Perhaps one of the key improvements in online gambling tech has been mobile phone payment options. We all wish we had one button to conveniently press any time we want to pay for a service on the spot. Well, now we have it.
Paying with your phone might be the best thing since sliced bread, if only because new technology keeps pushing our expectations for on-the-go efficiency even higher. If you’ve ever been somewhere that doesn’t accept credit or debit cards with no cash in hand or trying to buy the fifth round of drinks on a night out with said cards, you know exactly which universal pain point we mean.
And it’s not a first-world problem invented by the tech industry either. This graph from Statista shows that global revenue from mobile payments is growing and has been on a steady incline from 2015, reaching a projected $1.08 trillion for 2019. That’s nothing short of a miraculous figure and shows that the trend is going strong.
Smartphones have changed the way we live and the world-at-large. These devices now carry out so many functions that you’d be hard-pressed to find something they can’t do. From budgeting your monthly expenses to booking travel accommodation to finding a romantic partner, it can all be done with scrolls, swipes and taps these days. And online gambling is no different. Along with online casinos built specifically for use on mobile devices, paying by phone is now possible on a large number of sites.
For the player, this is the automatic step forward in an unending series of technological advancements that take punting to a whole new level. But it takes hefty tech prowess and business acumen to update the existing infrastructures and prep them for such a wave-making change in how we pay for goods and services.
Top executives leading this change note how variances in markets around the world are influencing the uptake of mobile payments. Back in 2015, the Head of Payments at Oxygen8 Group flagged up Africa as an easy access point for the widespread implementation of mobile billing. Most of the sub-Saharan African population has a mobile phone but no access to electricity, so new systems can be put into place without having to counter a long legacy of land-based telephony.
Other markets – such as Scandinavia – have one of the most mature mobile payment infrastructures in Europe, where the public is accustomed to relying on their phone for almost every purchase under the sun. While conventional banks drag their feet on introducing mobile wallet apps and credit cards get their first taste of obsoletion, we can see that paying by phone will climb the ladder of longevity.
This has an interesting knock-on effect on other sectors. While you might not be able to pay off your mortgage with your phone yet in your location, there’s a chance you will able to in the future if customer behavior in several markets keeps moving in that direction.
And what role does gambling have in all of this? Well, it happens to be one of the industries where fast-paced mobile payment solutions are being developed, released and adopted by large numbers of users. Online casinos are never in short supply and mobile payments are becoming a regular feature of the newer ones especially. iGaming is fuelled by technology and it’s in the interests of businesses to make access to their products ever easier, more convenient and absorbing in its novelty.
People also have different reasons for paying by phone when gambling. Here are the most popular ones.
Instant Play
You can’t beat the “yay” factor of using your phone for the entire arc of the gambling experience. Fewer players have the luxury of an uninterrupted hour or three on their laptop or desktop computer for a gaming session as time goes by and our lives develop and rush forwards at breakneck speed.
Playing games on your phone is one thing, but paying for it all with a simple text message when you have a spare 15 minutes of gameplay on your daily commute streamlines your playing pleasure. “Pay and play” is fast becoming the hottest feature in online gambling, but if you’re still shy of non-registration, paying by phone is the second best alternative for hassle-free playtime.
Zero Financial Clutter
Let’s face it – no one likes signing up for a new banking service when trying out different casinos. If you want to use e-wallets like PayPal, you’ve got to create an account, verify it and log in every time you want to top up your gambling funds. Multiply that by the many e-wallets available and a zillion other payment options that all work with their own unique system and you’re sure to regret slicing your finances into smaller pieces when trying to be your own accountant.
Managing your finances well should be a top priority if you’re gambling, and paying by phone rids you of the numerous steps involved and the nuisance of splitting your funds into several sources.
Better Security And More Safety
You’re not sharing your sensitive private information when you pay by phone in online casinos. Mobile payment methods generally only require your phone number to work smoothly, and the protection of one’s personal data is high on the agenda of many users nowadays.
The process is carried out via SMS and no identification is involved. It’s as simple as it gets – you use your phone credit to top up your player account balance or charge the funds to your next official phone bill. No parting with financial details required. This added layer of security and safety is most definitely a boon.
One Bill To End Them All
You may find yourself wanting to organize your gambling payments with your phone bill. This way you’ll have a neat monthly summary of all your expenses to be paid in one lump.
Plenty of mobile phone carriers in the UK offer this service under different names, such as “Pay by Phone”, “Pay Via Phone”, “Charge to Mobile”, “Charge to Bill”, “Mobile Pay” and others. When this trademark label is listed in a casino’s banking methods, you know you can jump straight to the slots or tables action and sort out what’s due with your next phone bill. Combining your living expenses with your gambling allowance can also help you with budgeting.
Sampling New Technology
There’s also the added benefit of allowing the technology to simplify your life a notch above your current situation. People tend to stick to their old ways and you might need a little extra push to see how paying by phone in online casinos can present an advantage over the traditional methods.
Usage of these new services promotes their development and growth, so you might very well be supporting adoption of the tech that facilitates the most important things we do with our money. All in all, paying with your phone in online casinos pays off.
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