Mobile gambling game popularity is on the rise as cell phone technology improves and users get used to playing casino games on their phones. Many of today’s phones can essentially serve as mini-PCs with full operating systems, powerful processors and high resolution color screens perfectly suited for gaming applications. Wireless broadband networks have also made these games even more accessible as players can play from virtually any Internet-enabled location – increasing accessibility further still.
Mobile phones differ from PCs and laptops in that they feature sensors which can create an engaging gambling experience. When combined with software applications or “apps,” these capabilities have the power to transform the way people gamble – mobile gambling has rapidly grown into a massively lucrative market and should only continue expanding as more consumers embrace online betting.
Mobile gambling applications began as text-based programs; vendors anticipate video slot machines becoming reality as 3G networks mature and high-speed wireless chips improve. Other games like bingo and poker may be more challenging due to requiring simultaneous data transmission between multiple users on wireless devices.
Today’s smartphones boast superior processing and graphic capabilities that enable them to provide rich gambling environments previously inconceivable on earlier generations of phones. Furthermore, modern phones are equipped with sensors that offer more personalized information collection and feedback on user behavior; this can encourage gamblers to participate in more games, leading them down a path that could eventually result in problem gambling behaviors.
James, O’Malley and Tunney conducted an experimental study assessing the effects of reinforcement schedules on gambling behavior and discovered that frequency of re-entries into a virtual slot machine game depended on how long players spent between trial intervals – this finding corroborated theories suggesting associative processes play an integral part in creating harmful gambling behavior and suggested taking into account reward timing when designing mobile games (Hays & Wilson 2007).
As mobile gaming continues to emerge, it will be interesting to observe how different industries respond. Casinos have already started offering slot-machine style games at some of their physical locations. Retailers and loyalty programs alike are making use of luck-based games in their experiences in order to generate value exchange that resonates with a wider audience, like when ColourPop offered its subscribers an opportunity to spin a coupon wheel in exchange for providing their email addresses. These games are easy and highly effective at drawing new customers to brands, which has led them to gain increased popularity on mobile platforms as companies look for ways to make their services accessible to more audiences.
