One of the most beautiful things about online gambling is how easily it can be accessed. Not only can you access it via your desktop computer, you can use your smartphone or tablet to take part too. In fact, the whole industry is going in that direction. More and more casinos are taking a “mobile first” approach to their development, meaning they have mobile users in mind when they make their website.

On the other hand, gambling on the computer hasn’t died off completely (though it might do soon, if statistics are to be believed). So which device should you stick to? Today, we’re comparing the two so you can choose the right gambling device for you!


 

Some Context

ProgressPlay on SmartphoneLast year, the UK Gambling Commission reported that the amount of people who take part in online gambling on their smartphones and tablets was around 10%. As of this year, however, the UKGC has stated that number has gone up to 43%. Even though we have been well aware of how fast technology develops, this is a staggering jump and means more people are gambling on mobile devices than ever before.

At this rate, more than half of us could be gambling on mobile devices by 2018! The numbers don’t, however, say that the amount of actual gambling has increased. By this we can infer that online players have simply switched devices. Does that mean, however, that you should be gambling on mobile devices because that’s where the industry is headed? Absolutely not.

You should choose a device that not only suits your needs but you’re also the most comfortable using. If you’d rather gamble from the comfort of your own home, fine. No one will hold it against you. If, however, you find yourself out and about fairly often without much time to sit down and enjoy it, then going mobile might be a smart decision.

 

Desktop Gambling

online gambling regulation computer screenOkay, so you’re wavering towards more desktop gambling. That’s great! It means you love to indulge in your favourite hobby in the comfort of your own living room/office/bedroom. While that may make you sound like a bit of recluse, we’d say there’s nothing wrong with spending a bit of alone time on the PC. It helps a lot of us in unwinding from a busy day at work.

Practically speaking, the biggest pro to a computer is the reliability factor. If you’re on a desktop PC in particular, you’re less likely to suddenly loose connection to the internet, which is always something to worry about when you’re in the middle of playing a slot.

You’re also less stressed as increased mobility means a lot more moving around and paying less attention to things will inevitable result in accidents that you could have avoided if you were paying a bit more attention. It’s also, thanks to a PCs generally more powerful processor, much easier to multitask and play games that have much better graphics.

The obvious shortcoming of the desktop, however, has to be the fact that it is completely stationary. Fancy gambling on the bus to work? Well, it’s not like you can just yank your computer out of the wall and take it with you. Even with laptops its somewhat cumbersome. You have to find somewhere to sit and get comfortable first before you want to start gambling. But you can’t do it and walk around at the same time. You can try but it’s just not realistic.

Desktop gambling is perhaps the most ideal for players who like coming home after a long day from work and using it as a chance to relax. It’s certainly better for more casual players too. Can you imagine spending hours sitting in front of a computer when it’s a nice sunny day?

 

Smartphones/Tablet Gambling

Mobile SlotSo if you’ve decided that smartphone or tablet gambling is more to your liking. Great! This is, as we’ve mentioned, where it’s all headed and if you choose to do it now, you’ll be far ahead of game come next year when the amount of players on mobile devices increases yet again. However, there are more practical reasons for wanting to become more mobile.

For starters, you can do it almost anywhere and any decent smartphone or tablet is small enough to fit in your pocket or backpack. This mobility is its biggest advantage, especially for people who have busy lives that involve a lot of travelling. If you commute to work or find yourself travelling as part of your day job, this way of doing it is going to be far more efficient than doing it on desktop.

But this mobility is also its biggest weakness. Not only do you have to rely on the fact that mobile casinos need an internet connection in order to work but your device could run out of battery — fairly quickly if said device is an Apple product. Also, because of their size, smartphones are easier to lose or leave behind on the train. The price of said devices could also be just as expensive as buying a laptop. Then again, a smartphone does have more functions than just being able to connect to the internet.

You don’t have to settle for one or the other, though. In fact, you could balance both ways respectively, if you think you fall somewhere in the middle. Either way, we hope this has helped you better understand which devices would better suit you!