Why mobile slots are so popular?

Mobile gaming is one of the biggest growth sectors in the entertainment industry. 25% of all apps downloaded to smartphones are games and these titles account for 43% of smartphone use.

As of January 2021, there were 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide (roughly 60% of the global population). Approximately 93% of this figure reported they accessed the internet via mobile devices.

One of the most successful games, financially, is Clash of Clans which has generated over 7 billion US dollars revenue since its inception and many games amassing figures in the hundreds of millions monthly. Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battleground are examples of console and PC games that have successful mobile equivalents.

And with so many people taking their gaming habits on the move, on their commute, on holidays and even just around the home, mobile casino games are becoming the most popular choice. Research suggests 17% of the UK population use online casinos with the vast majority accessing them via their smartphone.

Of all the traditional casino games, one that has proven to be most conducive to the mobile format is the slot machine. Read on below to find out why online fruit machine games have become so popular in recent years.

A broadened target market

● The casino has undergone an image update over the last decade. Gone are the days when the casino was a largely male dominated pastime. The proliferation of the smartphone has brought casino gaming to the hands of a much larger percentage of the population.

● The number of female players has increased greatly as have the number of younger and older gamers. Gaming as a whole matured from being categorised as a toy to becoming a legitimate form of entertainment for young and older adults alike.

● Slots with a variety of themes to cater to the full spectrum of players are available; from anime to official movie titles and from holiday themes to your favourite band.

All skill levels are catered for

● The concept of the fruit machine is a simple one and for that reason beginners quickly feel comfortable getting started.

● Game designers saw an opportunity to cater for more serious gamers and have developed advanced strategy slots with a steeper learning curve to create outcomes that rely more on skill than luck alone.

● Slots have been updated for the mobile experience—with bonuses, combos and features included that would not be possible in the physical world.

A form of convenient entertainment

● Many of the most popular casual gaming apps deliver instant gratification and the length of each play session is very short: Candy Crush Saga, Temple Run, Flappy Bird. Slot machine games can fall neatly into this category with people choosing to enjoy a quick spin when they have five minutes to spare.

● Free to play slots are available, even from providers that focus primarily on real money stakes. Taking advantage of this option gives players the opportunity to become attuned to a specific game and if they then choose to involve money, might have a higher chance of winning.

Security

● Players’ personal details and online accounts have become more secure than they were during the early days of the internet. If people choose to make real money gaming wagers they want to be safe in the knowledge that their money is protected.

● Cryptocurrency has found a mutually beneficial pairing with online casinos and gaming. Transactions at casinos on the web account for approximately half of all total Bitcoin transactions. Part of the appeal, along with anonymity, of using crypto is that those casinos are ‘provably fair’, however, a lot of these providers are unregulated.

Improvements in technology

● Video games have come a long way since the two dimensional monochromatic graphics of 1972’s Pong. Nowadays even handheld games offer an immersive experience with state-of-the-art graphics and sound design.

● Slots fans can enjoy a realistic experience without needing to travel to a casino. Furthermore, enthusiasts of larger than life games can be catered for.

● The widespread appeal of slots has also given rise to an increase in quality with talented game designers being actively employed by the industry which has resulted in a better user experience.

Social gami

● An increasingly included element of modern gaming is the social aspect. While consoles have the monopoly on headsets and voice chatting, mobile games are beginning to include chat rooms and ‘party up’ options.

Real money prizes

● Obviously, a big draw for many players is the opportunity to win big while simultaneously enjoying the game they’re playing; an advantage of high participation numbers is the potential for extravagant cash prizes.

● Progressive jackpots are offered by some providers which pool a percentage of stakes made by players into one enormous kitty that can reach life changing sums. The world record for one such progressive jackpot is 20 million US dollars, won in a single spin.

The humble one armed bandit has come a long way since its inception over one hundred years ago. Many modern examples would be completely unrecognisable from an antique Lucky 7 machine. The diverse range of titles available coupled with the convenience of the smart device has heralded slots as the new kings of the online casino.