Gaming Regulators Must Focus More On Mobile Casino Gaming Trends

The rapid surge in mobile gaming numbers across the world has clearly shown that players are no longer attached to their desktop and laptop, preferring the convenience of playing on the go. While the change has been gradual over the years, there has been a major surge in the last couple of years which has forced online casinos and game developers to customize their offerings to this growing demographic.

Based on data from a recent UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) report, more than 1.6 million Brits are now using their mobiles as their main betting platform. Stats from the UKGC’s 2018 Gambling Participation survey, show that 55 percent of gamblers in the UK have used smartphones or tablets for their wagering.

The report showed that 44 percent of gamblers use mobile casino apps regularly, which is double the percentage when compared to four years ago. This data is also not limited to the UK.

According to Newzoo’s 2018 Global Gaming report, 51 percent of all global gaming revenue is now generated via mobile apps.

Gaming experts are concerned by the meteoric rise of mobile casino apps. This is because most gaming regulators around the world have continued to focus on desktop and laptop games, not paying as much attention as they should to mobile gaming.  

In a statement, Richard Tunney, professor and head of psychology at Aston University said

For people psychologically disposed to addictive behaviours, this means an outlet for that is now just a tap away.

Mobile Domination

Smartphones and tablets have become the market leader when it comes to gambling platforms. Their share of the market has grown by 25 percent every year. On the other hand, laptops and desktop usage has continued to go down with every passing year. An excellent example of this would be the rise of mobile casino apps, with players not opting to play games from their desktop or laptop browsers as often as they did in the past.  

The same UKGC report shows that desktop usage in 2018 dropped by five percent from 2017. With more people using their mobiles for betting, it is easy to see that desktop gaming numbers are going to drop even more with every passing year.

Gaming experts are calling on gambling regulators to waste no time in implementing new regulations for mobile gaming. A good example would be Barclays implementing its new merchant control feature via its mobile app. The feature restricts deposits to various retailers, especially online gaming websites. This is a big help for those who want to control their spending at mobile casinos.