Gaming's Secret Weapon: Why Mobiles Aren't the Only Driver of Success

We all know that gaming revenue is on the up. If you read the 2018 Global Games Market report from Newzoo, you’ll now that consumers spent more than $137 billion on games that year. Breaking down the numbers, we also know that mobile games have become the biggest revenue driver over the last five years. In 2018, smartphone and tablet games generated more than $70 billion. As well as making mobiles the dominant force within the industry (51% of total revenue), that figure represents 25.5% year-on-year growth.

Given the current level of interest and, moreover, innovation taking place within the mobile gaming, this dominance is likely to go unchallenged for at least a few more years. However, while few would argue this sector has been responsible for the recent revenue spike, there is another reason. Less obvious but no less important, casino gaming has also helped play a part in the overall appeal of gaming.

Casino Gaming Has Become a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry

Although it’s not listed in Newzoo’s report, casino gaming is a behemoth in its own right. According to Statista, revenue in 2017 was more than $45 billion. At that level, online casino operators generate more total revenue than console and PC gaming companies. Looking at how the sector of the industry became so lucrative is a two-art equation. Firstly, the inherent appeal of casino games is one that’s gripped cultures around the world for centuries. Indeed, if you look back through history, games such as blackjack were being played as far back as the 1700s.

The second reason for online casino gaming’s success is incentives. Because there are never any certainties when you play slots, baccarat etc, operators have had to find ways to improve a customer’s overall experience. One way they’ve done that is bonuses. Although they’re not designed to offset someone’s losses, they do offer a break from bad luck. The recently revamped NetEnt Casino details the latest offers and highlights how this is the case.

Crossovers Are Helping All Sectors to Thrive

These types of innovations have helped the online casino industry grow in recent years, but what’s that got to do with “traditional” gaming. The simple answer is homogenization. Gaming is no longer a fractured industry comprised of competing parts. Instead, everyone is taking inspiration from everyone else. For instance, although they’re not a form of gambling, loot boxes do contain an element of uncertainty and mystery that’s similar to free spin bonuses.