In the last few years, there has been a surge in online betting in the US as individual states rewrote their laws and regulations surrounding sports betting. A Supreme Court decision in 2018 set the ball rolling and now more and more states are legalizing betting – and, more importantly, mobile sports betting.
Up until very recently, New Yorkers needed to cross over into New Jersey to place bets using their mobile phones and apps. But now someone living in the city can sign up for a new account using a BetUS promo code, for example, and place their bets all in the comfort of their own home. But why did mobile betting become so popular? And what does the future hold for the gambling industry?
Advances in Technology
Mobile sports betting has been common in Europe and other areas of the world for a while now. Betting firms realized very quickly that their customers were demanding a much easier betting experience and the technology was becoming available to be able to supply that need.
Mobile phones and other devices have used the technology that is now available to allow customers to perform far more activities than ever before – and that includes betting. The trust issue that was once a factor is no longer a problem as online sportsbooks and casinos have used technology to interact far more naturally with their customer account holders.
User Experience
If it wasn’t easy to use a mobile phone or tablet to bet, online gambling would have never become as popular as it has. But betting firms have been able to cater to the demands of their customers and now provide a far simpler process for placing bets than ever before.
Not only is there the advantage of not having to travel to a high street bookmaker or a bricks and mortar casino, but the experience is as enjoyable as it is easy. Even the most technophobe of customers can work out how to make a selection in seconds – and placing a bet takes an even shorter time.
Accessibility
Although persuading lawmakers in some countries and regions has not always been the easiest task, the convenience of using a mobile phone to place a bet or play an online casino game is a huge reason why so many customer account holders prefer this method.
Not only do the majority of people use mobile phones these days, but they can sometimes be the most secure way of dealing with anything financial in some areas of the world. Where conventional banking systems are not as prevalent, mobile use is an option – and has become the most favored way of betting.
Mobile Integration
One of the aspects of mobile use that betting firms quickly identified is that their customers liked to use their phones and tablets to perform a variety of tasks. More importantly, they were disappointed and frustrated when they were not able to link up different tasks in the one place.
The very nature of sports betting helps with this integration model. Mobile payment services have expanded in recent years and betting firms have been quick to offer more ways to move funds. There is even the chance to use GPS technology to identify betting markets in more localized areas. Online betting companies have been able to use the way everyone uses their mobile phones to their advantage.
The Future
The easy way to answer how betting companies will adapt in the future is to say that all the factors profiled here will change in course with the technology available. Mobile has already become the most popular way of betting and the bookmakers are now identifying new regions where gambling laws are changing.
New security measures will be key – as will be the growth in cryptocurrency use in betting. Mobile phones and betting apps make all of this easier to control in one place. You can be sure that the betting companies will be at the forefront of the advances in technology.
