Should You Wager Through a Mobile Browser or App?

Posted by Harry Kane on Tuesday, August 2, 2022

It’s now easier than ever to gamble online, with the iGaming market in the UK banking a cool $12.5 million in gross revenue last year. This means that the UK is now home to the largest regulated iGaming niche in the world, as this market continues to grow at the expense of brick-and-mortar gambling.

There are now a staggering 32 million online gambling accounts registered throughout the UK, which are increasingly been accessed through mobile devices. This is particularly true in the case of sports betting accounts, with 74% of in-play bettors frequently using a mobile device (primarily a smartphone) to place their wagers.

Across all online betting verticals, 50% of gamblers regularly wager through their smartphone. However, this activity tends to be split between mobile browsers and native Android or iOS apps, each of which offers a slightly different wagering experience. In this post, we’ll look at the pros and cons of both channels, before asking which one is best for you.

The Pros of Mobile Browsers

Pretty much all online casinos and sportsbooks deploy responsively designed mobile sites in the contemporary marketplace, which means that their verticals and games can be accessed seamlessly to players who are on the move. But what are the exact benefits of wagering through a mobile browser?

· #1. Seamlessly Access Sites on any Operating System or Browser: On the subject of accessibility, players can seamlessly access their chosen betting site or casino regardless of their operating systems or preferred browser. This affords far greater flexibility to players, especially when compared with native apps (which are designed for specific platforms like iOS or Android). Similarly, you can access mobile browsers without having to upgrade your software or operating system (except in instances where your software is massively out-of-date).

· #2. Enjoy a Complete Mobile Experience: The advent of responsive website design has had a huge impact on the iGaming market, as this adjusts and optimises the display and layout to suit your choice of device. What’s more, the use of the HTML5 programming language creates games that can be seamlessly accessed across desktop and mobile devices, so you can now broadly experience the same iGaming experience regardless of your physical location.

· #3. Browsers are More Convenient: On a fundamental level, mobile browsers are staple features on smartphones and tablets, while they can be used to complete multiple tasks and don’t consume too much internal memory. Browsers are also more familiar and easy to use, creating a more convenient experience for players who want to wager using their smartphone. Typically, they also make it easier to customise layouts and experiences to suit your favourite games and verticals.

The Pros of Mobile Betting Apps

While these benefits may appear to present a ‘slam dunk’ case for mobile browser betting, native apps are also highly evolved pieces of technology that offer their own unique advantages. Here are three of the most important to keep in mind!

· #1. The Availability of Instant Feedback and Adjustments: Mobile betting and casino apps are capable of capturing and analysing huge swathes of data in real-time, including insightful player reviews and feedback. As a result, they can observe issues and bugs and subsequently fix these almost immediately, especially in the case of relatively simple problems. This isn’t always the case with mobile browsers, where operators aren’t directly responsible for all aspects of your experience.

· #2. Superior Security and Privacy: While mobile browsers and apps are both inherently secure, the latter arguably use a higher level of SSL encryption and allow for multifactor authentication. They’re also far less susceptible to malicious malware attacks, enabling you to play, deposit and withdraw funds with far greater peace of mind. You can also benefit from enhanced privacy when using a remote sports betting or casino app, which may be a deal breaker depending on how frequently you wager.

· #3. Apps are More Reliable Than Browsers: The security issue is obviously an important consideration, particularly as there are ‘trojans’ that have been specifically designed for collecting payment and banking data. In addition to being more secure, native, well-designed and reputable apps are also quicker and less likely to crash, better enabling the type of fast-paced gameplay associated with online slots and minimising the risk of connectivity being lost in the middle of a live gaming session.

The Last Word – Are Mobile Browsers or Apps Better for You?

As you can see, while mobile browsers and apps share many similarities, each also have their own unique set of features and advantages. Interestingly, some browser advantages also reflect relative weaknesses in mobile browsers, while the reverse is also true in select instances.

Ultimately, the choice between mobile browser and native app will be a deeply personal one, and based on multiple factors such as the age of your phone and operating system, your preferred betting verticals (apps tend to be more popular among sports bettors) and the amount of internal memory on your device.

Regardless, it’s important to measure such factors against the respective pros and cons of each option, so that you can compare what’s available and arrive at an informed choice. Of course, you’ll also need to check if your intended site even operates one or more native apps, as some continue to rely solely on responsively designed mobile sites.

Finally, don’t be afraid to test both options before you make your choice, although this will require to download the relevant app and use it for a period of time. Remember, each mobile site and app is different, so testing multiple ways of accessing content is highly recommended if you’re able to.