The online gambling market in North America was worth some $16 billion in 2024 and is only expected to grow further from here. In today’s market a top-tier mobile site or application is basically a requirement for any operator looking to get a slice of that pie. So what do operators in the field of mobile online gambling need to succeed?
From the legal side of geo-fencing, account restrictions and cross-jurisdiction compliance to the technical side of consistency in user experience and processing payments across different devices, these are some of the key hurdles any mobile casino provider in North America has to deal with.
Regulatory and Jurisdictional Compliance is Vital
In some parts of North America, despite many hundreds of if not thousands of physical gambling venues across the continent, online gambling outpaces physical casinos in revenue and player numbers.
If you want to know how Ontario casino promotions work, there’s no substitute for first hand experience. Especially with a great online casino that is licensed in the province, and is clear about what its bonuses offer Canadian players. Top welcome bonuses, rewards and promos can help you hit the reels or felt with a bang, so try one today.
States and provinces have taken great care to ensure they have a framework for legal operators. And all of them have to follow it to the letter or risk fines and other punishments. For example, Ontario is the only province in Canada with open licenses for online casinos – so all companies must geofence their mobile applications to Ontario only.
In the U.S. especially, the border lines between some states are confusing and convoluted. So, geofencing technology has to be extremely accurate to avoid legal consequences or confusion.
Geolocation tech, using data connections and GPS data to track exact locations and VPN detection software are both integral to online casino operations in North America. In fact, the much-needed new service has made one Canadian company in particular – GeoComply – very rich.
Payments and Platform Policy Must Be Adhered To
Another big player in online casinos on mobile are the tech giants Apple and Google. The vast majority of smartphones and tablets in the U.S. and Canada run on either Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android operating systems.
Which means online gambling operators have to consider the California tech giants rules carefully. That is, if they want their gambling apps included on official app stores – which is by far the most convenient and popular way of finding and downloading apps.
Then there are also the payment processors. Each has its own list of requirements, and some of the more popular options are strict about whom they work with. Given online gambling operators often have many tens of thousands of transactions going in and out every hour as bets are settled, an efficient and scalable payment provider that can integrate casino functionality is key.
Regulators, app platforms and payment processors will all most likely require KYC or Know Your Customer checks. These require collecting and storing customers’ personal data to confirm age, location and identity, in a safe and legally compliant manner.
Consistent Performance Across Apps is a Must for Customers
When customers – and indeed expert reviewers – evaluate a mobile betting app, confirming that everything is set up to work smoothly on a range of screen sizes is a priority.
Features gamblers expect to work smoothly on any mobile device that is suitable for downloading the casino include:
- Every game in the library running without stuttering or errors
- Fast and efficient payment transactions
- Menus and account options that are easily accessible on various screen sizes
- Efficient handling of varying data speeds and bandwidths, including data dropouts while travelling
Customers also expect the same – or even better – when it comes to bonuses, promotions and offers from a mobile casino app.
In the modern market, most customers prefer easily integrated apps – but others are put off by the prospect. Especially when casinos also offer a mobile site, convincing every customer to download the app is a hard task. So being able to offer exclusive deals, features and promos to app customers is one way of boosting uptake.
Security and Player Protection Can’t Be Ignored
Ever wanted to know exactly how important cybersecurity is for yourself? Try setting up a website or internet-connected server without going through a company or hiring a freelance professional, and then put your website live with no security protections. Most likely, you’ll be hacked, otherwise disrupted or taken offline with minutes. Possibly even seconds.
Bots and scripts run by nefarious actors can automate the process of searching for unsecured websites, and they will quickly find yours. Gambling operators have recently been big targets for cybercriminals, due to their huge amount of daily transactions and customer facing business model.
For this reason, any online casino that has been in the game for long enough to build a good reputation will have top-tier security as a priority – on both its mobile apps and general operations.
In most jurisdictions with legal gambling, responsible gambling tools are required for player protection. The gambling business is almost always in favor of this kind of thing too. Any mobile app should have all of the same responsible gambling features as the main casino website, such as:
- Deposit limits
- Automated checks on play time or increased deposits
- Cooling off or time out periods
- Self exclusion