According to recent statistics, there will be a total of 2.7 billion mobile gamers in the world in 2023. As well as this, the market for mobile gaming is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.55% over the next few years, eventually hitting $339.45 billion by 2030. We sat down with prolific casino author Goran Gacesa at AskGamblers to discuss this further.
‘Who would have thought,’ he says, tucking his phone into his left breast pocket, ‘when that first card was dealt during the first-ever Blackjack game in 18th century France, that it would be the first move to creating a $340 billion mobile gaming market.’
Seeing as mobiles weren’t a thing back then, I suggest no one.
‘Righto,’ says Goren. He opens a Tupperware tub and pulls out a rice crispy square. In amongst his frequent munching, I can’t help but push him further and ask him to elaborate. And that kickstarts our conversation on iGaming and the mobile gaming market, and how they are both intricately connected:
“When That First iPhone Came Along, People Were Already Playing Online Casino Games”
What Connection Does The First Ever Blackjack Game Have With Mobile Gaming?
It has every connection possible. Mobile gaming would be nowhere near as big as it is now without the iGaming revolution. And there would be no iGaming revolution if there weren’t casinos in the first place. Hence the first-ever Blackjack game.
Tenuous Connection, No?
Not at all. You’ve got to think about what iGaming refers to. Online betting that wagers the future outcome of a game. The first ever online bet was made in the 1990s, and the first online casino software followed in 1994. Meanwhile, the first smartphone – and I mean smartphone as we know them today, in other words, the iPhone – was released in 2007. When that first iPhone came along, people were already playing online casino games and betting online. The audience had a taste for it.
And The iPhone Made It Easier For Them?
Every phone did from that point on. Back then, you would still have to log into your PC to play online casinos, and that took about half an hour if you were lucky. Then suddenly, your PC belonged in your pocket. I’m a big lover of rice crispy squares. I have like a dozen in my fridge. Well, for me, the smartphone would be like having my refrigerator miniaturised so I could carry it around in my pocket all day, and eat fresh rice crispy squares whenever I want.
I See… Instead, You Have To Make Do With Tupperware
It’s rubbish. They get all warm and sludgy.
“Why Can’t We Play Video Games The Same Way We Play Online Casino Games?”
But How Does This All Equate To Mobile Gaming? Because That Goes Beyond Online Casinos Now
I’m just saying that it all comes back around. At the time, online casinos were popular, but smartphones made them more popular. People could suddenly play their favourite games or make bets any time they wanted. Everything became convenient. Yet they still had to travel back home if they wanted to play their video games. There came a time when smartphone users thought: why can’t we play video games the same way we can play online casino games? And I mean proper video games, not Flappy Bird or Doodle Jump. Do you remember Doodle Jump?
Of Course, I Remember Doodle Jump
Well, mobile gaming has gone beyond that now. Even Sony Playstation and Xbox have recently designated whole teams to developing mobile games, because it’s those well-developed and absorbing games that are really making the mobile gaming market fly. Of course, there’s still a place for Doodle Jump, but mobile gamers expect more, just as they expect more from online casinos.
“More Games, More Speed, More Safety”
What More Are They Expecting From Online Casinos?
Well, the iGaming market has been doing more than the traditional gaming market for over twenty years, but there’s still things we can do to make the experience better. More games, more speed, more safety. Just offering more for the players, essentially.
Is The iGaming Market Now Competing With Mobile Games?
Not at all. They’re still two separate entities. People play online casinos or make bets for different reasons than they would play a mobile game. If anything, I think they both compliment each other. But iGaming was the key to mobile gaming’s growth.
And You Want No One To Be Mistaken In That!
Absolutely. I’m hoping it will also be the key to the growth of pocket-sized fridges, but I can’t see that happening anytime soon.
Goren munches sadly on another warm rice crispy square, and we wrap up the interview enlightened and excited about the future!
