The growth in online bingo has been pronounced during the last six years, with an estimated 3.4 million players now active on a regular basis across various platforms.
While there are a number of factors that may have inspired and driven this growth, it is the evolution of mobile technology that has been the most seminal. As manufacturers have diversified their mobile devices and invested in more sophisticated hardware, so too players have been afforded far greater access to the online bingo sector.
How has mobile technology driven the online bingo sector?
So how exactly has mobile technology driven growth in the virtual bingo sector during the last six years?
Here are our insights: –
- Advanced smartphones and Tablets have enhanced the online bingo experience
We have already touched on the importance of diversification within the mobile technology market, as smartphones have become increasingly sophisticated and dedicated gaming tablets have entered the marketplace. The latter trend is particularly important, with tablet gaming revenues having more than doubled since 2013.
These devices have enhanced the online bingo experience for players, while also allowing developers to develop mobile bingo games that are optimised for both smartphones and tablets. This has dramatically enhanced the appeal of mobile and online bingo games, particularly among younger playing demographics.
- The Rise of accessible Games
On the topic of improving the mobile and online bingo experience, the emergence of HTML5-powered titles has also been influential. There are a growing number of games based on this programming language, replicating versions of 90, 80 and 30-ball bingo patterns.
These games include all of the excitement of online bingo, but allow players to access them without having to download any sort of accompanying software. Instead, they sign-up quickly and start playing the game instantly, optimising the speed, accessibility and portability of virtual bingo.
- Mobile Gaming has ushered in the age of freemium gameplay
Above all else, it is important to recognise the role that mobile technology (and its supporting business model) has had in structuring online bingo games. More specifically, online bingo platforms offer freemium games that are instantly accessible, ensuring that players only have to deposit playing capital rather than a subscription fee.
When you also consider that modern bingo brands incentivise players with generous promotions and bonus offers, this has clearly had a huge role in popularising virtual bingo. By affording players freedom in terms of how and when they spend their capital, mobile technology has opened up online bingo to a far larger diversity of social demographics.
The Last Word
What these figures show is that mobile technology is a central player in the online bingo market, while it has been extremely influential in driving growth throughout the sector. This is also a trend that is likely to gather momentum in the years to come, particularly when you consider innovations such as Apple and Android Pay and the increasingly high-quality graphic associated with smartphones and tablets.
Make no mistake; however, tablets are set to take the lead in online bingo over the course of the next decade. Not only are tablets responsible for a growing percentage of the total mobile spend in the gaming market, but the emergence of specialist devices will also help to optimise the virtual bingo experience. This is good news for both players and developers alike, as the popularisation of online bingo continues at pace!