The rise of mobile apps has been an interesting one, with the first major boom occurring in the early 2010s, followed by constant advances since then. This, of course, has had a significant impact on the betting industry in more ways than one. How have these changes benefited the general audience, and how will they continue to do so?
A larger audience
Of course, one of the biggest benefits of this shift to a more mobile-focused industry is the opportunity to grow a larger audience. There would be a sizeable audience that would have wanted to dip their toes into the world of online betting, but wouldn’t have been able to due to not having access to a desktop computer. The shift to mobile access allows the audience to experience sports betting at a much easier-to-digest level, with the intuitive and beginner-friendly user interface.
This increase in popularity and player base has allowed the industry to continue to develop different features and expand apps, which will ultimately improve the user experience.
A more seamless experience
Now that sports bettors have access to their chosen betting site at any point in the day through a mobile app, they can make more seamless bets, perhaps even updating their bets while they are watching a particular game. This gives the player a level of freedom that has not been available before.
Because of this seamless experience, the barrier to entry is much lower than it once was; now, anyone can place a bet at the drop of a hat.
A wider range of betting opportunities
Perhaps not strictly mobile betting specific, but certainly something that came in the same era of online sports betting, is the increase in the variety of events you can bet on in any game. This is great for both returning players and onboarding new ones, as it can offer a much-needed change of pace in what kind of bets you are making. The variety can also be appealing to newcomers, as they can bet on even the smallest events in a match.
What does pay-by-mobile mean?
If you’re active within the online casino space, you will likely have heard the term pay-by-mobile pop up more and more in recent years. What does this actually mean? And can it be useful for you? Well, the short answer is yes, it’s a great innovation! The UK’s best pay-by-mobile casinos offer a system where you can – you guessed it – pay with your mobile phone! This builds off the seamless experience that mobile casinos offer, allowing you to quickly and easily deposit funds into your account via your phone. If you are solely a desktop player, you can also access this technology, allowing seamless and easy payments into your account.
How have mobile apps affected the wider gaming industry?
The casino industry isn’t the only one to be affected by the mobile gaming boom; far from it. The wider gaming industry has also seen massive success in this shift.
Call of Duty Mobile has made one of the most successful video game franchises way more accessible to a much wider audience. This free-to-play game offers a near console-like experience, with many different maps, game modes and items to collect.
It would be impossible to talk about the mobile gaming boom without mentioning the cultural phenomenon that is Fortnite. Having this release on mobile platforms has helped it grow into an even bigger beast than it was before. As this is the same version of the game that runs on consoles and PC, players on the mobile version can connect cross-platform to everybody playing the game. This level of accessibility opens up this community to a much wider audience.
What can we expect in the future?
Mobile technology has progressed at a rapid pace; it can be hard to say where it may go from here, but acknowledging the trends in technology we have seen already, there are a few predictions that can be made.
For example, we will probably see a continued increase in performance among new smartphones, to the point where new console games and mobile games will be so similar in quality that it will be impossible to tell them apart.
We may see further implementation of developing technologies within sports betting, similar to pay-by-mobile methods, which are likely to become seamless within online mobile sports books, as they offer players a much easier and smoother way of depositing funds into their account.
Even though sports betting is more accessible than it has ever been, it is likely that other improvements will continue in the near future – perhaps by offering more generous bonuses to newcomers, or making signing up a smoother experience that can be done in a matter of minutes. Whatever it may be, the trend is bound to continue growing.
