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Mobile Gambling - Friend or
Foe? |
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Over the past decade
we’ve seen a shift in mobile gaming from being a relatively small, dead
market to becoming an absolute powerhouse with year on year growth and billions
of dollars in investments - publishers have found a new market as games filled
with micro-transactions, and apps with subscription models have started to
dominate the way we use our mobile devices - more than ever users are less
likely to access services from their laptop or desktop but use their smartphone
instead. Innovations within the game and gambling industry have capitalised on
this too by bringing online casinos and betting services to the palms of our
hands - but what kind of impact is this having?
Mobile Gambling in the UK
Particularly within the
UK, online gambling has become a growing concern as the number of active users
is increasing year on year, and with the rapid acceleration in how the apps
behave and how marketing is handled,
reform to monitor the industry is quickly falling behind.
There have been efforts to reduce the number of problem gamblers within the
country with initiatives such as Gamstop, but it isn’t without its limits
- the registration to
Gamstop doesn’t apply to all casinos as it is currently an
opt-in program, and those who choose to register outside of the UK in
countries with slightly more lax regulations can still pull in big numbers -
and this also provides an opportunity for those who have chosen to sign up with
Gamstop to restrict their gambling habits to continue as they had before.
Improving
Technology
There are many factors to why mobile gambling has seen
such a huge increase in use - simpler and faster payment methods mean that
those looking to get started aren’t required to jump through one hundred
different hoops to get started. Developments to our smartphones have made them
faster and more connected than ever before, this removes any soft restriction
to gambling - such as needing to go to a physical location. Marketing and
performance practices within the industry have also improved massively - the
games look better, they’re more eye catching and engaging than before, and
modern technology allows gamblers to have a “social experience” with
live dealers and chat rooms if they choose - online media and social media have
also provided an ability to advertise on a mass scale where restrictions that
they may experience by advertising on TV don’t apply.
Outside Of The UK
Whilst there are
those that struggle with gambling addiction, as well as a steady rise of
children who are able to access these gambling services where they
shouldn’t be able to - it is also providing a huge industry boom to the
millions who gamble in moderation. Whilst there are efforts to step up security
checks and reduce maximum stakes for UK based companies - some of which
restrictions include removing the ability to add balance to your account using
a credit card - may help the problem at home, but for the many who choose to
use services not registered in the UK, it doesn’t change
much..
Gamble
Responsibly
It is a difficult question to answer, as with any,
whilst there are many that are at risk of addiction, that are just as many that
are able to use the services safely. As always, make sure you gamble
responsibly and safely, and where you feel you are unable, there are many
options available to help reduce your use, and your exposure. |
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