try any of our games via mobile through a web-browser portal.

Statistics about Mobile Gambling

In 2021, the number of mobile gaming users reached an all-time high. Year on year, gambling on smartphones is becoming more popular. In the UK, it is estimated that around 20 million people use their smartphones for gaming purposes. In addition, around £5 billion is spent by players on mobile gaming platforms annually. It has been reported that the average online punter spends two-and-a-half-hours per day gambling on their mobile device. All the figures above are expected to go up in 2022.

According to Statista, the following is reported about mobile gambling:

• The majority of mobile gamblers are over the age of 45
• Only 25% of mobile gaming users in the UK are between 25 to 34
• 84% of online gamblers have tried at least one casino game on their mobile device
• 54% of all mobile gamblers are female

In 2009, only 6% of UK gamblers played on their mobile devices. In 2021, that figure has shot up to 39% of UK gamblers. Thus, it is safe to assume the future of mobile gambling is looking very bright.

The Legality of Mobile Gambling

In 2021, a large number of countries view mobile gambling as legal. However, this is not the case everywhere. Certain countries or states do not accept mobile gambling under various legislations. Based on the statistics and history of mobile gambling, it appears as though it is only a matter of time before regulations change regarding mobile gambling. But until that happens, let us fill you in on what can be confirmed about mobile gambling.

Most countries in Europe and Asia permit mobile gambling. In Australia, Canada and South Africa, it is also accepted. In the United States, mobile gambling is still not approved everywhere, with certain states prohibiting the use of mobile devices for casino gambling online.

The states that have accepted mobile gambling include Nevada, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Washington and Florida among others. Currently, there are 18 states that legislate for mobile gambling. This figure is expected to increase drastically over the next year or so. It is assumed that as many as 19 states will begin accepting mobile gambling in 2022. One example of this is New York, with the New York Gaming Commission announcing that they believe mobile gambling will be licensed and fully operational by November 2022.

Moving away from the US, other countries may accept mobile gambling but the approach towards it may be different. In the UK, mobile players are protected to a certain extent as the UK Gambling Commission is very strict towards casino operators. Australia, on the other hand, permits mobile gambling but does not offer protection of the state towards players. Thus, you gamble at your own risk. Mind you, if you find a reliable enough casino, like Queenplay, you need not worry about this.

Closing Remarks

As mobile gambling has become more widespread, the future looks good for the market. More players are using mobile devices to gamble thanks to the appealing easy-to-use setup and availability. With the next generation of gamblers also coming through, it would not be out of the question to believe that desktops may all but be dissolved. Until then, enjoy our fine collection of mobile slots here at Queenplay.