Mobile gambling is the fastest growing segment of the gambling industry. While betting apps account for the majority of the growth, a variety of mobile casinos and casino-style games are also making headway. This growth is expected to continue, driven by the increasing number of smartphone users and their increased comfort with using these devices for online gambling. However, the specialized nature of smartphones can make these devices challenging for responsible gambling interventions that focus on changing user behaviour, particularly those that are based on interruptive messaging and other methods designed to reduce problematic gambling.
As a result, some responsible gambling experts believe that these new mobile platforms will increase the risk of problem gambling amongst certain groups of people. For example, the ubiquity of sports betting apps encourages more frequent and impulsive gambling. These apps offer the opportunity to bet on specific aspects of a game in real time, such as how many free throws a player will make or who will hit the first home run in a game. They are also accompanied by a barrage of advertising, including celebrity endorsements and even sponsorships by sports teams and leagues that once fiercely opposed gambling on their events.
Similarly, social gaming apps have become popular among college students and appear to be associated with gambling-related harms. However, these apps are not regulated by the same authorities that regulate gambling websites. This difference could contribute to the emergence of different patterns of problem gambling that are unique to these apps.
In addition to these differences in gambling, the graphical and processing limitations of smartphones can make it difficult for responsible gambling strategies to be implemented on this platform. For example, the small size of a mobile screen can make it more difficult to review the odds for a bet and it is harder to correct mistakes on a smaller device. Furthermore, mobile security is often less rigorous than on a computer, especially when it comes to using public WiFi.
Despite these challenges, the proliferation of mobile gambling can be beneficial for responsible gambling efforts. While the use of gambling apps can be disruptive, they also facilitate access to information and services that are not available in traditional brick and mortar casinos or other forms of online gambling. Moreover, the rapid evolution of smartphone technology will allow for a more personalized gambling experience. This will eventually lead to a more tailored and effective responsible gambling environment. Until these developments occur, it may be necessary to revisit and modify existing responsible gambling interventions.