Many players cannot imagine playing online casino games like online slots in the UK on anything but their mobile devices. However, it was not so long ago that the most popular mobile device for casino games was a laptop! Join us as we look at the evolution of mobile casino games and the possibilities for the future of this industry.

Casino games go online

Older casino game fans will remember a time when you actually had to leave your home and visit a casino if you wanted to have some fun playing casino games. Thankfully, the internet came along and was made accessible to the public in 1993, forever changing how we play these games!

In 1994, just months after the internet was made available to everyone, legislation was passed by Antigua and Barbuda, which led to the creation of the online casino gaming industry. The first company to take advantage of these new laws and get a casino into cyberspace was the now well-known, then upcoming, gambling software company, Microgaming. While this virtual casino was undoubtedly quite basic by today’s standards, it allowed people to play a few casino games, such as online blackjack, online roulette, and even video poker. 

Naturally, as time passed, more competitors arrived. The article “The history of online gambling” from OnlineGambling.com reported that more than 200 competitors had made their home in the online gambling space by the end of 1997.

With the online gambling space growing at a rapid rate, it came as no surprise that digital casino operators were looking to expand beyond the desktop and laptop PC market. Around this time, mobile phones were becoming increasingly popular and advanced, so developers set their sights on this new and evolving mobile gaming market. Today, casino games for mobile continue to grow and attract many diverse players.

Clunky phone casino apps

Unfortunately for the early pioneers of mobile casinos, the first mobile phones were incredibly slow, even when compared to the lowest-end computers that were available at the time. This meant developers had to invent a different solution, and what they came up with were apps that offered very simple takes on gambling games. These were also more akin to the first offline PC casino games in that you paid for the software, but you couldn’t play for real money.

However, a major change was set to take place in 2007 that would change the way we interact with mobile phone casino games.

The smartphone is born, and mobile casino games come of age

While mobile phone technology had advanced over the 1990s and early 2000s, mobile phones were still incredibly poor multimedia devices during this period. Yes, mobile phones had become faster, and they had gone from very low-resolution monochrome screens to now just low-resolution colour screens. Still, they were simply frustrating to use for anything more than phone calls and text messages. 

In 2007, however, Apple released the iPhone – the world’s first smartphone – and it was to change the way we used our mobiles forever. This device did away with physical buttons, replacing the entire front of the device with a beautiful touchscreen. It was also bigger – meaning you no longer had to squint to watch a video or play games on a tiny screen – and thinner, making it easier to slip into your pocket. Naturally, this device was also faster than its competitors, even if it was much slower than more modern smartphones. 

This triggered a smartphone development frenzy, with companies including Google, Samsung, and LG all looking to get in on this new and exciting market. Smartphone hardware made almost unbelievable leaps forward in the time since the first iPhone’s launch, with devices going from single-core CPUs in 2007 to the octo-core (eight-core) powerhouses we have today. Screen resolutions exploded from a measly 320×480 to an incredible 3,840×2,160. The sound went from cheap (and, some might say, barely a “feature”) to supporting the latest cinematic sound formats. This technology has also driven the development of other mobile devices, such as tablets, which have proven to be a hit around the world.

The software also made numerous advancements, with mobile operating systems iOS and Android including even more features and tools, turning mobile phones into far more than just devices for making phone calls and sending texts while you were on the go. The switch from programming language Flash on PC to HTML5 also meant that online services that previously used Flash – such as online casinos – now offered a real alternative to desktop and laptop PCs for mobile users, regardless of whether you were playing on a smartphone or tablet.   

These advancements helped cement smartphones and other mobile devices as incredible gaming machines. This was a huge step forward for online casinos, which could now offer mobile players the same experience that was previously reserved for players on desktop and laptop PCs. Whether you like live dealer games, poker, slots, or more, you can now enjoy it all, no matter where you are (as long as you have a fast and stable internet connection and a reasonably modern mobile device). Mobile casino slot games provide players with a variety of options on the go, which is something we all enjoy.

The future of mobile casino gaming

While it’s undoubtedly amazing how quickly mobile technology has moved forward, this may have many readers wondering: “Where do we go from here?” While the answer to that question will only be answered as time goes by, here are some exciting developments that you can look forward to.

• Mobile tech will make VR, and VR casinos even more accessible: We’ve already started to see the use of mobile technology in virtual reality devices such as the Oculus Quest headset, removing the need for powerful computers to create VR experiences. This will help make VR casinos and casino games even more accessible and open up a whole new (virtual) world of possibilities.
• More variety in games: There has already been a massive increase in the number of games you can play on mobile. As these devices continue to match and surpass their desktop counterparts, we’re likely to see developers experiment more so that they can create fresh and exciting ways for people to gamble.
• Even more advanced graphics: While we’ve seen the continued improvement of casino game graphics, as mobile devices become even more powerful, it’s possible we’ll start to see gambling games that offer visuals on par with the latest high-end PC and consoles. It’s safe to say that mobile games will only get more visually spectacular and exciting to play from here on in!

Play the best mobile casino games available today

While we don’t know exactly what mobile casino games may look like in the future, you can still have a great time playing what’s out there today! At The Phone Casino, we have a wide variety of gambling games for you to choose from. Whether you’re interested in digital versions of easy-to-play games such as online slots or you prefer instant-win games like online scratch cards, there’s so much for you to enjoy at our online casino! You will surely encounter a wealth of new mobile casino games that will keep you entertained.

Register at The Phone Casino to join in the fun!