Mobile Gaming – Introduction and Fun Facts

An Introduction to Mobile Games

The iGaming industry has been around for more than 25 years, with many technological advancements having taken place over the years. One of the most important of these was the expansion into mobile games. With the introduction of smartphones, players were able to play their favourite casino games on their personal devices.

Software developers, such as Microgaming, NetEnt and Evolution Gaming, were the main contributors to bringing casino games to mobile devices. They were quick to see the potential and start developing their games with mobile-compatible technologies. However, they were not the first ones to bring about mobile gambling.

Mobile games cover all categories. Players can enjoy classic & video slots, poker, blackjack, baccarat, roulette and other casino games. Live casino games are also available on your phone, meaning you can take a seat at a table in a real land casino no matter where you are.

Why Choose Mobile Gambling?

One of the main sources of growth in the iGaming industry is mobile gaming. Here are a few reasons why players gamble on their phone:

  • Convenience: The biggest reason why mobile gambling has become a hit is its availability. Whilst you may have a tablet or desktop at home, your mobile is with you pretty much all of the time. As long as you have an internet connection, you can access most casinos – including Spin Rio – in seconds from your phone.
  • Content: Most casino games, especially from major software companies, are fully compatible with mobile devices. Not only are the graphics crisp and clear, but they also adjust nicely to the size of your screen. You can enjoy slots, blackjack, poker, roulette, live casino games and even sports betting from your phone.
  • Bonuses and Promotions: Casinos are full of promotions and bonuses, and these can all be enjoyed by players from their mobile devices. In fact, it is not unusual to see casino bonuses that are targeted specifically at mobile players, giving them yet another incentive to login from their mobile phones.

The First Ever Mobile Casino Game

The roots of mobile gambling go all the way back to 2004 to a game called Pub Fruity. The title was released by IOMO and Vodafone and was a mobile slot game. It was part of a series of titles including slots, pool, darts, arcade and Pub Fight.

Pub Fruity was developed on the JAVA platform and had many features that were extremely impressive for the time, such as the anticipation of clicking buttons at the right time and a jackpot. The title was very popular but was only played with virtual money – no real cash was involved.

The first mobile game that actually used real gambling was developed by Spin3, a subsidiary of Microgaming. Released in March 2007, it was a mobile baccarat game that had a very simple layout without many bonus features. However, it was the first mobile game developed to offer real money gambling. Spin3 went on to produce mobile games for four different genres – betting, lottery, casino and play-for-fun. Today, there are 110 mobile titles from the provider, 45 of which use the latest HTML5 technology.

The first ever real money poker game that was released for mobile was in 2006.

Instant Play vs Download Casinos

To play on your mobile, you will need to be aware of whether you are playing at an instant play casino or a download casino. Instant play casinos allow you to play a game on your mobile device simply by accessing it in your web browsers. For instance, you can play many Spin Rio games on your mobile by visiting the casino from Safari or Google Chrome.

Download casinos, on the other hand, require you to actually download the casino content to your desktop or phone. In the case of mobile casinos, you would need to download the casino app.

There was a time when download casinos offered a vastly superior experience. However, today there is very little between the two. Both provide vast access to a wide range of games with impressive graphics and smooth game play. Download casinos may be slightly faster to access, but they will use up space on your device. Ultimately, it is up to you.

Fun Facts about Mobile Gambling

There are many appealing factors that mobile casino games have, such as their ease of use and availability. In this next section, we take a look at some mobile gambling facts that are a little less known.

Gambling via Facebook

According to a research group’s statistics, 78% of casino players use their mobile devices to gamble for real money. Many casinos allow players to bet through social media platforms, such as Facebook. With the addition of expanding to the platform, a huge number of mobile casino players gamble through Facebook.

More Than Half the Bets Placed Were from Mobile Devices

According to a research survey in the US, 50% of all bets placed in 2020 were through mobile devices. If that is true, it goes to show just how popular mobile gambling is. The report also suggested that the figure was likely to increase into 2022.

One-in-Three iOS Users Like to Play

In 2020, a study found that over 37% of iOS users played on their mobile devices daily. That figure suggests that over one-third of Apple customers have games on their phone and play them regularly. In 2016, 160 million iPhone users played games. Today, this figure is closer to 215 million.

Playing Mobile Gambling Games Could Prevent Illness

According to a research team, mobile casino games could be a way to prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. By wagering, your brain must engage in order to keep tabs on the mobile game. The research suggests that certain illnesses could be aided by playing more mobile games.

50% over 50

One survey has suggested that more than 50% of the mobile casino game enthusiasts are over 50 years old. This included those playing slots, table games, live casino and lotteries.

Playing Mobile Games Has a Positive Influence on Life

A study has shown that there is a direct correlation between playing mobile gambling games and one’s attitude to life. It shows that by playing, we distract ourselves from constant thinking and stress during the day. Thus, mobile games have a positive impact on releasing happy hormones to encourage a positive attitude.

Closing Remarks

The best mobile gambling games to play are the ones that you can access instantly. Having to download software content can be rather frustrating, especially as it takes up space on your phone. Head over to Spin Rio on your mobile device today to start exploring the hundreds of games we have to offer.

Related Articles