A mobile gambling game is a smartphone or tablet computer-based casino-style gambling game that can be played on the go. They typically rely on luck rather than strategy and can be played anywhere with Internet connectivity. They may be based on traditional casino games like blackjack or slots, as well as video poker and roulette. Many of these casinos offer exclusive mobile bonuses to their players.
Mobile gambling is a burgeoning market, and with the proliferation of smartphones that look more like mini PCs than phones, it’s only natural that people are spending more time playing these types of games on their devices. But this new way of gaming presents some unique challenges that must be addressed by developers to avoid encouraging gambling behaviours that might have a negative social or financial impact.
For instance, because people spend so much of their time on their smartphones, these apps are likely to be used in a variety of contexts and at times that don’t necessarily fit with the typical patterns of behaviour associated with these activities. This could lead to a high rate of “impulsive play,” which can result in gambling-related problems. Additionally, the use of mobile devices is also causing users to become less mindful when using these games, and it’s easy for them to lose track of how long they’re playing or how much money they’re losing.
The mobile gambling market is also a highly competitive one, with billions of dollars being invested in the industry each year. This has led to an explosion in the number of companies offering a wide range of products and services. Some of these offerings are intended to be standalone products, while others are designed to be part of a broader mobile gambling experience that includes other features such as live betting and social interaction.
To maximize the appeal of their products, mobile gaming providers are investing in technologies that enhance the user’s experience. For example, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies allow users to be transported into real-world environments to make their experience more immersive and realistic. In addition, augmented reality allows users to see their winnings in real-time as they gamble.
These technological innovations have made the mobile gambling environment particularly exciting for investors. However, research on the effects of these new forms of gambling is still very limited. Most existing studies rely on self-report data or on markers of harm that are sometimes conjectural or inappropriately translated from other forms of gambling.
This paper aims to address some of these gaps by conducting the first experimental study designed specifically to observe mobile gambling behaviour. A simulated gambling app was developed to measure the behaviour of participants in both acquisition and extinction phases. Results showed that engagement with the app while it had a chance of winning predicted perseverative gambling behavior during extinction, and reinforcement schedules (i.e., latencies between gambles) were also found to predict gambling behaviour.