As with everything lately, a lot of the activities we do online have shifted from desktop to mobile; whether it’s reading the news, answering emails, chatting on Facebook, watching Youtube videos, playing games and even gambling.
But with all the new possibilities that mobile phones bring with them, there’s still the question of whether they provide the same unparalleled experience as on desktop, in terms of functionality and experience.
In other words, can mobile gambling effectively replace traditional online gambling from behind a computer or laptop screen or not? Is it in some ways better or worse?
For those who are not so ready to adapt to, and welcome change, gambling on desktop/laptop remains a favourite, yet for others, mobile/tablet gambling opens up a new world of possibilities, whilst proving to be quite convenient too.
Whilst reasons could vary as to why players are reluctant to switch to mobile, some being quite obvious, for example, a mobile screen is much smaller and everything is more condensed; there is no arguing that mobile casinos are on the rise, especially in Northern American countries. In fact, according to Casinos.co in this article, studies published by SuperData Research in April of last year, show how the statistics for mobile gambling in the U.S.A and Canada are much higher than in Europe.
Yet, on the web and in general, there doesn’t seem to be much debate on the topic of comparison. We know that ultimately we’re living in an age of astounding technological progress, where each and every one of us leads very busy lives, so in a way, it definitely makes sense for us to switch to mobile. We can play whenever we want and wherever we are, whether it’s on a bus, train, etc.
Yet perhaps, the majority of seasoned players would still base their judgement on more important issues, namely: running efficiency, user experience, gaming innovation and bonuses & promotions available on offer.
For this reason, in this article, we are going to have a look at the pros and cons of using a mobile vs PC/laptop specifically for gambling in relation to the four factors mentioned above.
1. Running Efficiency
With regards to efficiency, mobile phones have significantly caught up with some desktop/laptop performance in terms of speed and processing power due to very efficient apps. However, the performance of these apps ultimately boils down to two things: a good internet connection and a good smartphone.
With most recent versions of smartphones like iPhone 7/8, Samsung S7/S8 and others, this is definitely not a problem, but with older versions, one might experience a slower loading process.
Undoubtedly, a strong internet connection makes a whole lot of difference, and it is preferable to have a 4G connection rather than a 3G connection.
Since many older phones cannot connect to 4G, you may end up struggling to play on older technology coupled with a slow internet connection. Definitely not the right combination to play online slots, especially since every new game released is better, faster, and more visually fascinating than the previous one!
This means that, not only will you probably find it challenging to play most online games, but you definitely won’t be able to play the most recent ones.
In that case, your online gaming experience can vary from a game that takes ages to load, to a jittery screen with lagging spins, to a timeout on the session. Your old phone and bad internet may even struggle to load the slot in the first place.
With desktop, it is pretty difficult to encounter such issues. Unlike mobile phones, desktop computers have been able to handle new games for years, as long as operating systems and browsers are updated regularly.
Therefore, whilst an older phone might be able to support most online slot games, you might end up needing an upgrade before you can play the most recent ones.
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User Experience
When it comes to user experience, again, it is still pretty much subject to personal opinion. However, what one cannot deny is the versatility and ease that mobile phones offer in terms of simple design and high-quality graphics; not to mention the most streamlined performance when downloading a mobile app for the game.
Downloading slot apps on your phone will undeniably enhance your gaming experience. An app is more stable, well-designed and pretty straightforward.
Mobile apps also eliminate problems experienced on browsers, such as when they are not compatible with flash player, and will also save you the trouble of refreshing your browser every time there are issues or bugs.
The only downside to downloading mobile apps for slots is the problem of disk space. Mobile slot games take up a considerable amount of space, especially if you want to download individual games onto your phone.
As a consequence, this might pose limitations on the number of games you can download on your phone, unless you keep uninstalling and reinstalling games every time, which, although it won’t necessarily cause you to lose progress on the game thanks to cloud sharing, it is still very annoying and highly impractical.
One way to get around this is would be to download a casino app that contains a full library of games. While this might not guarantee that you will find all the games you want, it might be a better option if you want to save space on your phone. However, if you’re one to have thousands of photos and music stored, then you might need to clean up your phone first.
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Gaming Innovation
At the moment, there are more casino games available on mobile than on desktop, and while this is due to the increase of mobile users, the reason behind its continuous success is probably due to the creation of more ingenious, native games. By native games, we mean games that are specifically designed and built for the mobile experience.
In fact, mobile-only casinos are also on the rise. These casinos not only offer all the traditional online slots, table games, card games and live-casino games, but they also host their own exclusive games.
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Bonuses & Promotions
Bonuses and promotions might also affect your decision on which platform you select. Opting to deposit money on a mobile version of the site over a desktop version might result in restrictions with regards to the number of bonuses handed out.
This is because it depends on whether wagering on different versions of the games counts towards wagering requirements or not. Some casinos may actually reward you more bonuses for playing on one platform over another.
This might be a bit of a tricky situation, but in order to safeguard yourself, and make sure that you’re always on top of the game, remember to check out the T&Cs for promotional offers to make sure you won’t be missing out, or worse, cheated, just because you’ve opted to play on one platform rather than another.
Final Thoughts
All in all, one can argue that the best platform for playing online casino games all comes down to personal preference. Whilst there isn’t much to argue about this, one cannot ignore the recent trends in online gambling, as well as the benefits of mobile gaming, especially thanks to mobile applications. One thing is for sure though, the mobile market will continue to grow and with it, the demand for mobile-based games, and as it does, many casinos have to up their game on the mobile experience, or they are going to experience a significant blow.