A Brief History of Mobile Casinos

The trigger for the launch of the mobile casino was the release of the first iPhone in 2007 followed by the release of the first Android phone in 2008. This led to industry pioneers like NetEnt, Microgaming, and Playtech adapting their existing games to fit the mobile platform.

As technology advanced, it became possible for these providers to develop games specifically for the mobile platform. Soon everyone was offering mobile casino games; in fact some new software providers started offering only mobile casino games.

The term ‘mobile casino app’ became very popularly used by around 2010, corresponding with the rise in the number of players using smartphones. The game range also started to grow for all providers, with games available in both free play and real money play modes. All the top software providers offer the free play mode for players to get used to the game before playing it for real money.

The way players deposited funds at mobile casinos has also changed with time. Initially, players had to deposit funds into their online casino account and then use the same at the mobile casino. Now it is possible for players to transact directly from their mobile device thanks to the development of secure mobile payment options and multi-channel technology. The arrival of multi-channel tech made mobile casinos safer, reliable and more appealing.

The bet limit at mobile casinos is also now on par with what you get at online casinos. You can start off real money play with bets as low as 0.01c. That is not all; there are numerous cool promotions that you can use as well and most of the promotions at the online casino are also available at the mobile casino.

Go through the options provided below for a list of the best real money mobile casinos.

Mobile Casinos and Your Mobile Device: Things to Know

Smartphones and tablets are compatible with different mobile platforms including the Android, iOS, BlackBerry and Windows Phone platforms. All the devices on a specific platform function the same. However, there are some subtle differences between the different devices, across platforms and also within devices on the same platform. It is important to know of these differences before you start playing.

Let us take a look at the top tech players in the market and the specifications their devices have. This will give you an idea of what your mobile device is okay with and what it isn’t.

The next step is to look at mobile casino gambling itself. The mobile casinos on our list are the best available and have been tested and analysed by our expert team to ensure compatibility with your device. Compatibility is the first step to a more enjoyable, enriching and mobile casino experience. Always use our apps and casinos for the best mobile casino experience.

Mobile Casino Platforms

Two of the top mobile casino platforms today are Android and iOS: together they have a staggering majority of the market share, while others like BlackBerry and Windows Phone have very nominal share of the market. The following table gives detailed statistics.

The figures in the above table are the main reason why every mobile casino is compatible with these 2 platforms and only a few offer compatibility with the Windows Phone and BlackBerry platforms as well.

Windows Phone users still have one advantage in that their device uses a modified version of the Windows OS. This allows you to access an online casino as well from your mobile device and play the full suite of games that the casino has.

Playing Mobile Casino Games on Your Smartphone or Tablet: The Best Place to Start

The ideal place to get started with mobile casino gaming is obviously with the casino itself. You can access the casino – online or mobile – from your mobile device and start playing.

There are two ways in which you can play mobile casino games – directly at the casino site or by downloading the mobile app. While initially the trend was to play downloaded casino apps in the past few years that has significantly changed: more players prefer to play directly at mobile casino websites. The game range is significantly high and playing is easier. There is no hassle of using up device memory to store the casino app as well.

Upgraded mobile technology – higher processing speeds, enhanced graphics and increased memory – now enables operators to load more games on to mobile casinos. The native apps are still quite popular; even so, the accent is on instant play. In fact, countries like Australia actually do not allow mobile app stores to host real money casino gambling apps, which automatically makes the instant play the sole feasible play option.

When you come to us you have the advantage of going through an already compiled list of the top mobile casinos. All you need to do is choose a casino and follow the process below to get started.

1. Pick an online casino site from the list of recommended casinos.

2. Log in with your online casino account. If you don’t have one this is the right time to open one.

3. Head to the Mobile tab and check through the options provided for the right option for your devices.

a. Click the link provided to reach the app store. Some casinos will have a QR code that you can scan on your computer screen to reach the mobile casino directly from your mobile device.

b. Sign in to play directly in no download instant play mode or choose the Download option.

4. If you want to play the download version, download the app and deposit funds to start playing with the cool bonuses available.

Another option is to search for the casino app on the app store of your mobile device, but there is the risk of playing duplicated versions sometimes, which means you do not reach the official game suite of the operator you are looking to play with.

All the mobile casinos on our list have been tested for performance and quality across multiple platforms. Testing for multiple parameters including games, bonuses, software, security, payments and more gives you the guarantee of a satisfactory mobile casino experience.

Games Available at Mobile Casinos

You get a good selection of games to choose from at the top mobile casinos. The popular games available at mobile casinos include:

• Slots
• Roulette
• Blackjack
• Baccarat
• Video poker
• Craps
• Keno
• Faro

When you join one of our recommended mobile casinos you get access to the highest quality mobile games from software developers such as NetEnt, Playtech and Microgaming.

So how does it work at a mobile casino? All popular online casinos have an accompanying mobile casino app. Some of them have an optimized mobile casino site itself but the general trend is a dedicated app with games for the mobile casino fan.

The play mode is usually tap/swipe and play: tap to download the software to your device, log in and play. The use of multi-channel ensures synchronicity between your account on the mobile and the desktop casino.

Playing Mobile Slots

Of all the casino games available, slots are the most suited for mobile casino gaming. The kind of mobile slots you get to play at a mobile casino depends on the provider. We explain this briefly below.

Some casinos have games with very detailed graphics and features, while others offer minimalist games that are equally fun to play. For instance, a mobile slot like Pub Fruity is minimalist and just the right fit for playing from a mobile phone. There are not too many frills, just the reels, the background and the Spin button, with different play options like Autospin and the bet lines and coin sizes at the bottom.

On the other hand, in a game like Thunderstruck II, the mobile version still retains the grandeur and aura of the online version. There are exquisite graphics and animations, great bonuses, a massive 4-tier free spins bonus round and more, all optimised for the mobile platform. The ability to retain the grandeur of the game without making it too heavy (it is still heavy, yes) in terms of file size is because of the progress technology has made. HTML5 helps, and how!

There are innovations woven in as well, including exciting bonus rounds and other features. Major innovations seen are in the way you spin the reels. Some mobile casinos allow you to swipe the reels to speed up the spin without using Autospin. Others allow you to trigger a spin just by shaking your smartphone, a move that doesn’t have much intrinsic value but adds to the glamour quotient.

Live Dealer Games for Mobile Devices

Nowadays you get live dealer games at mobile casinos as well. The ability to interact with live dealers on the go at a mobile casino heightens the game experience, which is why live dealer mobile casino games are very popular. Commonly available live dealer mobile casino games include:

• Live blackjack
• Live roulette
• Live baccarat

Other live games include Sic Bo, Keno and table poker games. A couple of things to keep in mind: not all mobile platforms are compatible with live dealer casino software; the compatible ones are Android and iOS. Even on these platforms, not all devices are compatible with the software. To play live dealer mobile casino games you will first need to ensure device compatibility. The commonly compatible devices are:

• iOS: All generations of iPhones and also iPad, iPad Air and iPad Mini
• Android: Smartphones from Samsung (Galaxy series), HTC, LG, Sony, and Google Nexus and tablets from Samsung, Sony and Google Nexus.

Depending on the modes of play available, a mobile casino player can either download the live casino software to his device or access the games directly from his mobile browser. Not every software provider has live dealer games for mobile casinos. The ones with the top live dealer mobile casino games are:

• NetEnt: NetEnt uses the unique Chroma key technology to deliver high quality live dealer games directly to your mobile device.
• Evolution Gaming: Evolution Gaming caters specifically to live casino gaming and has fully optimised live gaming solutions for mobile devices.
• Playtech: This is the largest casino software to trade publicly on the London Stock Exchange and has a full suite of live dealer games for mobile devices (iOS and Android).