We can all agree mobile phones have come a long way in the past twenty years, altering the way we live and manage our daily lifestyle.
Smartphones Favoured
An Ofcom study in 2018 revealed 78% of adults used a smartphone, compared to only 39% in 2012. Smartphone usage has become more popular for people to go online with everything easily accessible wherever you may be. This has also had a major impact on online gambling, gone are the days when you sat behind your pc screen at home to play your favourite games. Thanks to the evolution of technology and innovation, people now have easy access to gambling on their smartphones or tablets devices, regardless of location.In 2019, the UKGC released statistics on gambling participation in 2018, where people tend to gamble on their smartphone or tablet devices rather than a PC. Included in the study the UKGC found people used multiple devices while gambling. 63% of people were found to use other devices while watching TV.
Risks
With the rise in online gambling, especially mobile gambling comes risks. With mobile gambling being so easily accessible, anywhere, 24/7, some of the participants in the study found this worrying, if a player had a negative outcome they may carry on betting without no deterrent. In a land-based casino, players would have staff on hand to stop players gambling excessively, if they got carried away.Although the accessibility of games on mobiles is instant, players like the fact they can place bets privately, wherever they choose, with a huge variety of gambling products available. On the flip side, this has made repetitive play and quick losses easier to achieve. According to the UKGC, players still associate problem gambling with land-based casinos rather than online.Online gambling apps are the most preferred method of accessing gambling sites. Operators are now using technology to develop interactive apps where players can place bets directly from their smartphones.
High % of Mobile Usage
The UKGC studies have revealed 40% of gambling yield is generated through mobile gambling. By 2020, this figure is set to rise to 50% or as some market analysts predict, up to 75% of gambling will be done on a smartphone or tablet.The UKGC reports found a year ago, gambling apps were the most popular with players to access online gambling content, via smartphone or tablet. This is not likely to slow down anytime soon, with technology and the innovative development of apps constantly improves, more players will opt to use mobile devices.