Casino games are incredibly popular in Canada. There are over 19.3 million active internet casino accounts in the country. There is no doubt that the move to create a legalised and regulated market in Ontario increased the appeal of the industry.
Customers have the reassurance of knowing that the platform they are playing on has had to go through a series of rigorous checks to operate in the province. Other factors that have boosted the popularity of online casinos are the advances in mobile technology and connectivity.
In the past, online casino games could only be accessed from internet browsers on home-based computers. This was because mobile screen resolution was not really good enough to see good animation, and mobile data speeds did not allow for a stable connection when players were out and about.
So much has changed in a relatively short time frame that anyone with a modern smartphone can now play what they like wherever they happen to be. A combination of improved hardware, cloud-based gaming and improved connectivity means mobile casinos are easy to play at.
For people who like to play while on the move, it is a choice of playing on mobile apps or a browser version of the casino site. Many of the mobile casinos are available as a downloadable native app or a mobile-optimised browser version.
Of course, there are pros and cons to both – ultimately, you need to try them out to find which one you prefer because it is often a personal choice. However, here are some things to consider:
- Apps have been designed to create a unique mobile experience.
- Browser-based game sites are resized versions of the casino’s standard websites.
- Apps, therefore, do not always have all the content of the website. This can make them faster to load and easier to navigate. Unfortunately, it also means there might be games missing.
- Some websites do not port well to smaller screens, so gaming can be affected. However, as you do not need to download an app, they do not take up storage on your device as they are streamed from the cloud.
- It is possible to create a shortcut to the site from your smartphone screen to get a one-touch accessibility experience from a website that you get from an app.
- Not all mobile casino apps are available for all devices. However, the top online casinos have you covered with apps that run on iOS or Android.
- It is generally accepted that apps are less hackable than websites. However, the best online casinos have robust systems in place to protect players.
- Whichever version you choose to play on, casinos accepting PayPal have an extra layer of security built in. This is because with PayPal players never share any financial information. Additionally, two-factor authentication means only the account holder can access and authorise the e-wallet.
- Native apps are built from the ground up to run on mobile devices. They are not tweaked versions but fully designed, standalone online casino experiences.
- Some casino apps have a smaller or specific selection of games or genres. For example, you can have an app which only has online slots, sports betting or poker. This allows you to rapidly access the games that are of interest to you.
- App games are designed to be played on mobile. For example, NetEnt has produced a Touch series of games where the buttons have been repositioned and resized for play on the go.
- If you do not know which games you want to play or are at the start of your online casino experience, playing on a mobile browser gives you a fuller experience. You get to navigate the entire website from your smartphone. You can do this without filling your phone with games you might not play in the future.
- For many people, apps have the edge – particularly when they know which games they want to play and at which online casinos.
- Apps need to be downloaded and therefore take up precious storage space on your devices.
- Battery consumption might also be higher on an app than a browser because the app might be designed to take advantage of your phone’s power to deliver you the best experience. However, an average app might just drain your battery power.
- Watch out for scams. There are some criminals out there who just want to defraud unwitting players. You can protect yourself by only ever using apps that you find on the Apple or Play stores. These reputable sites will not allow unscrupulous operators and con artists to upload apps.
- In addition, whether you are playing on an app or browser, you should always play on sites and apps with the correct licenses. For example, the online casino will proudly display its iGaming Ontario license in Ontario. Do not use the site or app if you cannot see proof of a license.
The best advice is not to download and play on apps until you know they are the ones you want. Use your mobile browser for browsing. Have a look through a variety of online casino sites.
Most offer demo games so that you can get a good idea of how easy it is to navigate and whether the games on offer are to your taste. You can also find helpful reviews at somewhere like Time2Play, where much of the background work has been done for you.
Once you know which games you want to play and have found an online casino you like, you probably want to download their app.
If you have already set up an account with the casino, you can simply log in to your account as you will already have gone through the verification process.
Remember, if you have tried different apps to find the one you like best, offload any that you are not using. This is because they take up storage space on your phone.
