For the first few years of the poker boom, mobile players were limited to just a couple of sites. The same was true for those wanting to play casino games on their mobile devices. Luckily, the popularity of mobile gaming exploded to the point where sites are now essentially forced to develop games for mobile players. Across the board, pretty much every outfit offering online gaming also makes their product available on mobile devices, across all operating systems.
Any experienced mobile casino or poker player will tell you that there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to gambling on your mobile device. These advantages and disadvantages range from the physically cumbersome variety all the way to the types of issues that affect your online bankroll. Today we take a look at some of both.
Advantage – Play From Anywhere with Internet
The primary advantage to playing online poker or casino games on your mobile device is that you can play games from anywhere you can get an internet connection. Stuck at the in-laws’ place for the weekend? Log in and play a little online poker. The same goes for when you’re at an airport and waiting for your flight to be called.
Maybe you’re at your kid’s recital and he/she isn’t scheduled to start performing for another 30 minutes. Time to play a little blackjack on your mobile phone. You can scratch that itch to gamble anywhere you’d like provided you have internet access.
Disadvantage – Support is Usually Lacking
One major disadvantage to playing online poker or at an online casino via your mobile is that there’s usually a lack of support for mobile users. Some sites offer a bare bones introduction for mobile players.
If you’re looking to help on how to actually play at online casinos using your mobile, odds are you’ll get no more than “download our app here.” If they do offer tutorials, it may be for slots or blackjack.
Moreover, not every casino operator has a webpage on how to play roulette from a mobile phone, which isn’t fair to the users. Not everyone comes to an online gaming site looking to play slots or blackjack, and overlooking these customers is costing them money in the long run. A tip, then, for all you online gaming operators out there: you’ll have quite the competitive advantage if you’d just invest a little more into providing your customers with full-fledged support for any issues they’re likely to encounter with your software on their mobile devices.
Advantage – Mobile Games Run More Smoothly
One major advantage to playing online poker via your mobile is that often you’ll enjoy a smoother playing experience than on your computer. The majority of casinos offering mobile sites have optimized those games for mobile.
If they don’t offer a standalone app, most are now offering HTML5 technology rather than Flash, which is faster and much more secure. Sites using HTML5 also aren’t as limited as PC apps in terms of compatibility as they only have to worry about being compatible with a handful of browsers rather than being compatible with hundreds of different PC brands and configurations.
Disadvantage – Screen Size Limitations
The convenience of playing on mobile comes at the cost of a smaller screen size. This smaller size forces some players to play fewer games than they would normally. Even when they multi-table, they often have trouble seeing the game and action as well as on a PC or Laptop. Some sites also limits the number of open tables on mobile.
Another problems with the smaller screen size is that mobile players are more error prone. Since you’re having to tap the screen to control action, you are more prone to hit the wrong button or even “fat finger” the controls. The smaller the table screen, the more likely you’re going to make an error.
Advantage – Mobile Players Get Exclusive Bonuses
Finally, if you’re playing at an online casino or poker room on your mobile, you may be eligible for exclusive bonuses. Online poker rooms and casinos want more players access their sites via mobile and will reward them for doing so.
The most common bonus is a welcome bonus. Make your first deposit after signing up via mobile and get free cash to spend at the poker room. Some casinos will give free spins for signing up via mobile. Others will award free spins or cash just for downloading the app.
Note that mobile bonuses aren’t always advertised on the main site, so make sure you access the poker site or casino from your mobile phone prior to signing up to ensure you don’t miss out on any bonuses. As we all know, poker is all about making money, so these extra bonus offers often tip the scales when weighing all the advantages and disadvantages of playing online poker on a mobile device.
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