When mobile phones started to become more widespread in the 1990’s, the phone was only capable of calling and sending SMS messages. They started to get smaller and include other limited functions besides calling and messaging. One of these “add ons” was a very basic preinstalled game called Snake, which was preinstalled on Nokia phones in the late 1990’s. From then onwards and into the 2000’s the mobile phone developed into the Smartphone. Unlimited opportunities were unlocked as more and more people started to use mobile phones and later smartphones.
In 1995 the market penetration for mobile phones was 80 million, just 1% of the global population. This exploded to 5.2 billion in 2014, which represents 73% of the global population. With smartphones, the growth figures are equally impressive standing at 2.6 billion the same year. Subsequently, we now have over 51% of all internet traffic on the smartphone, overtaking traditional fixed internet usage. Tablets are not so widespread as smartphones as they are not always carried around and a smartphone is.
Mobile Casinos started to enter the iGaming market
It was only a short time before Mobile Casinos started to enter the iGaming market and the consequences were far reaching. The sheer comfort and freedom of playing an online casino game on a mobile smartphone was a temptation too great to resist. Wi-Fi is available almost anywhere these days; cafes, public hotspots, public transport and so many other places that it isn’t even necessary to use roaming, although that option remains viable.
Software had improved and innovated enough by this point in time with many game producers beginning to plan and develop more and more online games compatible with Mobile devices. At first the game selection was pretty limited, but as it became more evident that mobile devices were a force to be reckoned with, the game selection started to increase to the point we have reached today. Most game producers now release new games for mobile platforms concurrently with other platforms.
The phone game market was ripe for exploitation. Once the smartphone simplified and facilitated internet-enabled browsing, it was possible to buy the first downloadable games. Thus actually started in Japan in 1999. The next step was the evolution of the internet from G2 to the much more advanced G3 network which was better able to deal with world demand. With WAP (Wide Area Protocol) now in place, phones were easily able to connect to the internet.
In 2002, smartphones started to run Java; the programming language that allowed fast action games to be played and colour screens, improved graphics and better resolutions together with faster-paced games all contributed to the birth and development of the mobile gaming sector.
By 2005, the first Java casino game was released. Pub Fruity, as it was known as, took the gaming world by storm and opened up the doors for many more games to be released in the new mobile medium. This was a Pay-per-purchase game and no money was paid except the initial purchase, very much like Apps purchased in the App Store today. Later games which followed included, Poker, with Downtown Texas Hold ’Em.
With the release of the iPhone in 2006 and the opening of the App Store the following year. At the same time, Android phones were being released in droves and the Android Market expanded with its own online store.
Over the last 10 years the Mobile Casino has developed concurrently with advances in mobile and tablet technology. Games have developed considerably to accommodate mobile casinos. The platforms themselves have improved tremendously and become more streamlined. The smartphones are continuously innovating with each release and that’s almost every year that a model is upgraded or released. Of great influence is the decrease in price of mobile devices. They are now affordable and accessible all over the world. Almost everyone can afford a smartphone or a tablet and there are less expensive models on the market.
The Future of Mobile Casinos
So what does the future hold? One doesn’t need to be Nostradamus to predict certain developments. The smartphone and tablet markets will continue to expand. Technology will continue to improve the standard of mobile devices. Software will continue to be created to put all the above together and mobile payments and withdrawals will become better and better. The standard of Wi-Fi services will expand and improve as it connects the businesses with clients and customers. This means Wi-Fi will become more accessible and cheaper or even free of charge. Games will get better and better and the selection more extensive and immersive. There are exciting developments taking place in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality in particular. Imagine playing an online slot game on your mobile device using Virtual Reality. It would/could actually place you in a seat at a (real) casino. Right in the thick of the action. Science fiction is becoming science fact, as Virtual Reality is already available and will become more accessible in the not so far future, we are talking a couple of years, not decades.
What we have here and now is the proliferation of Mobile Casino gaming. This trend will escalate the availability of online casino games for players everywhere who have a mobile device and access to Wi-Fi. We have more and better Slot games to play, increased security for transactions and the ability to fill in gaps during the day that are boring or you are idle in. Those moments can be filled with the adventure, fun and excitement of playing an online slot game. You can turn unproductive moments into enjoyable ones where you even have a chance of winning. The technology is here now, are you taking advantage of the amazing Mobile Casino experience. If not, maybe you should think of trying it and finding out what all the fuss is about.