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Over the last number of years, online casinos have exploded in popularity, with more users than ever accessing them on a regular basis.
This has led to an influx of investment into the space. By spending just a few minutes browsing the internet, you can get a sense of just how many new platforms have cropped up in the last few years.
One interesting aspect of this trend, however, is that many of these new platforms seem to be catering primarily — if not exclusively — to mobile users. This represents a significant shift in the industry, given that the desktop market was the focus of the sector’s efforts for so long in terms of developing and releasing new games.
So, what is behind this trend? And what does the future of the online casino sector look like?
The rise of online casinos
Although online casinos and iGaming platforms seem like a relatively recent trend that has exploded in popularity and prominence over the last few years, the reality is that the shift to online and digital platforms has been underway for quite some time.
In fact, some of the earliest uses of the internet when it first started to become more readily available to consumers in the 1990s were online gambling platforms!
The first fully online casino emerged in 1994, when Microgaming and CryptoLogic — who are still major players in the industry today — developed and released the first functional gambling software that could be run online.
Although these programs were relatively rudimentary when compared to the platforms operating today, much of the same basic functionality was there. This included features such as random number generating capabilities and transaction processing, which allowed players from all over the world to try out their favorite casino games.
From there, development in the industry was incredibly rapid and within a matter of a few short years, there were hundreds of websites operating. The online casino industry grew from being relatively small — with valuations at the time reporting that global online gambling revenues were worth less than a $1bn — to being a global industry worth tens of billions of dollars.
As it currently stands, some market reports have estimated the global online gambling market size to be worth around $63.5bn, with further growth of 10% year on year expected to continue to 2030. More importantly, there are now millions of players across the globe who have easy access to high-quality online casino games that provide a safe gaming environment that prioritizes player safety.
Out of the millions of players currently using online iGaming platforms on a regular basis, an increasingly high percentage of these players use mobile devices as their primary means of access. But why has this shift come about? And what makes mobile casinos so popular?
Why have mobile casinos become so popular?
When it comes to some of the reasons why mobile casinos have become so popular in recent years, it should first be said that this shift towards mobile devices is part of a broader trend.
The number of mobile devices has exploded in recent years and mobile phones are commonplace these days. This has also been helped by the growing accessibility of high powered mobile devices and high-speed internet sim cards, both of which continue to fall in price.
As of 2021, the number of mobile devices worldwide stood at almost 15 billion, which is a staggering figure when you consider that the global population is itself just shy of 8 billion!
Not only are there more devices than ever in circulation, but it is also clear that mobile devices are increasingly important in our daily lives. Although when they first came out we primarily used them as communication devices, nowadays we use our mobile phones to do online banking, attend doctors’ appointments, communicate with friends and family and for various forms of entertainment.
Given that we use mobile devices for work and play on a daily basis, it makes sense that they are often our first port of call when we want to indulge in some online casino gaming!
What does the future hold?
Over the years, it is clear that mobile devices have become the most popular way for millions of players across the world to play their favorite online casino games. If recent reports are anything to go by, this trend looks set to continue for quite some time.
As a result of this trend, we are also beginning to see an increasing number of providers focusing exclusively on their mobile offerings. In this context, we are seeing online platforms such as Scratch Carnival Casino launch, who focus pretty much exclusively on mobile players.
In terms of what the future of mobile casino gaming holds, there are several trends that look set to improve the playing experience. This includes improved transaction speeds and security, as well as more integration with cryptocurrency.
Virtual reality also looks set to be a major trend, with several developers already starting to experiment with augmented and fully virtual playing environments. Major companies in the tech space have already unveiled their plans for the next generation of virtual reality hardware, including companies such as Apple, Meta and Android, so we can expect to see developers make the most of these new tools in the years to come.
With all this considered, it seems fairly certain that the future of online casinos will be mobile!
