Mobile gambling is a huge industry that continues to grow as more people access the internet with their smartphones. Whether commuting to work, sitting in a cafe, or relaxing at home, smartphone users can instantly access their favourite casino games from anywhere, making them an ideal platform for gambling on the go. Moreover, advancements in the smartphone technology and high-speed internet connections have boosted the popularity of mobile casinos.
As a result, mobile gaming now accounts for the fourth largest consumer spend among casino games (after role-playing and slot machines). This trend has caused some concern from college addiction specialists who fear that mobile gambling may be fuelling problem gambling. Despite the concerns, there is much about this new form of gambling that can be beneficial, particularly for those who enjoy sports betting.
The key difference between mobile and traditional gambling is accessibility. With a mobile device, players can place bets anytime and anywhere they like, without having to travel to a physical casino or sportsbook. Moreover, smartphone devices can be coupled with household WIFI to provide higher internet speeds than standard data connections. This allows for more immersive and intuitive mobile casino gameplay, delivering an experience that rivals desktop platforms.
Additionally, mobile devices can record contextual and behavioural data, which makes them an ideal platform for translational research in gambling. However, most current research in this area rely on self-report and marker tasks that can be difficult to translate to the real world. As a result, the link between gambling and other behaviours has not been fully teased out.
In a recent study, researchers observed participants’ interactions with a simulated gambling app on their smartphones. This app used a fixed rate of reinforcement on a random ratio schedule and provided multiple levels of reward, with the ability to win money or keep gambling. The results showed that mobile gambling has the potential to be highly perseverative, as demonstrated by participants’ responses to extinction. This persistence is associated with increases in the magnitude of reinforcement and with latencies between gambles that are linearly related to the amount of time spent engaging with the app.
Another advantage of mobile gambling is that casino’s store game records on their servers, so that in the event of a incoming call or text message, losing internet connection or battery mishap, the player will not lose their progress. Once the issue has been resolved, the player can rejoin the game from where they left off, with all of their prior gaming history reflected in the screen. In addition to this, many mobile casinos also offer bonuses for their players that can be very useful in increasing a player’s bankroll. This includes free spins on popular slot titles, and this is often combined with welcome bonuses or other deposit match bonus offers. This can be very helpful for a player who wants to maximise their chances of winning big! Alternatively, a player can also opt for a no deposit bonus.