Best Mobile Casinos For South African Players
In an age where technology is king and an instant connection is expected, there is no denying that the mobile casino has taken center stage of it all. As the wise man once said, if the fire was the caveman, then the mobile phone is the modern man.
The mobile phone has become the 21st-century icon, with capabilities and features far exceeding the early days of just for calling. Today, mobile phones are the supercomputer of the ’80s, a device that empowers and connects. Even the lowest end of the mobile phone spectrum offers its holder access to an internet portal, a social networking platform, a personal organizer, a mobile bank, a communications device, and of course, the most important, the biggest entertainment source.
Did you know that there are more mobile phone connections in South Africa than there are people? South Africa alone has a mobile connection rate of 176%, that’s more than two phones for every person. South Africa also happens to spend as much as 4 hours a day on the internet using their mobile phones.
Why Are Mobile Phones So Popular In South Africa?
The growth of the mobile phone not only in South Africa, but the entire African continent comes down to a few very important economic and infrastructure-related factors, these include:
Lack of Infrastructure
In Africa, there are huge infrastructure backlogs caused by decades of underinvestment and lack of basic maintenance. This meant that things like basic telecommunications services in the form of home internet access and fixed telecom lines were always on the scarce side. The mobile phone was therefore a means for people to connect and get access to the internet without needing the basic infrastructure.
Proximity
South Africa’s wealth distribution has always been very skewed. Although it is improving, many people, particularly in outskirt areas of the country, need to travel long distances in order to get basic amenities and services like banks, shops, food, etc. The mobile phone has since allowed them access to USSD and mobile banking.
Affordable and Accessible
One of the biggest pros to mobile phones has always been their accessibility and affordability, especially in today’s age. People are able to pick up far more variety of affordable smartphones than ever before, and data is slowly getting cheaper to acquire.
Functions and Features
A notable feature around the world when it comes to mobile phones is the ability for them to not only connect us but entertain us too. Whether it be through SMS, calling, WhatsApp, social media, apps, and of course the endless amounts of entertainment that come with mobile internet access.
Convenience
Not only are mobile phones compact and easy to fit in your bag or pocket, but more importantly they can be used wherever and whenever you wish. This convenience and instant connectivity was vital to the success of the mobile phone
Mobile Phones & Online Casinos
It was only a matter of time until online casino operators looked to the wonders of the mobile phone as a way to attract and retain new players. With mobile internet usage on the rise, online casinos, particularly those looking to attract the South African players, needed to adapt and transform their offerings to a mobile-first approach.
Today, South African casino players can access a wide variety of top online casinos right from their mobile phones, be it through the internet browser or through various online casino apps.
What Makes A Great Mobile Casino?
In order for an online casino to provide a great mobile offering, they need to ensure that their site is firstly responsive. A responsive site simply means that regardless of the device you may be playing on, the images, content, and most importantly, the function of the casino adapts and changes to fit the size of the screen.
Imagine playing a casino game where half the page cannot be seen on your screen, or icons that are too small to see, even registering is a problem, this is simply a no-no, and definitely, enough to deter any player.
With every mobile casino review we go through, we carefully analyse to see what the user experience may be like across different devices, this includes tablets too, we then report back to you on our findings and list the mobile casinos who we feel have great mobile offerings. Below are some of the key features we look for and check when reviewing any mobile casino:
The Size Of The Content
It doesn’t help to have a great list of games or bonuses on the mobile casino site, but content and text cannot be read because it is too small for the screen size of a mobile phone. Having text that is clear, not lengthy in wording, and easy to read is so important to the user experience and overall navigation of your site on a mobile device
Iconography
One of the most important aspects of any mobile casino when it comes to playing on a mobile device is the size and function of its iconography. This goes further than just visual images and symbols, but includes buttons as well, be it a play button, a sign-up button, or even a claim button for bonuses. Having icons and buttons that are fit for the screen size you are using, as well as easy to select without issues is crucial to ensuring a smooth and pleasant playing experience.
Page Load Speed
Loading time of your mobile casino site, and in particular, the games which it offers plays a major factor in the site’s ability to retain players. A content-heavy page that takes a significant amount of time to load will frustrate even the most patient of players. In all of our reviews, we ensure that the loading speed of all aspects of the casino being reviewed is of a standard time.
Data Usage
A very important criterion, particularly in South Africa where mobile data is extremely expensive, is having a site that is not too heavy on the amount of data needed to run it. Sites or apps that require large amounts of data are not necessarily a red flag, as they tend to offer better overall quality, however, we like to let our community know beforehand if data usage is going to be high on a particular offering so that they are aware, and can then make the decision whether to continue playing or not.
Selection Of Games
It is completely justified as a player to expect the same selection of games and features when playing on your mobile phone, like those you get when playing on say, your PC. This is what we mentioned when it comes to a responsive site. Players expect to have the full selection of games, promotions, and bonuses regardless of the device they may be using. In our mobile reviews, we carefully analyse to ensure that this is the case
The Casino Registration Process
This is probably one of the single most important aspects for any player. Having simple and easy to complete fields when registering is vital, this includes not just the size of the boxes that need personal information, but also the length of the registration process. Having a sign-up process that is long and difficult to complete will frustrate any new player. Similarly, when it comes to logging in, the process needs to be simple and easy to complete. As part of this experience we also judge whether the site is synced across devices, meaning that regardless of whether you have signed up using your mobile, tablet, or PC, you can then interchange using the same login credentials regardless of device.
How To Play Online Using Your Mobile Phone
When it comes to playing your favourite online casino games using your mobile phone there are a few different options that you can go about doing this:
1. Mobile Web Browser
The first, and probably most common way to play your favourite online casinos on your mobile is through your mobile phone’s internet browser. Most internet browsers such as Internet explorer, safari, chrome, etc, are all supported when it comes to this route, so you shouldn’t have any issues here. For this route of course you will need mobile internet access, as well as a sufficient amount of data.
The benefits of this method are:
- Easy to access at anytime
- Simple to use – particularly if the site is responsive
- Doesn’t require phone storage to run
- No software updates are required
The disadvantages to this method are:
- Requires internet access to run
- May be difficult to use if the site is not responsive
- Can be limited in terms of the games available
2. Mobile App
The second method that you can make use of to access your favourite online casino via your mobile phone is through the casino’s app. Now it’s important to note that not all casinos have an app available for download, so you will need to investigate to see if this is available.
Casino apps are generally compatible with all operating systems, such as IOS, Linux, or Android, as well as most devices. When it comes to devices, we recommend that you have a relatively more updated version of your operating software to ensure no issues, of course, the more updated your device, the better the overall playing experience, particularly when it comes to the graphics and functions of the games.
The benefits of this method are:
- Easily accessible from your phones homepage
- Usually require less data as it has already been downloaded
- Can be faster to run and better graphics in some cases
The disadvantages to this method are:
- Requires data to run
- Often requires updates
- Can often be more limited in terms of functionality and game selection
Benefits Of Mobile Casinos
There are so many great benefits to playing at your favourite online casino using your phone. Some of these include:
- Instant access and accessibility – Because of the power mobile phones give us in being able to still access what we want, even when we are on the go, means that you can now pick up and continue playing wherever and whenever you wish. This instant ability to access your account and play is one of the greatest benefits to any mobile casino
- Internet access – For a lot of South Africans, the only way to access the internet is through their mobile phones, so it only makes sense that they would opt to mobile online casinos as their preferred choice. In other cases mobile data is a far more reliable source of internet access, meaning you are less likely to experience lag and broken playing experiences
- Easier Payments – Most of the payment methods available for players to deposit and withdrawal use mobile phone features to conduct the transaction, whether it be approving a transaction, sending bitcoin through QR code, or even instant EFT, Payment solutions for online casinos have been designed specifically for mobile
- Battery life – In South we all know that the electricity situation is not certain, many times we may witness power outages for lengthy periods. The joys of playing your favourite mobile casino is that regardless of power or not, as long as you have data and your battery is charged, you can continue playing for as long as you please.