It is hard to believe that, but in the early 2000s it was almost impossible to imagine the possibility that online casinos would ever overcome land-based institutions in terms of revenue. But in recent years, online gambling has become extremely popular, especially among the age group of 25-40 years olds. Nowadays, it is relatively easy to download the Betwinner App and start playing games online, even while being far away from home. This is a very convenient way for modern users to experience games at literally any moment of their life. People from the UK may not even realize what an impact smartphones have on the gambling industry as a whole.
It took some time for developers to optimize the experience of using gambling websites on mobile phones. The introduction of HTML5 has made everything much easier, as this technology allowed to create not only adaptive websites, but also to create full-scaled mobile applications with web-based interactions. Because of that, millions of people from around the world including Ireland are now able to download official applications to gamble while being literally anywhere. Even during lockdown days, while many land-based institutions were forced to close their doors, applications remained available for all gamblers who had an interest in online casinos. Now, games are available on the palm of the hand and it is a great opportunity for the new generation of gamblers. It is important to understand what are the distinguishing factors between playing games on a PC and enjoying them on mobile phones. For many people it is going to be a day and night difference.
First steps of the mobile revolution
Almost two decades ago, the world of information changed forever. The first iPhone was presented and it has started a new era of mobile technology. It became obvious that major companies from around the world will try to do everything, just to make sure they will present their services on the iOS platform. It became possible, thanks to the convenience of developing tools and new technologies. The Numbers do not lie – almost every person in the world has their own smartphone now. According to Forbes, mobile commerce is one of the most profitable at this moment. There are no reasons not to believe that, considering how much people spend on browsing the internet. Now they are able to gamble on the go and during the lockdown, it looks like the most comfortable and safe way to do that.
Besides, during December of 2020, the UK government has started to review the current gambling laws in the country. The need for that was in the shocking number of young people, who are not even 18 years old and already have been gambling on the internet. Thanks to new rules and regulations, the situation has been changing for good, including Ireland. New restrictions to online slot machines released in May 2022 had a positive effect on people who had an addiction to gambling. Casino operators can send warning notifications for people, who cannot stop playing games online. It is a part of the Responsible Gambling initiative and a good thing for the whole industry.
It is important to have a clear view at what is currently happening in the world of gambling, specifically in the UK. Because things got rough in early 2021. Many companies were only launching their apps, and had no idea what was going to happen to them next, like in the case of WinTrillions. The reason for that is very simple – falling number of players due to the uncertain dance with the regulation of gambling in the UK.
What the future holds for the online gambling in the UK
The future of online gambling in the UK looks brighter than ever. Despite a little underwhelming results of registered gambling operators with the UK Gambling Commision license in 2021, numbers started to grow in 2022, due to the new online casinos that started to enter the market. It is possible to highlight a couple of major changes for the gambling industry in recent years:
- The number of mobile users keeps rising;
- Land-based casinos lose their clients due to lockdown period;
- Cryptocurrencies look promising for the future of mobile online casinos.
Besides, Ireland started to provide its own license for operators, which is also a major aspect of why the future should be good for the local gambling market. Smartphones are the major factor of the success in the UK and they will remain as the main platform for at least 63% of the online casinos users. It can be said for sure that online gambling will not disappear in the near future. Thanks to the work of iOS and Android app developers, the number of players will keep rising in the upcoming years. Besides, regulations from the government are not as strict as they could have been. The enormous revenue from not only games themselves, but also from ads in mobile apps will be a great groundup for new gambling platforms that are only about to enter the UK stage.
Frequently Asked Questions with Answers
What is the GamStop Self-exclusion program?
It is a special program created by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to help people who have a gambling addiction while they are playing games online.
Is there a way to somehow skip the registration in the GamStop program?
Yes, gamblers and bettors are not forbidden from registering an account in offshore online casinos.
Is there a way to use Bitcoin for deposits in the UK online casino apps?
Currently there are no officially licensed UK gambling apps for either iOS or Android that would accept Bitcoin as a payment method. Cryptocurrency are available only as a part of offshore online gambling platforms.
