How Mobile is Taking Over Online Sports Betting

Technology is the best thing to ever happen to the gambling sector. It brought the internet, which gave rise to online bookmakers.

Another technological advancement that the industry is grateful for is mobile. The availability of hand-held devices has fueled the growth of online sports betting.

Mobile ownership figures keep rising with more than 3.5 billion smartphone owners in 2020. Over 80% of internet users access sites from mobile devices. These figures represent a market that online operators can leverage to boost business, and they have.

Almost every online betting website has a mobile platform to cater to customers who prefer the alternative. The result is a market that is bursting at the seams with mobile sports betting sites. What makes mobile gambling popular, though?

The Growth of Mobile Betting

In the past decade or so, the gambling sector has experienced a steady rise in mobile device usage. According to the UK Gambling Commission, 2017 saw a huge spike when smartphone usage hit 39%. Since then, the increase has been steady.

Why is that? Online bookmakers are always competing to provide bettors with the best offerings. Part of that means giving customers what they want like mobile gambling. So, in a bid to keep punters loyal, operators adapt their platforms for mobile use.

Currently, the market is filled with mobile betting alternatives that cater to diverse needs. Most of the sportsbooks in Europe have mobile websites or apps for users.

What Drives Mobile Betting?

Mobile gambling offers certain benefits that make it appealing to punters. These advantages explain the popularity of this particular sector.

Uncomplicated Betting

Gambling on a smartphone or tablet is not that much different from using a PC, which is a big reason for the prominence of mobile betting.

If you have ever used an online bookmaker, then you won’t encounter any issues when using a mobile platform. The offerings don’t change. Operators will have the same promotions, sports markets and payment methods on desktop and mobile.

Doing this makes transitioning from one platform to another simple. In some cases, using other services such as mobile wallets is easier. For example, you can quickly login with Boku to pay for your sports betting on a site that supports the service.

Convenience

Gambling on mobile allows bettors to wager on their favourite sports or other markets from wherever they are.

Convenience is the biggest selling point for mobile sports betting. In 2020, consumers are looking for solutions that are easy to access. People are willing to spend extra for convenience.

Gambling is no different. Being able to access a sportsbook on a tablet or phone means that you don’t have to be stuck on a desktop.

Device Compatibility

Online bookmakers attract punters to gamble on mobile by making it easy to use across various devices. When mobile sports betting was coming up, the only option was to use a compressed version of the standard site.

They were cumbersome and slow. With time, sportsbooks created mobile responsive websites that adapted to different devices. Optimised sites are accessible from any updated browser.

Then came the apps. The beauty of apps is that they are fast and offer better quality betting. With these two options, bettors can gamble from virtually any hand-held device – iOS, Android, Blackberry or Windows.

How Safe is Mobile Sports Betting?

Security has always been a concern when gambling online. With the rising number of cybercrimes, gamblers are overly cautious about where they play.

Bookmakers provide the same security measures on mobile as on desktop. A mobile site or app will have SSL encryption to protect customer data. Many platforms are PCI-compliant, which safeguards card transactions.

A plus side of gambling on hand-held devices is that most of them come with inbuilt security. For example, iPhones have FaceID and other physical security features. Android phones have fingerprint sensors, facial locks and passwords.

These features minimise the risk of unauthorised access to betting accounts. Smartphones and tablets also have measures to combat malware and viruses.

The age of mobile sports betting is here and taking over. As mobile usage increases exponentially, so does the potential market share for online bookies.

The continued advancement of mobile technology is allowing operators to offer more features, including in-play betting and live streaming. Punters across the globe can enjoy wholesome gambling on-the-go.