An industry Perspective

It is official; mobile phone casinos are fast becoming the choice of casino players in comparison to online casinos! After many promised years of industry hype and ambitious forecasts, 2011 is the year which has seen the mobile casino boom finally delivered! Recent industry research confirms that there has been a huge rise in players that are now choosing to use mobile casinos because of their accessibility, playability and huge rise in popularity. For many years however, this simply hasn’t been the case. Mobile casinos, which fall within the mobile gambling category, had repeatedly proved to be a disappointing and a costly false dawn despite repeatedly been regarded as the next ‘big thing’ of the gambling industry. Nevertheless, the years of waiting seem to be over and on the back of some impressive results in 2011, it is clear that the mobile casino boom has finally arrived with a bang.

When assessing the size and scope of the strategic landscape for mobile casinos and mobile gambling, there are several forecasted projections available from authoritative research houses. Most notably, figures presented by Jupiter research group, although perhaps somewhat ambitiously, forecast that the mobile gambling industry could reach worldwide revenues of $48billion by 2015. That said however, these projections are based on a number of assumptions which are considered speculative by the general consensus within the mobile gambling industry; for example, the opening market of the Chinese market. The truth is that nobody can exactly pinpoint with any degree of precise accuracy just how far this exciting mobile gambling industry will reach.

Accessibility factors – mobile casinos vs. online casinos

Based on several casino player studies, mobile casinos hold several distinct and attractive advantages over online casinos when considering accessibility factors. According to the Office of National Statistics, there are a significantly higher proportion of mobile phone owners compared to desktop or laptop computers. Furthermore, when analysing the usage of mobile phones compared to personal computers or laptops, there is again an interesting bias which suggests a mobile phone is usually significantly more accessible and within easy reach from the user at all times, whereas a personal computer or laptop is far less likely to enjoy the same accessibility.

There are also technological aspects to consider. The nature of a mobile phone allows the user to be playing mobile casino games within seconds, compared to that of a sometimes arduous process that may be taken when accessing an online casino. For instance, it could take several minutes to start up a computer, load up the internet and security software, and then login to the casino service provider. In a recent casino player study, the ability to access and play mobile casino games within 20 seconds on a mobile phone was deemed as a positive and significant motivating factor for players.

There is also an additional and interesting area when considering mobile casinos vs. online casinos, which is that of internet access. According to recent studies, mobile internet has opened up a vast new market altogether, introducing individuals to the internet for the first time. Although not applicable for the vast majority, for a large section of certain markets, there remains a certain stigma attached to using as computer, being computer literate, and also internet transaction phobia. However, with the increase in accessibility of mobile phones and in particular the access of mobile internet and social networking sites, a mobile phone has subtlety transmigrated previously inaccessible consumers, to accessible and loyal mobile casino players. It is questionable whether a personal computer or laptop could truly complete this same feat.

A Player perspective

It’s a traditional adage and no secret that players are at the heart of any business; mobile casinos are no exception. According to several casino player studies, there are a number of key factors that are driving the mobile casino boom. A principal driving factor identified is the ability to play a mobile casino anytime, anywhere; the ability to login and play casino games within 20 seconds; and the game play, graphics and player experience are now on par, if not superior to an online casinos offering. When these 3 factors are added together, it is easy to understand why the proposition of a mobile casino is becoming far more attractive to players. It is also easy to understand why mobile casinos in the near future, look set to overtake their counterpart, the online platform.

Distimo, an analytics firm, has come out with the results of their new study for 2010 regarding apps sales for mobile phones. Their research showed that there was an overwhelming growth boom in the apps that were downloaded free or purchased for use with mobile phone casino games. The casino apps accounted for the hugest number of apps for iPhone games.

Of the top 300 apps that are available from the Apple iTunes site it goes without saying that the majority of apps are the free type. In fact approximately 3 million free downloads per day are logged, while paid apps number about 350,000 apps per day.

Mobile phone casino apps saw an increase of nearly 664% on Android but the Apple leader was more along the lines of new business apps. The leader of all was comics at 802%. Perhaps the reason for the disparity between Android and Apple casino apps is the refusal of Apple to allow for gambling with real money in their operating system and app store.

There is a great deal of revenue being generated by Apple apps within the apps themselves. The platform is indeed perfect for the support of an iPhone casino. Apple’s app store actually doubled in size in 2010, topping 300,000 new apps. Free apps are still the leaders by far in all smart phone arenas, but the potential for earned revenue due to purchases made as a result of in-app advertising is great.

A 3D game for mobile phone casino gambling on iPhone and Android smart phones could be available as early as 2012. Beyond that, in 2014 it is predicted that more than 60 million people will own 3D smartphones.

The addition of 3D technology to the mobile phone industry could mean a great deal to those who use their phones to gamble. There will be no special viewing glasses needed for these phones, and the technology will be so advanced by then that the games will resemble real time casino play.

The current leader in graphic technology at this time is the iPad casino app market. They are already taking full advantage of all the complex graphics and marketing in providing users with a quality mobile phone casino experience. When the 3D ultimate technology is available there will be displays for games that will be absolutely mesmerizing.

Mobile phones were simply large brick sized units that were available for use inside autos just a few decades ago. Now they are able to do just about anything including mapping and GPS positioning, retrieving documents from the desktop at the office, and watching the day’s football match.

The advent of 3D will become the next big deal in the development of personal use devices and mobile gaming is a perfect companion to that concept. The austereoscope technology that the 3D phones will use is quite advanced even for the 3D technology. Casino games by mobile will be irresistible in this format.

American pollsters have discovered recently that Apple product; the iPhone has now surpassed the Blackberry as the smart phone of choice. Where gaming is concerned, this caused a shift in resources and development with mobile gambling companies to focus more closely on Apple products.

Software being developed for mobile phone casino play on Blackberries will be toned down a bit and the efforts will be stepped up to create new and better games and applications for mobile gambling on iPhones, iPads, and the iTouch.  iPhone casinos can expect to be moving forward at this point.

Dr. Michael Cusumano, who is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology distinguished management professor, says that “manufacturers often join with competitors to build OS software; both Hewlett-Packard and IBM contributed to the development of Linux.” This, he believes, will make it a worthwhile effort for manufacturers that compete in the mobile phone casino platforms to work together and collaborate with each other to exchange valuable information. That could create a faster development of the newer generation iPhone casinos.

The gambling industry online at this time is generating more than 50 billion dollars of revenue annually. It is expected that mobile gambling, once it catches on and is allowed, will be capable of generating nearly as much by 2015. The word has it that there is discussion and exploration taking place at this time between manufacturers and mobile technology companies and the state lotteries. The Nielsen ratings have been monitoring mobile phone activity ratings and casino software gurus are following them closely.

Mobile phone casino gambling has become easier thanks to a full directly that has been developed by Blackjack Champ. The service is new and includes comprehensive information on anything and everything that you might want or need to know.

Mobile gambling is growing faster in revenue than any other kind of gambling anywhere in the world. With the development of mobile communication devices growing from awkward phone shaped like a brick with awful graphics to the sleek and tricked out smartphones we now carry, mobile gambling was bound to succeed.

The directory from Blackjack Champ includes such information as the rules to every game and its variations, reviews of blackjack sites, timely news stories, and strategy to help you learn the games and become adept at them. Specific information that relates to each different kind of smart phone is available there. Apple products iPhone and iPad, Blackberry, Androids, and other phones and their different operating systems are outlined with any specific instructions that are unique to that product and is helpful in mobile gambling.

Find your favourite games and their specific versions. Check to see which sites are offering bonuses and tournaments that you can jump into. The guide is designed to offer you a way to optimize your time spent on mobile gambling.

There is no sign that mobile gambling will slowdown in growth any time soon.  In fact, as more countries decide that they want to make gambling on mobile legal with real money, the potential for this industry is expected to soar.

To those that gamble on mobiles there are companies that are very important to the development of your favourite games.  The mobile phone casino developer, Cozy Games, has just been nominated for the 2011 IGA Awards.

The IGA gives an award each year through Clever Duck Media Ltd. The award is an industry feather in the cap, as it is considered an honour and sets the recipients apart from others. International Gaming Awards go to the operators that provide the ultimate in gaming experiences for their customers.

Cozy Games has been in the business of developing games since 2005. Though they are relatively young in the casino game industry, they have been highly competitive and managed to stay abreast of what the veteran game experts know.

Apple iPhone casino games and Android casino games are available and number in the 40’s so far. They are focusing on the mobile game industry. They have high resolution games and ten of their games are even customizable. Social media players have begun to use their games and there are approximately 120,000 Facebook users so far. They signed up these 120,000 players in just a month’s time.

Cozy Games’ Business Development Manager, Jaydeep Chakravartty, said “We are extremely happy to be nominated for this prestigious award. The year has been especially great for Cozy Games.” He discussed the smart phone platform launched for iPhone that is an entire mobile casino suite. It will also work on Android, as it is compatible. The winners of the award will be announced at the London event in January 2011.

Mobile phone casino gambling is getting closer scrutiny in Australia. A survey is planned to be conducted in New South Wales in March of next year, 2011, and will focus on the impact of the mobile gambling industry and problem gambling in that area. The Responsible Gambling Fund will be contributing $250,000 in grant funds for the study project, which will involve some 10,000 respondents.

The study will also be investigating the popularity of different forms and avenues of gambling, targeting those which are the most popular and addictive. The gamblers’ habits will be studied over the course of a year. Players’ most popular mobile gambling products, the frequency with which they gamble, what they spend, and other demographics will all be investigated. The study will also take a close look at the specific days of the week when the most gambling takes place. Even more specific will be the exact hours at which they are likely to play gambling games and in which mode.

Since iPhone casino gambling is relatively new in the casino world, there are no specific studies that have been done on the exact impact of accessibility. Where mobile phone casinos are easy to access and real money can be won, there also exists a potential for not only existing gamblers to be tempted into playing, but for new gambling addictions to surface among those not likely to even visit a brick and mortar casino.

Kevin Greene, New South Wales Minister of Gaming and Racing, said that “It will also look at the impact of technology such as online gambling and the easy access afforded by mobile phones, other handheld devices, and laptops.”

A new report that focuses on the differences between mobile phone casino sites and standard casino play has been released by Mobile Gambling Buzz. The report is not necessarily complimentary when it comes to the findings.

The mobile industry is getting a big thumbs-up where technological advances are concerned, but the brick and mortar casinos are said to be far behind in mobile technology and software. For example, more than 800,000 slot machines in the USA are considered ‘technological dinosaurs’, as quoted by the report.

The report further claims that while physical slot machines run on software, technology-wise they are as many as seven years behind the mobile gaming industry. One of the biggest areas in which they are lagging behind is the networking element.  Berkeley Labs has developed an ethernet network to run on slot machines to enable a speed of 100 Gbps, but the machines are running on old serial links, making the development virtually useless. The idea of network gambling in brick and mortar establishments has been talked about for many years, but is just now starting to develop.

The report focuses on the perspective of consumers that frequent casinos and those that play mobile iPhone casino games. The topics that are discussed are relevant to today’s changing market and will likely be read by gambling consumers, newcomers and insiders alike. As mobile gambling continues to be investigated, the casinos’ struggle to keep up with technology will continually be documented.

DigiTimes has just released information that the will be released in the spring of 2011. The new front facing camera is just one of the improvements that will be included in the new version of the iPad. Retina Display may or may not be included. A faster processor and bigger RAM capabilities promise to offer significant enhancements for the mobile phone casino gambling experience.

This version of the iPad is said to include the new Retina Display system, but that has yet to be verified. The Retina display provides a much sharper image and therefore, a more pleasant viewing experience. At this point it is also rumoured to include the new hardware, iOS4, which allows for the integration of iPhone casino games with the iPad. This will allow iPad users to choose from more mobile phone casino games to play on their devices.

The biggest impact of the new iPad will likely be seen in the social aspect of casino gaming on a mobile device. The faster processor will also allow for more power-intensive games to be played on the device.  The previously sluggish reputation of the iPad for mobile gambling will therefore be enhanced with a much-needed speed boost. The new features could make the new iPad the best mobile device available to offer an unforgettable gaming experience. The Taiwanese manufacturer of the device claims that the shipping for the new product could begin as early as the end of February.

The new era of social gaming is here. SGN, a software development company in the US has announced their new offering for Apple Game Center Network. Social networkers that also love to play casino games on their mobile phone devices can now set up their own ‘MiniTycoon Casino’ and play with others within the social network.

The iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod Touch will offer the game to their users. The object of the game will be to create your own casino empire and the ‘winners’ will be the ones who can amass the most wealth through their casino empires. You make the decisions about what goes on in your iPhone casino.

The play begins with a start up casino that resides off the strip in Vegas. You can grow your empire to one that is successfully moved on to the main Las Vegas action areas. You can give your favourite high rollers perks and rewards to keep them playing at your casino, just like the real time casinos do. Decide on the games you offer, the limits, the themed look of your mobile phone casino and more.

This game will be similar to others on the social networks that have become very popular with their players. This one offers those that like to gamble a chance to visit your casino and help you build your MiniTycoon Casino empire. Check the Apple App Store for the game that will have you and your friends competing to see who can build the biggest, the best, and the most financially successful casino in Las Vegas.