The first real money casino website opened its doors in 1996. Web-based casino games have evolved plenty in the years since, from crude imitations of table games and land-based slots to today’s unique interfaces that offer 3D effects, personalized avatars, and even some games run by live dealers via webcam.

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Mobile gambling was an obvious part of that evolution process; as smartphones and tablets grew more popular so demand for on-the-go casino play increased. Since slot machines are such a big part of both traditional and Internet casino play, it’s logical for mobile gambling platforms to offer a variety of slot titles.

Slots were among the first games of chance ported to mobile-compatible apps and websites offering real money betting. The reason is two-fold. First, the way gamblers interact with the games (and have for a hundred years) lends itself to an on-screen format. Playing a slot game on your mobile device isn’t all that different physically from playing a similar game in a casino. The second reason is basic logistics – slot gambling is a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Developers dipping their toes into mobile game design started with the most popular games of chance to meet demand.

Casinos with Slot Machine Apps to Play Real Money Games

Playing online slots for real money. Most classic and modern online slots are available for real money and for fun. To be able to bet real money and play your chosen online slot, many casinos require signing up and depositing a certain minimum amount to the personal account. Online casinos offer players two methods to play free real money mobile slots. You can either download the casino app or instant play which lets you play directly on your mobile browser without having to download any software. Mobile Slots for Real Money. Gaming on a PC and a mobile device don’t differ considerably; the only difference is the screen size. Just like a desktop casino, gambling websites give a chance to play for real money on phones and tablets.

Mobile Game Software

All mobile betting is rooted in the Internet casino business. The first apps designed for mobile play were offered by Web-based betting sites and game designers that already had experience producing and hosting real money slot games. It makes sense, then, that mobile slot software is very similar to the titles already established at online casinos.
As of this writing, the quality and variety of software a player has access to depends heavily on what device they use. Android and Windows devices give players access to the widest selection of mobile slots. On the other end of the spectrum are gadgets made by Apple – iPhone and iPad owners are limited by Apple’s decision to ban any apps that allow their customers access to actual cash gambling. That doesn’t mean iPhone and iPad owners can’t play mobile slots – it just means that they have to choose platforms designed for instant play, built into a Web browser.

The ideal software and platform for any individual player depends on what they look for in slot machines. If a gambler prizes variety above all else, he should be using either an Android or Windows-powered gadget. If instant play is satisfactory, there are advantages to using an Apple mobile device. Generally speaking, picture quality and customization options are better on the iPad or the newer models of iPhone, but remember that you’ll probably be limited to instant games only, which are themselves limited by bandwidth and your device’s capabilities.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Mobile Slot Play

An obvious advantage of slot play on a smartphone or tablet is the ability to play anywhere. The mobile casino business has embraced slots with a ferocity that they’re yet to embrace any other casino game with. Variety, portability, and ease of access, taken together, are a big checkmark in favor of mobile slot gambling.

Parts of the world that haven’t fully caught on to this type of betting are the same as those parts of the world where smartphone and tablet technology are lagging behind. In most of Asia, mobile play for real money is nothing new – thanks to better gadget tech, that part of the world has plenty of experience in this style of gambling. In the US and Canada, on the other hand, accessing casino games with your iPhone or Windows Phone is not all that popular, mostly because of limits on mobile capability. Having said that, slots on mobile platforms are readily available in the US. These platforms even feature enough variety to please gamblers used to hundreds of different titles available at Web-based casinos.

As for disadvantages, that depends mostly on where in the world you live. An obvious mark against mobile play (worldwide) is the smaller display size available from tablets and smartphones. A cluttered screen and a display that’s lower in quality than what you’d find at most Internet casinos is a fact of life for the mobile slots fan. The good news is, this is likely to change rapidly. As mobile tech improves, and smartphones and other gadgets become more versatile, and as more mobile casinos open to wider audiences, slot fans should expect the quality of these games to slowly but surely match their device’s capabilities.

Enjoy Online Slots on Mobile Devices with my Comprehensive Mobile and Smartphone Slots Guide

In 2020 we are already over the point where mobile casino gaming is an option – it is now just as important as the old desktop / download model, and getting more important all the time.

For me, slots and mobile phones go together brilliantly.

Just flip your phone on its side (landscape view) and see how well slots fit! Add to that the fact that these are dip-in games, which you can enjoy whenever you have a few minutes – and you’ll see that slots were really a game waiting for the right platform to come along.

The thing is, not all of the casinos have yet got mobile slots quite right… there are various reasons, some concerning the games offered and others with the casinos themselves which I have covered below.

First of all, here are 3 casinos which have got mobile slots right in 2020, you’ll see US / Non-US casinos depending on where you are accessing the site from.

Mobile Slots – The App v Browser Debate

Apps are in the minority when it comes to online casino games and slots.

Some casinos do have them, though usually these have a limited number of games (some have around 30, others up to 100 – compared with between 150 and 400+ for an online casino).

The reason for this is that dedicated apps are not really needed any more. Browser technology in the form of Flash (yeah, the old Flash has got very good over the last few years!), HTML5 and Java – now works so well on mobile devices that apps which you download are simply not needed.

There is a parallel with desktops here. Downloads are still available for casinos on PCs or Macs. Most people choose the online browser based games instead. This allows you to play games from many different software makers, and to switch between the games (or even casinos) quickly and easily. Simply put, the power to choose is back with the player – rather than the casino being able to dictate which games to play.

Apps do have their advantages. Since you are downloading the ‘game engine’ controlling the play, the slots will load up quicker and you will not have to wait while bonus games load up. This delay for mobile browser based games is a compromise, after all not every player will play a slot long enough to hit all of the bonus games – so why download them all at once?

Here are some casinos which have made downloadable apps work (note that these are both non-US casinos)

• 32Red Casino App Review (MicroGaming)

• Bovada Casino Review 2020 (best for US mobile slots fans)

Properly Optimized Mobile Slots

What you should look out for is whether a slot has been properly optimized for smaller screen devices like phones and small tablets. Once you start playing these games, you’ll find that some seem to fit your smartphone naturally, while others are a little ‘wrong’. It can be that the bet sizing control is fiddly, the win amounts are difficult to see or that the bonus games are slightly off the edge of the screen…

This likely means that an existing desktop browser game has been retrospectively made playable on mobile devices. There are a lot of games which fall into this category.

On the other hand there are a lot of browser based mobile slots which are extremely well adapted – and many new slot games which are created for mobiles from the start. Here are some links to recommended ranges:

• The BetSoft ToGo range, which includes many of their amazing animated 3D productions

• MicroGaming’s latest slots, which take advantage of their ‘Viper’ technology platform

• 888 Casino slot games, this casino is a specialist in multi-platform gaming

US Mobile Slots 2020

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US players get to play a different range of slots to the rest of the world, caused by the need for casinos to be based offshore – and the fact that many of the big corporations which make or license slots not supplying games to this market.

There is still a big choice of games, though there is a distinct lack of native apps for iPhones or Android phones to download.

As mentioned above the BetSoft ToGo range are the best optimized games for US players, though Rival Gaming and RealTime Gaming have slots which work great on mobile devices too.

Bovada.lv has mobile games from all 3 of these software houses – which makes them the go-to casino for US players seeking mobile slots in 2018. This casino also offers regular bonuses and incentives specifically for players to try out the mobile games, keep an eye on their website for the latest deals.

TopGame, Arrows Edge and WGS slots should also get a mention for US players – though I recommend you check out some of the individual titles for free with these software houses before you try them for real money on your smartphone.

Non-US Mobile Slots in 2020

Once you step into the regulated (or at least not closed) markets around the world, big casino software houses like PlayTech, NetEnt and MicroGaming come into play – in addition to small and medium sized slot creators. Many new and up and coming slot creators are enjoying the move from downloads to browser based games – and many of these are taking full advantage of the huge market for mobile slot games too.

MicroGaming casinos generally have very small downloadable apps. For example the 40-odd games (including 30 slots) from the popular 32Red Casino. If you access the same casinos through your browser you will find 100 playable games, with many more which you can play on a 7 inch+ tablet (generally the older slots). If you did want to download, then the top games like ThunderStruck II and Mega Moolah are perfectly mobile optimized.

PlayTech have not embraced iPhone / iOS apps in general, though almost all of their games are playable on mobile devices via their excellent responsive browser setup. These include the Marvel slots range and many other jackpot slots. The same applies to NetEnt, which missed out the desktop browser downloads altogether and have focused on in-browser tech for all of their games.

I recommend 2 casinos for different reasons when it comes to the non-US mobile slots games.

888 Casino has apps for both iPhones / iPads and for Android phones and Tablets. They also have unique games (Millionaire Genie is a personal favorite of mine) and a nice selection from NetEnt and other software makers. This is topped off by up to $88 in real money bonus play without needing to deposit (+ generous bonuses when you do deposit, terms apply of course). Check out 888 Casino on your mobile device by tapping this link.

I like Unibet Casino for a different reason. This big betting and casino brand is popular due to the diversity of their games. You’ll find titles from MicroGaming, PlayTech and IGT (+ many others) all available through your browser window. These include many different jackpot slots too. All-in all there are over 500 slots (and more coming through, seemingly each week). Unibet make a great pick for those of us who like all the best slots in one place. Check them out on your mobile device by tapping this link: www.unibet.com

There are so many more software houses outside the US that it would require a whole article just to list them… as luck would have it, I already wrote this article – you can find out about the different slot software types for yourself in this article.

Mobile Slots 2020 – Summing it up

If there is one thing I would recommend to all readers it is to take mobile slots for a test run for play-money before you deposit. You’ll get to make sure that each slot type works on your device(s) and try out a few to find the mobile games you enjoy the best. After that you can get to the fun part of winning some money!

Here is the table of my picks for mobile slots in 2020, having read the article above, the reasons for these choices should now be crystal clear:

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