Are Smartphones Changing the Online Betting Industry?

Any industry using technology, which is of course, most of them these days, appears to move at quite a pace. In the case of the gambling sector, however, this really has been sent into overdrive in the last decade or so.

Not so very long ago, it was hard for us to conceive of playing slots or table games without leaving the house, but here we are. Online betting changed this industry forever, but the advent of smartphones and tablets has meant a truly seismic shift.

Smartphones Have Changed Regulations

Advertising, sports marketing, digital slots, and betting terminals showing live-action within land-based casinos have all made their mark on our industry. However, smartphones are the one invention to have changed gambling the most.

These handy little gizmos have almost single-handedly brought forward the relaxation of many a betting law. For example, in various territories around the world, punters can play not only poker and casino games but also take part in overseas lotteries and bet on multiple sports markets all of which were nearly impossible before when placing bets in bookmakers.

Recent Changes in the Sector

Before coronavirus struck, the gambling industry was already in a state of near-perpetual motion. Live online casinos were on the increase using better and better audio-visual technology, which was badly needed.

Mobile apps have developed and improved to the point that players can play any game with the same features and gameplay whenever and wherever they want. The quality is now the same as on the main websites, with offers and promos to match.

Unlike a few years ago, banking options are now both more plentiful and certainly faster, which has been helped by the introduction of Pay by Phone, Apple Pay, and the other trusty eWallets.

Specific Blockchain casinos are becoming a more and more popular trend with cryptocurrencies being accepted. Some players even argue that such entities are more secure than ordinary online casinos, while players can remain anonymous.

Lastly, one of the more significant recent industry changes is the new operations policies in most territories. Player safety limits and ‘time outs’ now exist, while over in the States areas which hitherto prohibited all sports betting are now legalising such activities.

The Smartphone Effect

Ten years ago, we didn’t have smartphones, and now it is hard to imagine living without them.

In an already popular industry, however, smartphones have provided the turbo to gambling in recent years and have been responsible for most of the growth seen in the sector.

Of course, it hasn’t all been easy sailing. Security has long since been an issue and player safety is something many gambling operators have been forced to address.

Despite firewalls and SSL’s, hackers have been able in the past to access online casino files and take customers’ information.

Amazingly, some online operators don’t immediately go into the sector with smartphone apps ready to go, but they are the very reason some are in business.

While ‘problem gambling’ will always be an issue and should be addressed, the fact is many people will find a way to spend their money to alleviate their boredom.

So, given that anybody can now sit on a sofa, ride a train or walk in the park while betting on football, playing table games, or feeding the slots, the answer to whether smartphones have genuinely changed the betting industry is a resounding “yes”.