Real-money gaming on mobile is starting to make up ground on desktop

Gaming markets that once ruled on desktop are seeing the action move to smartphones and tablets, and real-money gaming is no different.

Mobile’s share of online real-money gaming is growing by 2 percent every month, according to data-tracking firm Optimove. At that rate, digital wagering on desktop should see its substantial lead erode over the next few years. Online gambling in card and casino-style games is an industry that’s already worth more than $30 billion, and that number is going to balloon as more regions make online gambling legal and as more people get ready access to the Web through smart devices. And while the companies that own desktop gambling dominate the market, Optimove doesn’t expect that to last forever.

“[Desktop] activity currently outperforms mobile activity — although mobile is climbing steadily,” reads Optimove’s report. “It may just be a matter of time before this trend reverses completely.”

Today, mobile makes up only 14 percent of all bets placed on real-money gaming platforms. That means more than six times the bets are placed on desktop.

You see a similar figure for the total amount wagered, where mobile makes up 16 percent. And while mobile is growing at a swift pace, 66 percent of current players prefer playing on the Web. Only 16 percent prefer mobile. If real-gaming apps want to make up that difference, they’re either going to need to improve the experience or attract new players.

Finally, real-money gaming on mobile has a worse retention rate than desktop. Barely more than half of all people who make one bet return to make more after 30 days. Nearly two-thirds of people return after 30 days on the Web.

Optimove has broken down much of this information into an infographic, which you can check out below: