Play Online Slots on Mobile Devices
Mobile internet access is growing so fast that it will soon overtake the time spent online via static devices. The same applies to online gambling, with more and more people choosing to access their favorite sites via smartphones and tablets. While some casino software makers are busy moving their games to the new mobile world, others have been left behind. This article helps you spot which mobile slots are the best ones to play.
First of all below you will see the different ways of accessing slots games via your mobile devices. After that the big debate is discussed – is it worth downloading the full app at all? Some current mobile slots options for US and worldwide players are then examined.
Options for Accessing Mobile Slots
When you think of mobile gaming, the first thing that springs to mind is apps. What you will find is that these are in the minority when it comes to the total number of slots available to mobile device users.
Most casinos use responsive mobile sites instead. These use either Flash, HTML5 or Java (or sometimes a combination) and detect and adapt to your screen size automatically. The touch-screen interface will normally work fine, where there can be issues is with how well the graphics and layout works on the smallest screened devices. Many games have been partially adapted to work on phone sized screens, working well enough, though not really giving the full effect. What you really want is a game which lets the reels cover the screen in landscape mode while you are playing – so you get the full benefit of the graphics and animations.
What normally happens with mobile responsive mobile slots is that you’ll have to wait when the bonus rounds begin. These are downloaded separately, which saves a lot of time when you start the game off. While this can be frustrating, the good news is that you know there is a bonus round coming when the download is completed.
Flash technology is not compatible with many Mac, iPhone and iPad devices. Some casinos will detect your device and use HTML5 / Java instead. For others you’ll need to download a 3rd party browser plug-in to make the mobile slots work. These are common nowadays, and you should have no problem finding one online.
Different casinos are at vastly different stages when it comes to apps. Some have the default 30 games (usually mostly slots), which does include the popular titles – though not too much choice. Some casinos have gone further and ported up to 100 apps into their Apple and Android native applications. You’ll download these in much the same way you would the old PC software clients. First the lobby and gaming code comes down, along with the cashier in many cases. After that you’ll download the games separately as you want to play them. This does save having to download 100+ games in one go, many of which you will never play.
App v Browser Games – The Great Mobile Slots Debate
With so many more games available in your browser, the big question is whether it is worth the extra effort to go ahead and download casino slots apps at all?
On the positive side an app does mean that your phone or tablet can do more of the ‘heavy lifting’ of running the games. The result should be smoother and less lag-prone, since you do not have so much information to transmit over the networks. My experience is that the difference is small. If anything the app versions are more likely to have been properly miniaturized, though that is really the only visible benefit.
The flexibility you’ll get from the mobile responsive Flash and HTML5 games is to choose many more games from many more casinos. Sometimes you’ll find one that does not seem to work as well as you’d expect. However this is the exception rather than the rule. A great way of ensuring that you get games which work well in your mobile device’s browser is to choose game manufacturers with a great track record of delivering quality software. Some suggestions are below.
Mobile Slots for US Players
I recommend the BetSoft range of slots for US players looking for real money games on mobile devices. This software developer has created a range of games called ToGo, which are dedicated to mobile play. Not only are they brilliantly adapted for smaller screens, these games are also at the cutting edge of design. You can expect animated feature rounds and mini-games in addition to the fantastic looking basic games.
Mobile Slots for Worldwide Players
Outside of the US you’ll have a huge choice of games from many of the world’s leading slots software creators. MicroGaming and PlayTech are the two giants of the industry, and both have impressive ranges of titles which are available via instant-play technology (with limited choices also via native apps). My pick would be the NetEnt range, these colorful games can be played using Flash, and will work great on your mobile devices.