The gambling industry has gone mobile in a big way. Gone are the days when gamblers had to head to a brick-and-mortar casino, or a shady back alley to place their bets. Instead, they can pull up their favourite game on their smartphones wherever they are – and this has created new opportunities for players and casinos alike. It also has some interesting implications for responsible gambling strategies.
While mobile gaming may seem similar to other online gambling platforms, it has its own atypical characteristics that can be exploited by marketers. For example, mobile devices tend to be used for short, interspersed bouts of activity that have been compared to snacking. This type of interaction can be manipulated by reinforcement schedules that encourage repeated behaviours. This is particularly true for slot machines, where a player can be rewarded for near-misses that have structural and aesthetic similarities to wins, encouraging repeat play.
Moreover, many mobile casino apps allow players to interact with a range of features – from a cashier and promotions page to customer support and live chat – that are not available on desktop versions. This makes the experience more immersive and interactive, increasing player enjoyment. In addition, most online casinos offer a mobile website that removes the need to download an app altogether. Players can simply log into their favourite casino through their smartphone browser, reducing the psychological threshold for playing.
This change in accessibility has led to an increase in the number of people who are gambling on their smartphones. For instance, in the first month of legalized sports betting in New York, users wagered a staggering $1.6 billion, beating the previous record for the state by a wide margin. This shows that the mobile gambling industry is thriving and is set for continued growth.
However, this growth has prompted concerns among responsible gambling advocates. Ashley Owen, a team leader at the NYC Problem Gambling Resource Center, points out that problems associated with gambling are often harder to detect than those related to other addictions. That is because problem gamblers don’t typically show physical symptoms.
Another concern is that mobile gaming allows gambling operators to target people at high risk of developing a problem by tracking their behaviour and sending them customized offers. These data collection practices can be particularly problematic for people with gambling issues, because they can lead to excessive gambling.
Fortunately, some responsible gambling interventions are being developed to mitigate these risks. For example, the use of social media groups and text messaging to warn about problem gambling is being used in some countries. In addition, new regulations for mobile games are being introduced to ensure that the apps meet certain standards of fairness and transparency. Lastly, a growing number of gambling apps now include a self-exclusion feature that can be used to block access to the casino. This will help prevent gambling-related harms and protect vulnerable individuals. Nevertheless, further research is needed to understand how these new technologies impact gambling behaviour.