These days, an iGaming conference doesn’t go by without a whole lot of drunken debauchery involved. It’s also nailed on that there will be plenty of discussion on the growth area of the moment – mobile technology and its role in the gaming industry.
EGR Live, taking place at London’s Business Design Centre, has seen a number of different seminars on this area and the advancements that are continually being made in the this area of the iGaming industry.
This afternoon, delegates were coaxed in to a seminar room asking “Mobile technology – can you afford to miss out?” Looking at the impressive level of attendance they bloody couldn’t!
Those present in the room found out that the mobile sector, although an extremely attractive one is expensive to prevail in and Apple is far from the juicy piece of fruit that everyone thinks it is.
According to Shaz Mirza, Mobile and New Channels Manager at Ladbrokes (AKA one of the LADS!), “a lot more operators will join the mobile live streaming bandwagon in the near future.”
Those comments came after the company had offered customers live streaming of Cheltenham via their smart phones. It was also mentioned by the panel that mobile is becoming a way of life and that within four years, 80-90% of phones will be a smart phone.
The panel later focused on whether web or native apps were the better option. It was close to a unanimous view that native apps were quicker, crisper and provided a better user experience but that fragmentation was a massive disadvantage. Here was where Apple got the boot.
It was mainly down to the store’s “unpredictable” nature. The fact that approval for new applications can take as little as a few days to as much as nine weeks was also bemoaned.
Web apps, meanwhile, were criticized for being “too slow” and you are “at the mercy of the mobile networks.”
In terms of handsets, it was commented, “People who want to be entertained will buy an Apple whereas many take Android as a free upgrade.” This is perhaps why, despite their faults in other areas, Apple will always be extremely important for the iGaming industry.
