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...