Global mobile gaming has seen unprecedented growth over the last five years. Advancements in 5G technology, digital wallets, and live streaming have aided much of this growth, but so has increased mobile adoption and usage in underdeveloped countries. By the end of 2021, total revenue from mobile gaming generated around $180 billion, representing a nearly 2% increase over 2020.
Among the most popular mobile gaming genres by revenue share include puzzle, role-playing, strategy, and casino games. When people think about mobile casino games, they often think about playing traditional games like blackjack and roulette on the mobile version of platforms like the online casino site from Paddy Power. While Paddy Power does offer table gaming options like blackjack and roulette for Android and iOS (in addition to desktop gaming for Windows and Mac), customers can also access the casino operator’s mobile sportsbook.
Mobile sports wagering has become just as popular as mobile poker and bingo in recent years, with people favoring online platforms that provide in-play betting and real-time notifications and odds over land-based betting shops. This has become prominent in the United Kingdom and the United States. According to this Bloomberg article on sports gambling, mobile wagering accounted for more than 80% of sports bets placed in October 2021 in the United States, compared to 16% from retail platforms. Interestingly, the growth of mobile sports wagering in the United States comes at the same time as more and more global superstar athletes associate themselves with US casinos and sportsbooks, including ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, Connor McDavid, and Kevin Garnett.
Part of the attraction of mobile gambling is that people can do it from anywhere, whenever they want. The same cannot be said about desktop or tablet gaming. We have seen the popularity of mobile devices over desktops in other industries, too, including the financial industry. For example, even though contract for difference (CFD) trading has been around since the 1990s, it has witnessed a new wave of momentum following the introduction of CFD trading apps for iOS and Android.
This is because these mobile apps give traders more on-the-go control over their finances and include features like instant push notifications and mobile-optimized analysis tools. For perspective, as highlighted by Investopedia, CFD trading allows individuals to trade assets without physically owning them.
Similar to PC and tablet gambling, it’s important to mention that mobile gamblers need to make sure they are doing a sustainable amount of research into the mobile betting apps they are downloading from the app store. Users always want to ensure they are using safe, trusted, and licensed platforms. Smartphone users should also ensure they are updating their software regularly so they can get access to all of the latest features and technology.
Mobile gaming is a growing niche, and casino games, including sports betting, are responsible for a lot of its recent growth. Even better, the market is projected to see strong growth rates moving forward, so we suspect several new mobile gambling trends will emerge as a result.