In the 2000s, virtual sites with slots became a new trend in the gambling industry and quickly overtook even land-based establishments in popularity. Users liked the convenience, because they could bet from the comfort of their homes.
- Smartphones or PCs: changes in the last 10 years
- Gambling in England
- Age analysis
- Why is smartphone betting popular?
The next round in the evolution of gambling entertainment was the development of mobile online casinos. But have they replaced desktop versions?
What gadgets are more popular now among players and betting fans, found out experts from the UK Commission and analytics Australia. The editorial staff of the site evaluated their results in this article.
Smartphones or PCs: changes in the last 10 years
Proving that the gambling industry is constantly and rapidly evolving is easy – just look at the gadgets used by players at different times. And the trend in both online casinos and betting is similar.
Australians and sports betting
If you believe the research, in 2014, 87% of sports fans chose desktop computers or laptops for betting. Phones accounted for only 9.4% and tablets for 2.5%.
This is despite the fact that Australia was one of the leaders in smartphone usage and most operators offered downloads of their betting apps.
But by 2018, the situation had already changed. According to Roy Morgan Gambling Currency Reports, the percentage of Australians betting via phone increased to 22.7% in 2018. And all this happened against the backdrop of a general increase in interest in online betting and interactive games. The number of people who began to use the Internet for betting also increased (up to 34.1%). For comparison, in 2011 the figure was 15.7%.
Michelle Levine, analyzing betting activity in Australia, called the emergence of smartphone applications for betting a turning point in the industry.
Gambling in England
Experts from the UK Gambling Commission also analyzed the gambling market. In 2020, they published the results, according to which it is smartphones have become the most popular gadget for online casino visitors.
Smartphones have surpassed both PCs and tablets. Although many people use more than one gadget.
The data for 2019 is discussed in the table.
| Gadget used | Percentage of players, % |
|---|---|
| Phone | 50 |
| Laptop | 38 |
| Stationary computer | 26 |
| Tablet | 16 |
| Smart-TV | 2 |
And the popularity of phones in gambling has been steadily increasing: 23% of players used them in 2015, 29% in 2016, 39% in 2017, and 44% in 2018. And this is not the limit. In 2021, the number of users will exceed 50-55%.
Against the backdrop of the increasing popularity of mobile online casinos, the decline of desktop versions is striking. While in 2015, 38% of players used a desktop computer and 61% used a laptop, by the beginning of 2020 the figures had dropped to 26% and 38% respectively. This is most likely due to the fact that users started to move to mobile betting en masse.
Tablets, on the other hand, show fairly stable results: 16% both in 2015 and by the beginning of 2020.
Analysis by age
Each generation has its own device preferences. Looking at the statistics again, people 55-64 and over 65 are more likely to use desktop computers and much less likely to use cell phones.
The opposite situation is with players between 18 and 44 years old. They actively use smartphones, but almost never play with PCs.
Detailed information for different age groups is presented in the diagram.
The most striking and revealing figures are:
- 76% of 18-24 year olds use smartphones. 25-34 year olds are not far behind – 72% of them bet from their mobile.
- Only 26% of those aged 55-64 play from their phones. In the group over 65 the figure is even worse – 14%.
- For laptops, the statistics for different ages are similar. For young people – 43%, for the older generation – 39%.
- A desktop computer is not very popular among players in the category from 18 to 54 years old, but it is in particular demand (42%) among users over 65.
The conclusion is simple: mobile betting will only become more popular over time, but the game from desktop computers, if it does not disappear into oblivion, it will certainly not occupy a position in the top.
In addition, the growth of interest in smartphones is observed in all age groups.
Detailed information about the percentage of players who used a phone for betting is presented in the table.
| Age, years | 2015 г., % | 2016 г., % | 2017 г., % | 2018 г., % | 2019 г., % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 37 | 54 | 65 | 64 | 76 |
| 25-34 | 42 | 50 | 62 | 70 | 72 |
| 35-44 | 28 | 35 | 51 | 58 | 66 |
| 45-54 | 18 | 18 | 33 | 39 | 52 |
| 55-64 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 26 |
| Over 65 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 14 |
As you can see, even the audience least loyal to playing from a phone (over 65) saw a steady increase from 2015 to 2020: from 3% to 14%.
Let’s talk about users 18-24 years old – the percentage of those who play has grown from 37% to 76%.
Why is smartphone betting popular?
We can assume that the rhythm of life is to blame. People want to play not only at home, but also on the way to work, university or during lunch break. However, statistics show the opposite.
The majority (95%) prefer to spin the drums and bet at home. Only 15% sometimes do it at work, 12% – on the road, 7% – in clubs or bars, 4% – in sports venues.
In order to be objective, we can also make a cross-section by age.
The results will remain the same: users 18-24 years old (88%), 25-34 (93%), 45-64 (97%) and 65+ (99%) prefer to play at home. Except that younger people are more likely to bet on the road, at work and in pubs.
The conclusion is simple: it’s more convenient to play on a smartphone. You can do it lying in bed or doing chores at home.
In addition, modern mobile versions of casinos are not inferior to desktop. They have adaptive design, which will adjust to the parameters of all gadgets. No need to download applications and programs – casinos run through any mobile browser. Technical specifications and operating systems of devices are also not important.
Thus, playing through smartphones is the future of the gambling industry.
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