A smartphone has quickly become something that we can’t do without. We feel disconnected and adrift if we ever happen to leave it at home.
Almost everything is accessible from a mobile device now. We shop, communicate, and do business, both online and on the move. Casinos have certainly kept up with this trend.
Online gambling is fast becoming more popular than physically visiting a casino. You can access your favourite online casino, whether it’s from your couch or while travelling to work on the train. The ease of mobile payments has facilitated this move. With this in mind, can operators provide more types of mobile payments?
With expert knowledge in the area of online casino mobile payments, Victoria Oliveira from Casino Portugal offers her thoughts.
The Statistics
According to Statista, there are currently 3.5 billion smartphone users throughout the world; of those around 2.7 billion take part in online gambling. That’s a lot of people with access to the quick and easy payment methods available on their mobile devices. It’s no wonder that revenue from online gambling in 2020 is expected to reach over $159 billion in 2020.
Credit/Debit Card vs Mobile Payments
The benefits of mobile payments are simple. With the touch of a button, you can pay your deposit, unlock additional features and extended gameplay. Casinos all over the world benefit from the continued development of mobile payment options.
As online gambling evolves, these mobile payment facilities need to keep up with changes and advancements. We’ve already seen a move away from credit and debit card payments. Players prefer faster options like Paypal, Skrill and Neteller, which have more immediate results.
Technology is moving so quickly that credit and debit cards are becoming almost redundant in the online world. They still have relevance when visiting brick-and-mortar casinos, but it’s easy to see why more and more players choose to use mobile devices for payment.
The security of online payments is essential. With these third party entities, there’s no direct access to your account. Customers can also add additional layers of security by creating strong passwords, using biometric identification, and keeping their anti-virus protection up to date.
The Effect on Online Casinos
One of the things that players consider when looking for an online casino is the number of payment methods available to them. Offering only one or two options limits the number of people willing or able to use a site. On the other hand, a variety of online casino mobile payment options makes the casino more attractive to the user and may increase the player numbers.
One of the newer developments is mobile billing slots, which allows you to charge deposit amounts to your mobile phone bill. This system is also known as “pay by phone” or “pay by mobile”; currently, the primary providers are Payforit and Boku.
You can use this method whether you have a contract or are on a top-up agreement. You should check with your network service provider whether they offer this service, as it may not be available on all networks.
Other recent payment methods that some online casinos have incorporated include cryptocurrency and Apple Pay. Using a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin isn’t as straightforward as other methods, nor as quick. It is, however, a very secure payment option. Apple Pay is easy to use, but relies on you having an Apple device. In addition, not all countries support this platform as yet.
What’s Next for Mobile Payments?
Each year brings further advancement in technology, and we find ourselves asking “what next?”. For online casinos to remain at the forefront of their industry, they have to continually keep abreast of developments and make sure that they remain competitive.
Perhaps they’ll develop their own in house mobile payment option, or maybe they’ll improve the general benefits of mobile payments. Whatever the outcome in 2020, we know that mobile payments are here to stay.
