The world has gone mobile; we all know it. Take one look around the train or bus and you’ll see dozens of faces illuminated by the backlight of their screen. While some watch movies, others play games, talk with friends, or play bingo. As you’ve probably guessed, we’re interested in the last of these activities.
Twenty years ago, we would have loved the opportunity to play bingo on the go. Whether you’re on public transport, in a waiting room, or at home, mobile devices allow us to enjoy bingo whenever we need. However, the difficulty often comes when choosing a platform. What should you look for in a bingo website? Do all bingo websites offer a good mobile experience? Let’s dig deeper into this topic!
What’s Mobile Bingo? Browser vs App
Although it sounds obvious, mobile bingo is a service that’s accessible on mobile devices whether this is an iPhone, Android phone, or a tablet of some kind. The platform is optimised for a smaller screen and some developers even create an app to enhance the experience; this leads to an important topic.
Does mobile bingo mean that you need to download an app? Though many companies make an app available, this isn’t entirely necessary, and this is why mobile gaming is so strong. Those who want to play on an app can, and those who prefer to play on a browser have options too. Don’t worry, playing on a browser doesn’t mean you’ll have to squint just to see the game. These days, companies create a responsive website where the games are just as enjoyable as they are on desktop.
Thankfully, the world of mobile bingo has improved dramatically over the years, and most of this is down to HTML5. For many companies, they actually choose to forgo mobile apps because HTML5 technology makes the browser experience so good (this is something to keep in mind when choosing a site!).
Which should you choose? For us, it all comes down to personal preference. Some people like to have an app that they can log into and access immediately. Meanwhile, others prefer to play on a browser. When choosing, it’s not as if you’ll have to make sacrifices on one over the other. They both offer full functionality with depositing/withdrawing, the bingo experience is strong, and you get promotions and customer support in the same way. We recommend trying both and deciding which you prefer; it might be something small that sways your decision.
Important Aspects of a Mobile Bingo Service
When choosing between mobile bingo sites, it’s important to keep some key considerations in mind. This includes:
1. Speed
Firstly, nobody wants to play on a slow bingo site. Nobody wants to use a slow website in general; we’re at a time where we need things here and now. Of course, the speed with mobile bingo sites is affected by both the website and your device. For the best experience, make sure your device is up to date, the memory isn’t overloaded, and that you perform all updates. From here, it’s all about the website and what they do to offer a speedy experience. The names you see on this page are optimised for mobile play and therefore shouldn’t cause any issues.
2. Security
A fast website is one thing, but you also want to remain secure, right? When entering bank details and personal information, it’s nice to know that the platform will keep it all secure. Fortunately, all bingo websites need to meet the strict regulations of the Gambling Commission in this regard. As long as the website has a Gambling Commission license, we can have peace of mind that they’re monitored closely.
With mobile gaming, keeping your own device up to date is just as important as choosing a reliable bingo site. Although updates might seem frustrating, they include security upgrades and keep your device secure from the latest threats.
3. Customer Support
Just like a desktop bingo site, we think that customer support is essential. After a problem with your account, you don’t want to be trying to speak to somebody for days on end. Instead, you want to get in touch with somebody quickly and find a resolution to the problem. While the best services are around 24/7, every platform should make an effort to be available through phone, email, and other methods. Also, they should have a FAQs page on the website for further assistance.
4. Banking Methods
As the next consideration, you don’t have to settle for a banking method you don’t like just because you’re playing on mobile. Normally, mobile bingo sites offer the opportunity to deposit using debit cards, eWallets, and even a mobile phone. Popular eWallets include PayPal, Apple Pay, Skrill, and Neteller. On the other hand, depositing through mobile sees an amount added to your phone bill; Payforit, Boku, and Siru Mobile are leading services here.
5. Games
Of course, how could we ignore potentially the biggest consideration of all? You don’t want all of the above and then for the website to have a poor selection of games. With your chosen platform, it should have the bingo games that you like to play. Currently, gamification is a hot topic, and this is where the experience goes beyond the game itself. For example, you get rewards for playing at certain times and it makes the experience more enjoyable.
iOS vs Android
We addressed the battle between browser and app, but what about Android and iOS? We know this is an intense war and both sides have passionate supporters. In the past, we would have steered our readers towards iOS devices because the competition from Android was relatively weak. In fact, Google Play even banned gambling apps and this meant that Android phone users had to grit their teeth and invest in an iOS tablet for gaming. The only other option was to download an app through a different source and risk security threats.
Since then, a balance has been restored and Google Play now offers gambling apps. If a bingo website offers an app on the App Store, it’s more than likely also available on Google Play. In fact, some provide an Android app without iOS apps because of changes at Apple. This year, iOS apps cannot include HTML5 games (the very basis for the mobile bingo industry).
You need to keep all of this in mind when choosing a platform; of course, browser users don’t have to worry about this because the website will work perfectly on both.
Affiliate Disclosure
At Bingo Sites we believe that playing bingo online should be a safe and secure procedure, and our website is based around this principle. We operate an independent website that compares and ranks UK Gambling Commission licensed sites and our compensation comes from those who choose to click through to the various bingo websites. We work to bring you detailed reviews and regularly update our lists to ensure they are up to date and contain accurate information.
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If you’ve played bingo on desktop, you won’t be surprised to see some of the names below:
For the longest time, Jumpman struggled to keep up with the times. Many had high hopes for the brand, but the early mobile experience was problematic (to say the least!). Within the last couple of years, they migrated to the updated Jumpman Slots platform and it’s fair to say that the move has been a success. Although quiet now, we expect them to get more popular as more people hear of the improvements.
Elsewhere, Virtue Fusion have apps for both Android and Apple while Gamesys stormed into the market in 2017 after years of failed attempts. With the latter, we can even log into our accounts using fingerprint technology.
For some people, they’ll worry that mobile bingo sites don’t have as many great promotions as desktop websites, but this simply isn’t the case. As people play on mobile devices more and more, websites are starting to cater to this market with promotions. For example, new players might get a first deposit bonus for joining on a mobile device. To attract new players, some platforms are even offering no deposit bonuses for mobile players.
On a similar note, VIP schemes are also more accessible and rewarding for mobile players now. It’s an area that still needs work, but there are definitely improvements compared to years gone by. The more you play, the more likely you are to get invited to the VIP program. This often comes with better customer service, birthday gifts, access to tournaments, promotions, and more.
As time goes on, the mobile bingo sphere is continually improving. If you haven’t tried the experience yet, we highly recommend it (using this page as a base!). We expect more browser-based websites to launch, better games, more advanced VIP schemes, and stronger chat rooms and communication tools in the near future.
One final consideration is what the platform does when you lose connection or run out of battery. With the best platforms, they will either pause the game or keep your money in the game and inform you of what happened when you log in again. With this, you can log into your account and enjoy the winnings even after losing connection.