How to choose a Mobile Casino

They've been around for a while now, but it seems it is only recently that mobile casinos are starting to fulfill their potential as handset processing speed, screen size, screen resolution and more robust mobile operating systems become the norm. But with a number of mobile casinos out there, and all of them of course touting their offering as the best there is, choosing the operator that is best for you can be daunting.

But the good news is the decision isn't quite as difficult as the task of choosing a regular online casino, since you are only choosing between dozens of possible options rather than thousands, and a little less investigative work is required establishing operator reputation. This is because, for the moment at least, mobile casino gaming is an offering still in its relative infancy and requiring a substantial investment to get up and running.

Games developed for mobile phones have required a plethora of additional considerations being made by providers, from changed look and feel to suit the smaller interface, to file optimization and integration with different backend payment processing platforms. The cost of a casino adding a mobile casino game to their game suite is considerably more than adding a new game to their regular online casino game suite.

And because of this, early adopters in the mobile gambling space include a who's who of big brand, long established operators with the financial clout to invest in this new format. William Hill, 32 Red, Ladbrokes and Bodog are among the list of early adopters. Similarly, platform providers are limited to the bigger name developers like Microgaming / Spin3, Probability Plc, and Playtech.

Dodgy brother's casino and sportsbook, licensed Costa Rica and conspicuously silent on details about ownership structure and platform provider are yet to enter this space.

So what are the key things to consider when choosing a mobile casino? Compatibility, compatibility and compatibility. Ok, so you want to make sure your chosen casino offers the game you are looking for. But to be honest, apart from slots, progressive and video poker variations, game range doesn't differ substantially between offering casinos. Most will offer baccarat, blackjack, roulette, and then a small range of progressives, slots and video poker games.

What is crucial, is that the casino's (or more specifically their mobile application platform provider's) games are compatible with your handset (or visa versa). This surely has to be the key consideration, or at least the starting point in any mobile casino selection process. Fortunately, all casinos offering this platform are well aware of this and include exhaustive lists of all mobile makes and models that their games will run on.

Milton Shaw has written numerous online gambling related articles for a number well known portals like Mobile Casino Guide