How The Mobile Gambling Market Changed at the Beginning of 2022

Online gambling has been on the rise ever since the first online casinos started to operate in the late 90s. The global gambling market was valued at US$ 72.3 Billion in 2021 and this figure is estimated to double by 2027. Like everything else in the world of technology, gambling trends are changing rapidly and currently one of the biggest growth areas in the industry is mobile gambling. Today, most online punters in Holland, and Europe in general, use their smartphones to place bets and play casino games way more than their PCs.

In this article, we are going to discuss with Jettie Oosterveen, an iGaming expert on how the mobile gambling market is changing.

Mobile Gaming on the rise

With the wide availability of smartphones and constant Wi-Fi or data coverage the demographics of gamers widened significantly in the past 10 years. Surprising as it is, most games that are downloaded fall into the casual and hyper-casual genre (think Flappy Bird or Candy Crush). These games don’t require any skills and don’t come with complicated game mechanics so anybody can play them.

Another reason for these games’ popularity is that they can usually be played for free. The monetization comes in when players buy extra lives, skins, or loot boxes which all fall into the category of the in-app purchase. In 2021 more than 60% of total app, spending was represented by mobile games.

Mobile casino games

Within the online casino industry trends are also strongly shifting towards mobile gaming. Reputable online casinos in the Netherlands such as the ones you can find on casino online nl offer the same experience through their mobile browser as players would have if they were playing on a PC. In fact, often there are promotions or bonuses available only through the mobile platform.

As online gaming is becoming more and more popular in Holland, new casinos pop up all the time. Casinos invest a lot of money in localizing their websites so that they look professional and trustworthy. When playing casino games such as poker, blackjack, or roulette on a smartphone the mobile-optimized games come across in a way that players don’t miss out on anything.

Sports betting on the mobile

When the Covid-19 pandemic started in Europe in early 2020 sportsbook operators quickly felt a loss of revenue as sports events were being canceled all over the world. It didn’t take the industry long to come up with virtual sports events that punters could then place bets on, however, it was simply not for everyone. Now, two years later all the sports events are resumed and the demand for placing bets on football, Formula-1, and other popular games has not only rebounded but has reached record highs.

Live betting is another reason why mobile betting is so popular. Punters can place bets while the match/race is going on which is a lot more exciting than placing just a single bet before the event. Sponsorships between football teams and casino brands also play a key role in the popularity of mobile betting.

Will mobile gaming fade out as new technological improvements come in?

Other emerging trends within the gaming industry are virtual reality, augmented reality, and lately

“Metaverse”. While these concepts may excite a niche of gamers who don’t mind spending on special gaming equipment and are technology and computer-savvy, they are not likely to give the lion’s share of the gaming and gambling revenues any time soon.

Not everybody invests in expensive laptops, especially if their work doesn’t require one, yet everybody has a smartphone. As mentioned before, casual games are very popular, and realizing this, game producers and casino game producers tend to go for simplicity and user-friendliness when creating their games.

According to NewZoo, mobile gaming has increased by 7.3% last year and the rise is expected to continue throughout 2022.

Conclusion

Mobile gambling continues to be on the rise at the beginning of 2022. The demographics of mobile gamers are widening, and simple games bring in the majority of the gaming revenue. Both in terms of casino games and sports betting there is a strong preference for mobile devices.