Mobile casino games--yey or nay?

[Jasminebed]

I'm sure that many, if not most, cell phone players will have lots of questions. CSRs should have access to various cell phone providers' websites, and be able to offer potential clients a wealth of advice.

Personally, I would find that if you offered to cover the cost an unlimited web-usuage plan for a month (my provider allows me to change my plan as frequently as monthly up to four times a year), I'd be more willing to try it. Or perhaps offer to cover this cost as a incentive for non-winning players in the form of a low WR bonus for two months worth of cellphone usuage (the non-winning month, plus another month to try again), and an attractive match bonus.

[liquuid_fusion]

I think the main problem is the cellular infrastructure just isn't quite up to scratch in most places. Unless you have great reception and are in a 3G/HSDPA area it's gonna be really slow and unreliable. I could see people wanting to play while commuting perhaps, on a train or bus, but mobile data connections are even more unreliable when on the move.

[funky_seagull]

We're looking at launching Buzzluck mobile in the next couple of months... anyone using any mobile casinos? Like 'em? Tried them but stopped? Good examples?

Cheers

Alex

I love them. I've played pretty much all of them. In fact my first introduction to online gambling was with 32red mobile casino. It suits me, it is great for passing time in hospital or bed bound at home due to illness. Sitting in the garden in the sunshine. I have used it when travelling on buses, trains, doctors waiting rooms, sitting on the beach, in cafe's.

I have played lots of different software, my favourite is the playtech version. The reason for this is it has a wide range of deposit/withdrawal options, the mobile cashier is almost identical to the pc version, you can process all your transactions easily through the mobile interface and don't need to log onto a PC to do it, it even allows you to convert comp points through the mobile interface. It has good graphics and sound, smooth gameplay. An excellent fun/practice mode which is always available anytime you want, and you don't have to connect online to play it, so you can still play for fun without a signal on your mobile. I wish there were more games though, and it has been a while since they last released one.

My next favourite is the microgaming version. They have a good variety of games, maybe the most games out of all of them. The minimum bets can be a bit expensive though, with the exception to roulette which has recently been reduced to a minimum bet of 20p. Blackjack has a £2 min bet, which is too expensive for me, and baccarat can be as high as £10 minimum bet on some casinos. If you're not careful about what you play, you can find your money doesn't last 5 minutes. Microgaming mobile casinos offer credit/debit card and neteller as deposit options, but strangely they have no withdrawal options. just a weird 'phone me' button, where someone is supposed to call you back to discuss your withdrawal when you press it. It doesn't work. In reality nobody ever calls you back, I've tried it twice, and the only way to withdraw from a microgaming mobile casino is via PC. The play for fun/demo mode is crap. It lasts for about 5 minutes and then locks you out with the message:'We hope you enjoyed the demo, now please play for real.' Which I don't like at all...

I also play regularly on bodog mobile casino and recently inetbet. This is the RTG version. Which I guess will be the same format as what the buzzluck mobile casino will be?

I like the blackjack, as it has a surrender option which is lacking on all the other mobile casinos. The video poker is also excellent, and RTG mobile is the only casino to offer joker poker, which makes a change to Jacks or Better which everyone else offers. I mainly play the joker poker and occasionally the blackjack. I don't like the slots.

The downside to RTG mobile is there are only currently 5 games, blackjack, jacks or better, joker poker, stars and stripes and inferno sevens. But this is probably down to it only starting out, and hopefully more games will be released in the future.

There isn't any deposit/withdrawal options in the mobile application, which I find frustrating, no cashier. To make a deposit or withdrawal you have to do it via pc. Which is a bad idea, if someone is stuck on a train or bus, and wants to make a deposit, they can't...

The play for fun is excellent. No time limits like on microgaming, no hassle to play for real, just the game...

I don't find I have a problem with slowness. It is a bit slower than on online, but not a big deal. I prefer this anyway. I don't like it when things happen lightening fast like they do online, it causes my money to go down too quick and can get a bit intimidating, confusing. However, sometimes the phone loses connection and it can often mean loading up the application again and logging in which is annoying...

I subscribe to an unlimited data access package with O2, so the gprs cost isn't an issue for me. But with some people the data charges would definately put them off playing. A lot of service providers nowadays offer cheap unlimited data packages, on payg and contract, but not everyone knows this.

Maybe as an incentive, like with a bonus, you could offer to pay for a new players monthly data package subscription if they deposit a certain amount and don't abuse the system i.e. don't just deposit to get free data access on their phone; or maybe you could set something up with the service providers themselves, like free data access to play your games...

Generally with mobile casinos the game choice is lacking. But this is mainly due to it being a new experimental format, and hopefully in years to come if it takes off, there will be a lot more choice.

It would also be better if the minimum bets on some games was lower.

People betting on their mobiles are probably not loaded, and just want to have a bit of fun to pass the time while they are travelling, in a tea break or waiting for something. There is no fun in only being able to afford a fiver or a tenner deposit and finding the table has a minimum bet of £2. I think most people will be put off playing if the mimimum bet is too high. I think 10/20p table minimum is ideal. It prolongs a person's playing time and enjoyment. If someone with a higher bankroll wants to bet more they can simply select a higher chip unit, but if the mimimum bets are too high it will exclude most people from playing and in my opinion will be a lost business opportunity...

[Westland Bowl]

To play on a mobile casino, do you have to sign up with an account specifically for that? In other words, is the mobile casino tied in with your regular online casino account? Or is it, for example, one Bodog account for the mobile casino and another Bodog account for regular Internet account and two separate balances?

[funky_seagull]

To play on a mobile casino, do you have to sign up with an account specifically for that? In other words, is the mobile casino tied in with your regular online casino account? Or is it, for example, one Bodog account for the mobile casino and another Bodog account for regular Internet account and two separate balances?

The mobile casino is tied in with the pc one. I had an existing account with bodog already I just logged into the mobile casino with the same username & password.

Is the same with 32red except it was the other way round. I joined 32red via mobile, but can use the same username and password to access their online pc casino as well.

So if you're an existing player with bodog you could download the games to your phone and log in with the same username and password that you use online, don't need to start register another account. Same with 32red, wildjacks, centrebet.

[rikkerbuddy]

I hate mobile casino and poker - I like to sit at home and relax when I play. I love my big screen and a beer. I play only certain times of the week - and just to deflate from a busy day.

Also my impression of mobile casinos, they do have security issues.

[vinylweatherman]

I have considered play on the move, but favour the laptop or the new generation of even smaller devices. FREE wi-fi internet access is springing up in a few places, with many businessess using it as an incentive to eat at THEIR cafe, or stop at THEIR service station when on the move.

The impression that there are huge costs involved in playing online through a mobile phone have put me off even trying, and the reviews so far have been that mobile versions of casinos offer very few games compared to the download version.

The laptop route would enable me to play the same account as on my PC, and have all the same games, deposit/withdraw options, and promotions.

I have yet to actually play on a laptop or mobile phone, and by the time I do, things may have changed. Moves to cheaper, or even inclusive, deals for mobile internet access, and the new "dongles" for wi-fi independent laptop internet access, just might encourage me to take one or more of these gadgets with me just to try things out.