The internet and mobile phones have become somewhat of basic needs these days. Apart from making communication seamless, these technologies ensure you no longer need to set foot at the brick-and-mortar casino.
The best mobile casinos are accessible anywhere, provided your smartphone has a cellular connection. So, this article takes stock of how far the mobile gaming industry has come and what the future holds.
The pioneer online casino was launched in 1996 by InterCasino and has paid out over $3 billion so far. Within just a year after this launch, the number of gambling sites increased from 15 to over 200. But back then, online casino games were only accessible via PCs since mobile technology was still on its baby steps.
Fast forward to 2005, Playtech launched the first mobile casino for real money. This platform was user-friendly, reliable, and accessible via most internet-connected devices. In addition, the gaming system could support games like slots, poker, bingo, and fixed odds. Since then, the mobile casino industry hasn’t looked back, with more game developers joining the market.
According to GameAnalytics, total mobile gamers moved from 1.2 billion to 1.75 billion per month in Q1 2020. Also, Q2 2020 had mobile gamers spend a whopping $19 billion, which was the highest yet. And as if that’s not enough, the mobile gaming current market value stands at $71 billion and is expected to surpass $153 billion by 2027.
Meanwhile, Europe leads the pack with a global market share of 57.2%. The US, which has been lukewarm about mobile gambling, is catching up too, with a $15 billion market share. And overall, the mobile gambling market growth rate is expected to hit 11.5% in the year between 2020 and 2027.
The internet has been vital in enabling seamless communication and remote gaming. According to Statista, there were at least 4.6 billion active internet users as of January 2021.
This accounts for 59.5% of the global population. Of this total, 4.3 billion were active mobile internet users. So, it’s safe to say that the fast internet penetration via mobile has been the main driving force behind the rise of mobile gambling.
Besides mobile phone and internet penetration, most countries are streamlining their existing betting laws to legalize online gambling.
For example, in August 2020, Ukraine lifted the online gambling blanket ban after ten years in the cold. The Netherlands also re-launched its regulated online gambling market in October 2021 after passing the Remote Gambling Act (KOA). In short, most countries are beginning to view legal online gambling as a rich source of revenue.
The coronavirus outbreak at the tail-end of 2019 was projected to negatively affect global economic growth. So, to combat the pandemic, countries imposed lockdowns and restrictions like social distancing. But, while things are already looking bright, the economic wheels are yet to move as fast as they should, thanks to vaccine inventions.
The restrictions hit In-person betting venues the hardest. The 1-meter rule meant that casinos were no longer jam-packed as they were before the pandemic.
But surprisingly, this was the time for gambling sites to shine. Land-based casino players were forced to retreat to virtual gaming on their mobile phones and PCs. Now you know why the best mobile casinos have continued to post impressive numbers despite the pandemic.
To conclude, the growth of mobile gaming and online gambling, in particular, is unstoppable. Technology is constantly advancing, with the 5G rollout gathering steam and 6G in the kitchen.
In addition, some game developers like Evolution are already embracing VR (Virtual Reality) gaming to give remote players a realistic gaming experience. The future is luminous!
