Online gambling is a huge market that has been expanding year on year. Estimates indicate an increase in revenue at a CAGR of 11.5% between 2020 and 2027. PC users make up the biggest section in the industry. However, mobile customers contribute a significant fraction as well. In fact, at current trends, mobile casino players will be at par with desktop users in no time. Mobile gambling has come a long way and doesn’t show signs of slowing down. Thanks to evolving mobile technology, gamblers can access most casino gaming products on their devices. For this reason, more players are turning to mobile casinos for their gambling needs.
Online casinos present mobile gaming in two main forms – apps and websites. Some operators use one while others have both. The choice between the two is one aspect that influences a player’s experience. Although casino apps and websites have slight differences, the question of which is better is a common one. Gamblers will always go for the platform with the most rewarding user experience. So, it helps to learn how apps and mobile sites measure up against each other before picking one.
Native Apps vs Mobile Websites
The optimisation of websites for mobile use became necessary when it was clear consumers preferred the convenience of gaming on the go. As with most sectors, internet gaming didn’t prioritise mobile users. However, the increased use of handsets for web access required responsive sites. Programming codes, such as Flash and HTML5, allowed operators to offer mobile-optimised websites. These platforms download data directly from the web, meaning they are not limited to specific operating systems. They are miniaturised versions of the standard casino and, so are not much different from desktop websites.
Dedicated apps are downloadable software applications designed for individual operating systems. Currently, gambling companies create applications for the two principal operating systems – iOS and Android. Native casino apps are available on a device’s respective app store. Similar to mobile websites, apps allow you to do everything from live dealer gaming to playing with digital currency. You can read more about crypto gambling here, including accessing it on mobile devices.
So, how do mobile casino sites and apps compare? What follows are highlights of the primary differences.
Availability
When deciding whether to play in a native app or mobile site, consider a platform’s accessibility. Websites tend to be more accessible than apps. A responsive site only requires a browser to load since data is not stored on the device. For this reason, mobile websites are available on thousands of devices. As long as a handset is internet-enabled, it can load HTML5 games. So, you can gamble on iOS, Windows, Android or any other proprietary system without a problem. Your smartphone only has to be powerful enough to process games. Another benefit of using websites is that you can effortlessly switch between devices.
Apps restrict you to specific smartphones because they are developed for individual operating systems. If you are using an iPhone, then you can only download a casino’s iOS app. A majority of gambling sites has both Android and iOS apps, but some only cater to one operating system. Another limitation of casino apps is that your device has to be compatible. For example, if an app requires Android 7 and above, then you can’t gamble on any handset below that. Additionally, it might not be possible to use the same casino app across multiple devices due to compatibility issues.
Quality
In terms of gameplay standards, native apps take the cake. App development has become more sophisticated over time. Today’s applications come with an array of tools that deliver excellent functionality. Thus, regardless of the casino games you are playing, expect impressive performances, particularly on newer devices. Dedicated apps feed data to your smartphone efficiently, explaining their ability to provide different features. Games load smoothly on casino apps with no loss of the original quality. Another advantage is that gestures like pinch, swipe and drag are highly intuitive on apps, hence delivering a more immersive experience than on mobile sites. Developers can include other features in software updates, thus, improving gaming.
Thanks to HTML5, mobile websites are getting as good as native apps. They allow multiple functions without cluttering the platform. However, gameplay can be affected by the quality of your browser. Also, a site’s functionalities can be limited to a browser’s features. Unlike apps, though, mobile sites don’t have to deal with bugs and regular updates.
Speed
When gambling online, you want games to load as fast as possible. A well-designed app will post better speeds than a website. As earlier mentioned, an app stores data on the device, making for swift retrieval. Therefore, actions are completed quickly. Also, apps store user preferences, enabling them to initiate certain actions automatically, which saves time. It also shortens the startup time when opening an app. Websites, on the other hand, get data from web servers.When visiting a casino, you have to wait a few seconds for the browser to load the site.
Privacy
Some players prefer to keep their gambling activities private. If you are one, the platform you use determines how well you accomplish that. Websites are the most suitable for private gaming. For one, you can log out of a casino and leave the browser when you finish playing. Additionally, most mobile browsers have private tabs that don’t record website history. So, you can gamble without worrying about your activities being logged in your browser. The mere presence of a casino app on your phone’s desktop gives you away. Dedicated apps also push notifications.
Mobile gambling puts online casinos in your hands, enabling you to play different games anywhere. Gaming on smartphones or tablets doesn’t diminish your experience, especially when you find the right platform. Whether you pick a mobile-responsive website or native app comes down to personal preferences. Weigh the pros and cons of each option, then decide which one meets your gambling demands.
