Playing Casino Games on Mobile Devices

We think internet is the best thing since sliced bread, and mobile gaming a close second. In this day and age, why should our location be a limiting factor when it comes to playing our favorite casino games? It shouldn’t and it isn’t. The first step was to make going into a brick-and-mortar gambling establishment superfluous. With the help of a PC or a Mac, hundreds and thousands of slots and table games are there to be enjoyed whenever we wish. Live games are getting closer and closer to a „real“ casino experience, letting us chat with the dealer and exchange comments with fellow gamblers while watching the wheel spin or cards being dealt. Next step: cut the umbilical cord to our desktops and take the fun with us wherever we go.

Short History of Mobile Gaming

Back in the late 90’s, Nokia was the first to offer a game playable on a mobile device (though pre-installed). Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) has made it possible to download games from the internet but was incredibly slow and, thankfully, in 2001 got replaced by much faster Java. But the real breakthrough in the mobile gaming industry happened thanks to Apple and their first gen iPhone in 2007, followed by the App Store which was launched with about 500 apps, Texas Hold ‘em being one of them. Google Play has made sure not only iPhone owners get to play on the go by offering the same opportunity on a wide range of different smartphones running on Android. Development of cross-platform games, which could run on both desktops and mobile devices, has been possible since 2010 thanks to HTML5.

Mobile Casinos Today

These days you’ll struggle to find an online casino which has not made their offering available on mobile devices in one way or another. Some feature mobile-responsive websites or mobile sites developed specifically for smaller screens, while others also provide dedicated downloadable apps. Either way, we’ve got a selection of HD-quality slots, table games and live dealer games and most, if not all functionalities of the desktop version. Owners of iPhones, iPads and most Android devices get to access casino games almost by default, but the same if often true for those who have opted for a Windows phone or a Blackberry. Gambling on the go is no longer a dream; is it exactly the same, though?

Mobile vs Online Casinos

Yes, you can play the games, handle cash transactions, take advantage of promotional offers and ask for help, the same as you would on a desktop or a laptop. Payments are in some cases made even more convenient by providing one or more mobile payment options, such as Boku, Siru and PayByPhone. These will allow you to deposit cash even if you’ve got no bank account, and charge you through your mobile phone bill. At the same time, security is pretty much guaranteed thanks to a safe two-step authentication process.

We’ve yet to see promotional deals which one can claim via desktops but not mobile devices; in fact, some mobile casinos provide additional incentives to play on the go by offering mobile-exclusive bonuses and free spins. You’ll normally get to collect loyalty points no matter which device you’re using, participate in tournaments and enter raffles. As far as direct contact options go, you’ll be able to speak to the casino’s support staff via phone and/or email, depending on what a particular gaming site has made available, but Live Chat option is sometimes excluded. And the games? Well…

Mobile Games Offering

Without having done a systematic survey to establish exact numbers, we’d say at least 90% of online casinos halve their game offering when transporting the portfolio to smartphones and tablets. Due to the standard split between slots and other casino games (heavily in favor of the first), the others suffer from this journey the most, frequently leaving us with only a handful of Roulette, Blackjack and Poker variants. Your best bet is to find operators with above-average number of games to start with, so that even after the massacre there are still hundreds of options to choose from.

Speed is another important element when playing on a mobile device. None of us like to wait forever for games to load, and most will get increasingly frustrated if they start freezing every 10 seconds. Yes, we want to have it all: high-definition visuals, amusing animations and smooth gameplay. And why not – technological development has made it possible.

In the end, the quality of your mobile gaming experience comes down to how well the operator understands the needs and habits of a modern player. Some have provided mobile sites just because everybody else does, and you’ll easily recognize them by poor user interface and extremely limited choice of games. Others have invested plenty of effort to make on-the-go experience just as good, if not even better than when playing on a desktop.