Mobile Gambling Is Here To Stay

In this article I’m going to discuss the importance of mobile responsive websites and why gambling online via a mobile device is on the up.

Barry Schwartz, renowned SEO expert released this article on 27 February 2015 where he said that Google is going to release an algorithm that takes mobile responsiveness into account:

”To no ones surprise, Google announced mobile-friendly is becoming a ranking factor in the mobile search results in the near future. Google said it will happen on April 21, 2015 – first time they actually announced an algorithm release with a specific date.”

Why Mobile-Friendly Sites Enjoy Top Billing

For some time, companies dominated the market place with strength and distribution. They had complete control over prices, buying locations and information about products and customers. But now, the very same forces that once tipped the scales in the companies’ favor now create an advantage for the consumer. With a mobile device, you can compare online casinos, get product reviews and buy from anywhere. The age where customers rule has just begun.

Ever heard about a casino in your pocket? Gambling from a mobile device has never been easier thanks to the advancement in technology. The answer for technology managers is to focus on BT-business technology-systems and processes that win, serve and retain customers. It’s evident from this paragraph as to why Google now places so much emphasis on mobile-friendly sites. Mobile responsiveness focuses on technology that provides superior experiences. This includes leveraging the huge stream of new digital touch points, to learn and better serve the consumer.

In short, if you promote online casinos and you want your company to succeed you must retool it. The best way to connect with and satisfy players is to refocus your strategy to deliver mobile engagement.

The Mobile Era is Here

Mobile devices have become central to our daily lives. Never before in the history of humankind has there been such an influx of news snippets. People share each transcendent moment, their photos and videos across social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp. In other words it ricochets from person to person in an endless stream of emails and text messages-a mobile mind shift if you will.

So, what’s going on here? Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, consumers had the ability to control their personal sphere, the things that happen in their life and work. Almost without even realizing it, you and a billion other people have made smartphones your constant companion. We pull out our smartphone, check our emails, Facebook, play a game, watch a video clip or search the Internet. For the basic things in life mobile devices have become our go-to tool.

According to Microgaming’s CEO Raatgever, “Mobile is booming, and we estimate mobile gambling should account for more than half of all interactive gaming revenues by 2020. The online gambling market in 2015 is projected to be worth £23.8 billion in gross wins, nearly one third of which is estimated to come from mobile. That is expected to grow by 9 percent in 2016 to £26 billion, with mobile carving out a 39 percent market share, according to H2 Gambling Capital.” You can read the full article at this site.

With more than a million apps in Apple’s and Google’s app stores. Mobile devices have become high-value tools for getting things done. They are not just improving our personal lives but also accelerate they way we work and play.

By 2017, 2.5 billion people will own smartphones and 905 million people will use tablets at home and work. This figure is nearly three times as many as in 2013. This is a lot more consumers connected to the information and services they need. The services and information the consumer needs on a smartphone or tablet is still in its infancy shoes. A million apps might sound like a lot, presently the world has more than 900 million public websites. You can bet your bottom dollar that by 2020 those one million apps will become 10 million.

Mobile Gambling Market Trends

To understand the wave of mobile gambling, you must understand that it’s on a vastly bigger scale than any digital gaming that’s come before. When PC’s hit the stores in the 80s they changed things. Over the next 15 years, millions of people became slaves to the information age. When the Internet and laptops became ubiquitous in the 90s, people connected.

When social media exploded on to the scene it reach a billion people. Companies started websites so people could gain access to information and purchase products. But the changes created by computers and the Internet are dwarfed by what’s coming. Why? As people become more mobile native, gaming operators are delivering online gaming content to smartphones and tablets.

A new generation of players raised on touchscreens and voice control will find mouse-and-keyboard interactions clunky and slow. Phones were first. Tablets came next. In the next few years, these devices will be joined by a host more that will address consumer in a mobile moment. By 2020, customers could have 30 connected products delivering mobile moments, not just a handful today.

Conclusion

We are moving out of the experimentation stage into a world where more and more transactions will flow through mobile devices. By 2018, US retailers will take $27 billion in payments directly from mobile devices. That’s just the beginning. It will take time to develop but the payment industry will look entirely different in a world populated by mobile payment and loyalty moments. In 2014, 21% of American adults became more reliant on their mobile devices to get things done. This figure could easily shoot up to 50% by 2020. 

Already 52% of highly mobile people are frustrated when they want something and it’s not available on their smartphone. This is why entrepreneurs and innovators are unencumbered by operating models optimized for the PC or web era. They have mastered one concept: when someone gives you permission to be in their pocket, this creates the potential for a profitable mobile moment. This is exactly the point Google is trying to drive home. Come 21 April will your website be responsive? I know ours will. At the end of the days it’s all about the consumer.   

Every industry and every market is going to shift under the relentless onslaught of entrepreneurial energy. You don’t want your company to become stuck in a static web and physical world while your customers and competitors live in a mobile world.

The incredible growth in smart phones and tablets is without a doubt the most important technological innovations to hit the online gaming industry the last five years. According to Strategy Analytics, which tracks the smartphone market, the number of smartphones will pass the 2 billion mark in 2015. Strictly speaking smartphones account for 19 percent of the market. And this market is growing. Some analyst predict that the annual growth rate could be as high as 39 percent.

Footnotes

1. http://www.intergameonline.com/blog/13293/is-mobile-the-future-of-online-gambling

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_gambling