Mobile Gambling

There is an important new development in online gambling. It's a direct result of the quest to develop technology that allows players to play anytime, anywhere.

The first appearance of software applications on cell phones and PDAs occurred in 2000. Using a newly developed protocol called WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), users were able to play games and access the Internet. Unfortunately, the limitations of WAP graphics and functionality in game play resulted in a severely limited demand for the technology. As a result, mobile gambling went nowhere at this time.

It was the technological advances appearing in 2002 which sparked a new interest in mobile gambling. Advances in color displays, high quality sound and Java functionality made wireless gambling a real possibility.

Today's wireless devices like PDAs and cell phones are essentially mini-PCs. Now that the technology is available developers have faced the challenge of making the mobile gambling software easy for users to install and use. Developers have met that challenge in 2004. You can now experience exciting mobile games on Java supported devices. Some predict that by 2007 more online gambling will be done on mobile devices that at workstations.

Industry analysts also predict the cost of mobile Internet services to decline. This has always been a major block to users wanting to take advantage of the technology. Many wireless companies have invested heavily in creating high speed network capability and desperately need users to use the technology so that the companies can pay for the development of the network.

Some industry analysts predict sports betting to be the first to take advantage of the technology. This is likely as player require little to play, they simply need to tell the sportsbook what they would like to wager on. The same goes for lotteries and bingos. But thanks to high quality color screens, great sound and Java technology, online casinos will be offering gambling experiences comparable to those using standard online or downloaded casino applications. This is especially beneficial to developers on online video slots games, where a high quality graphics display is necessary.

Developers are currently facing one hurdle despite these recent technological advances. Multiplayer games like bingo and poker face some challenges. In these games speed and simultaneous delivery matter and if you are playing on a mobile device you get no special consideration. This will be the real test for newly developed high speed wireless networks.

It appears the wireless or mobile gambling will be subject to whatever legislation is passed in the US regarding online gambling. Online gambling is in the midst of a battle between legislators to either legalize it or have it banned outright. See our article on the current legal state of online gambling. The situation in the US is by no means representative of the world. The government run gaming organization in New Zealand permits players to bet on sporting events by using instant messaging.

Many speculate as long as American laws restrict online gambling in the U.S. people will frequent land-based casinos. Many industry analysts say this is one of the reasons for keeping online gambling operations outside the U.S. If the American law makers were to permit online gambling in the U.S., many predict a sharp decline in attendance at land-based casino. The development of mobile gambling will no doubt add to the convenience and availability of online gambling - making it even harder for land-based casinos to compete.