Mobile devices have steadily become an essential part of modern life. It is a technology that has blossomed and continues to do so at an incredible rate, becoming ever more useful and convenient to us in a huge number of different ways.
Along with this success, so too has the gaming and casino industries seen an ever-increasing rate of popularity on the mobile platform.
Today, it has become the preferred platform for casino gaming around the world.
Mobile Vs PC Gaming
Although computers and laptops can generally still provide better graphics and processing power, and in some regards a larger array of features, mobile devices have certain unique benefits.
The first is in the name. Mobility. The sheer convenience of portable hand-held devices has always been a huge selling point.
Having also near-matching capability to that of PCs, generally greater affordability, and a simplistic, intuitive, and user-friendly design, has proven mobile devices to be more appealing to the general public over time.
Humble Beginnings
In the early 2000’s, desktop computers and Macs dominated the online casino market, and though cell-phones were in regular use, “smart phones”, as we know them today, were still in an early stage of development.
Over the following years, improving cell phone technology began seeing more and more features and capabilities being introduced to phones, steadily making mobile games more appealing. Still, they remained little more than gimmicks and bonus features at this point, meant solely to boost sales.
Blackberry was one of the first to introduce apps for casinos and sports betting, and though somewhat advanced in comparison to other phones, these too didn’t receive much attention.
The iPhone Event
In 2007, Apple launched the legendary iPhone, a historic device that would soon come to revolutionize not only mobile technology, gaming, and online casinos, but the way we use technology in general the world over.
For the first time, people began to see and realize how convenient and user friendly a smart-phone, and in particular the revolutionary innovation of the touchscreen, could be. Together with its crystal clear high-definition display, PC/Mac-quality graphics and processing power, it’s responsive and functional operating system, the iPhone very quickly left all competition in the dust.
It was then that mobile games, and casino games in particular, truly started being noticed.
The Mobile Boom
Following the enormous success of the iPhone came a huge upheaval, and then an unprecedented boom, in the mobile industry. With Apple securely in the lead, other companies quickly began to follow suit, and the next decade saw the emergence of the Android phone as well as today’s leading mobile companies.
Apps and games for mobile devices began to surge in quality and popularity as they became ever more impressive and fun, and the devices themselves, ever more powerful and functional.
Today, online casinos and games have securely found a new home in the mobile platform, with Android and iOS (Apple) devices making up nearly 100% of the mobile casino market.
2019 and 2020 saw consecutive record-breaking highs in sales, surpassing all other devices and platforms. A trend that is expected to continue well into the future.