Online betting has increased in popularity in the past few years and is becoming more normal and less shady than it used to be. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, betting on virtual sports has become more popular, since there were just no other sports to bet on. The COVID-19 pandemic not only caused betting on virtual sports to become more popular, but also increased the popularity of betting via mobile rather than desktop.
Multiple bookmakers have revealed that more and more players have been using their mobile platforms and that the number of bets via mobile has increased significantly over the past year. Sportsbook Superbook, owned by Las Vegas, saw an amazing number of 80% of bets placed on mobile devices, compared to 65% before COVID-19. William Hill didn’t want to stay behind and has made the choice to invest heavily in their mobile platforms for their US operations. According to their CFO Mark McMillion, it is paying off. Besides that, bookmaker Tipico recently launched its own mobile app in New Jersey.
It’s not surprising that mobile platforms of bookmakers have increased heavily in popularity. The technology is so advanced to the point that the user experience is just as good as on the desktop. Besides that, almost everyone has a mobile phone in their back pocket these days. During the different lockdowns, it’s often the only communication tool for many people. How easy and convenient is it to just place a bet on your mobile, without getting off the couch and open your laptop first? Therefore, it can be expected that the popularity of online betting on mobile platforms will only increase in the short term.