Ever since mobile phones were invented we have mobile games. Games are an integral part of the technology and are an inevitable feature of mobile phones. When things were still black and white, we had the game Snake that we were all hooked up on, then the WAP games kicked in, where you would connect to the internet and download the game data onto your phone. The list of WAP games used to grow and grow.
However, the most popular form of gaming in the last decade is online casino gaming. So how did casino games make their progress toward the mobile gaming?
WAP Games
The first mobile casino games were WAP games. Although the majority of these casino games were not for real money, people came to like them and enjoyed downloading them. They would order the games in concordance with their type of mobile phone and the model. Then, they would pay via WAP Push, MMS or SMS and get their games. A fun fact is that in some poorly developed countries, there are still people who play these WAP games.
Java
Naturally, the technology keeps advancing, and that is what led developers come up with Java ME. Java was like an enlightenment for mobile players, as it provided way faster games. In fact, the Java casino game was developed by IOMO, and it was not for real money, but worked on the gamification concept. An insanely popular game from that period is, of course, Downtown Texas Hold’em. You would collect chips and the better you get and the more chips you collect would unlock you new tournaments against tougher opponents.
iOS and Android
Java games, however, weren’t compatible with any device. The turning point in mobile gaming history was the iPhone release as well as the AppStore at the end of 2007. This is when developers started selling their games directly to consumers. A year later, Android followed the iOS steps and opened their Android Market or what we today know as Google Play. Whereas the AppStore ran only on iPhones, Android’s Google Play ran on an array of smartphones.
So, as online casino games were at their peak on the desktop versions, and Android and iOS phones became like little, handheld, mobile computers, it was only natural to introduce them on mobile phones. So, this was the beginning of the mobile gaming boom.
HTML5
With the development of HTML5, the three essential languages of the internet were integrated together. Games started functioning in CSS presentation, Javascript, and HTML5 structure. The most popular casino games software providers started developing their casino products and offering them to popular casino sites like netbet.co.uk. New games were being released daily, and with the launch of 3G, bets were placed from anywhere and anytime.
Today, casino games come in HD quality, feature interesting themes and cutting-edge graphics. The mobile games are compatible across any mobile and desktop device and are available to any casino player. In addition, players are spoilt by choice and can play any casino game wherever they go.