Compared to five years ago, mobile devices, smartphones and tablets are no longer emerging ideas in the technology community. In fact, they are now considered far less as luxury items and way more as an ingrained part of everyday life.

The number of smartphone users in the United States is expected to reach 223 million by the end of 2017, along with a total in excess of 2 billion worldwide users within the same timeframe. With more people than ever using mobile devices to pay for goods and services, and to deposit and transfer money in a number of ways, we need to talk about security and convenience.

Here's our rundown of three key areas in which mobile payment systems play a huge role, the best solutions out there and how they are currently serving their purpose.

iGaming

"online-poker-ranking-reliable" (CC BY 2.0) by Chingster23

It's no coincidence that the steady rise of the iGaming industry correlates with the growing popularity of mobile devices. From sports bookmakers to virtual poker rooms, many iGaming operators have already started to invest heavily in mobile apps and more secure payment systems that allow players to deposit, play and withdraw money at a moment's notice, wherever they are.

Review websites do a good job of rating and comparing the security and convenience of different canadian online casino payment systems, particularly those based in North America. The range of payment options these days is actually wider than ever, with many casino games offering players the choice between credit or debit card payments, or online payment systems such as Skrill that are typically known for a quicker withdrawal speed.

Small retailers and merchants

"freelancer" (CC BY 2.0) by abductit

Mobile technology has revolutionized the way in which small businesses can take payments for their goods or services. Whether you're a startup T-shirt vendor, a hairdresser or a freelancer, you're ultimately looking for a quick and secure way to bill your customers that is painless for all parties involved.

The two main mobile-friendly options at the moment are Paypal and Square. Paypal is the more well known of the two, and considered to be the industry standard for digital transactions. As well as being secure, it's also easy to create, send and receive invoices. That said, Square has become a key rival to PayPal's success and offers the nifty option to embed payment gateways directly onto a website, as well as slightly better rates for transactions (2.75% compared to Paypal's 3%). Decisions, decisions...

Personal mobile wallets 

"Google Wallet at Peet's" (CC BY 2.0) by kennejima

This is very likely going to play a big part in the future of mobile payment systems. While many of us are still getting used to contactless card payments, we're already well on our way to seeing systems like Android Pay, Google Wallet and Apple Pay becoming more and more established in the very near future.

The idea is that, instead of needing a wallet full of cards and cash (if only), all customers need to do is wave their smartphone at the till machine and it will be able to identify their bank account details through a respective Windows, Google or Apple account. At the minute the technology is in its infancy, relatively speaking, and supported by a limited number of merchants on a limited number of devices. However, we definitely expect that number to expand rapidly in years to come. Watch this space!

All of these areas considered, it's clear that mobile payment systems are at a more sophisticated and secure level than they have ever been before.

Whether you're a keen iGamer looking to withdraw quickly and securely from a mobile casino, a budding startup looking to set up a clear transaction process for your products, or even just a regular Joe who likes to keep an eye on the next phase of technology, the landscape of mobile payment options has never been richer. And, in the grand scheme of things, things are only just getting started.

  

The average number of people using their mobile phones to browse the Internet has skyrocketed throughout this decade. What was a costly and fiddly process on the WAP-enabled button phones of the early 21st century is now a fully integrated part of daily life.

The smartphone boom has resulted in the vast majority of people carrying devices in their pockets and bags that are capable of finding and collecting information, playing videos, music and games, and much more.

Businesses in every industry are always looking to make sure that they are doing all they can to put themselves on that handheld screen as much as possible.

It is therefore no big surprise that many online casino websites have invested heavily into making their sites as mobile-friendly as they could possibly be, and the result is people playing casino games on their mobile phones a whole lot more often.

Why so much focus on mobile?

2016 was the year of the ‘mobile first Internet' - the year that mobile searches finally surpassed desktop searches on the search engine powerhouse, Google.

In response to this, Google increased its efforts to ensure that sites which rank well in their search results offer an equally good user experience, whichever device the user happens to be using to access the page.

To this end, since the second half of 2016 Google has been pushing mobile responsive sites ever higher in rankings, offering a tantalising incentive to those web developers who have yet to take the plunge into mobile offering.

The shift from Flash to HTML5

One of the biggest driving forces behind the massive growth in popularity of using mobile phones to browse the Internet is the emergence of HTML5 as the engine behind website content.

Its predecessor, Adobe Flash, was completely eschewed by Apple due to a combination of factors including disagreements between creators as well as security concerns. This meant that iPhone, iPad and iPod users - a huge chunk of the Internet's browsing audience - were all unable to access Flash content. Flash enabled websites to offer a great deal of functionality in the 21st century, but over time more and more exploits were found and well, exploited.

As well as being completely unsupported on iPhone, it was often incompatible with Android phones. With more and more people wanting to access the content on their mobiles, something had to change, and HTML5 came into prominence early in the 2010s.

It is debatable whether the shift from Flash to HTML5 was the cause or the effect of increased mobile browsing - but it is clear that the Internet overall has been moving in the direction of increased mobile-friendliness for several years now.

Major developments from Netent

As one of the main game developers for online casinos, NetEnt have naturally been the trailblazers when it comes to providing games which look as brilliant on mobile phones as they do on desktops.

NetEnt Touch® is the brand of games produced by NetEnt for the mobile market. They work on both iOS and Android devices, and the portfolio of games offered is absolutely massive. Slots, Blackjack, Roulette, Bingo, and lots more are on the menu, all coming complete with superb graphics, and enhanced experience optimised for mobile users.

In-Browser Casinos vs Casino Applications

Playing a game in your mobile phone's browser is convenient as it prevents you from needing to download an application which will take time to do as well as occupy space on your phone. Anybody with a 16GB iPhone will know only too well the constant battle to keep storage space free.

However, if it is a game that you play regularly, or one where progress needs to be saved, applications come into their own. It may take slightly longer to download it in the first place, but once you have, it's there all the time and loads in a matter of seconds, with your progress and preferences to boot. What is more, you may be able to play the game even when away from an Internet connection.

As far as the mobile casino trend goes, the browser version is still useful for ascertaining how much you enjoy playing at that particular online casino. Online casino developers have gone to great lengths to ensure that their games can be played on any device, so whether you decide to go for the app or the website, you're sure to be satisfied.

Mobile games are an integral part of our everyday lives today. With more than 2 billion smartphone users, there is a massive player base behind them - no wonder mobile has become the most used (and most profitable) gaming platform of the world. The top games come and go - titles like Pokemon Go, Clash of Clans, and similar ones, briefly take over the top spot in the list of the most used apps of the world. There is a game type, though, that is constantly in the top 10, with millions choosing its casual fun day after day: slot machines. In the US, they are played socially, while in the rest of the world, players can choose between social versions and the real thing, offered by the Royal Vegas Canada (among many others).

With millions choosing to spin the reels all over the world, slot machines are clearly among the most played casual games at a global scale. Let's see which were the Top 5 Most Popular Slots for October.

5. Dragon Dance

The Dragon Dance is a very popular street spectacle in China - an integral part of many major festivals. To make every day a celebration, the Royal Vegas has brought forth the Dragon Dance slot machine this February, as a way to greet the Chinese New Year. The game is not only popular around this holiday, though - this October, it was the fifth most played game at the casino.

4. Shanghai Beauty

A new addition to the Royal Vegas game library, Shanghai Beauty takes its players on a trip into the sophisticated, elegant world of Asia. While the game doesn't have many bonus features, its combination of relaxing music and exciting action has turned it into a favorite last month.

3. Mega Moolah

While the game itself is fun to play, most Mega Moolah players choose it for its big win. It's the game with the most generous jackpot at the Royal Vegas - it pays out millions to its luckiest fans several times a year. This jungle-themed slot machine was the third most played game here this October.

2. Bar Bar Black Sheep

A game based on a popular nursery rhyme, Bar Bar Black Sheep has more than just a cute look and a soothing music. Its reels are filled with farm-related symbols, along with a BAR symbol borrowed from the classic Vegas slot machines. Two BARs, coupled with a Black Sheep symbol, trigger the game's generous bonus, paying out up to 999 times the triggering bet.

1. Lost Vegas

With Halloween coming, Royal Vegas players seemed to have found their taste for horror. Lost Vegas was the perfect game for them - it took them on a trip to a zombie-ridden Las Vegas, allowing them to join the Survivors or the Zombies in their quest for unimaginable riches.

 

"iPhone 4 - Home Screen" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by William Hook

In the last ten years or so, mobile phone technologies have improved rapidly and most games are now as impressive as their PC and console counterparts. When you think that not too long ago, we were all playing Snake on the old-school Nokia 3310...!

Whether you are a football fan playing FIFA 17, a punter betting on French roulette or a puzzle aficionado playing Sudoku, it is amazing to think just how seamless the experience is on a mobile. Eventually, mobile gaming might even overtake console gaming - the sector is already set to surpass revenues earned in the latter stages of 2016, generating $31.9 billion while console gaming will "only" take in $29 billion.

Accessible and Improved Graphics are Key

Accessibility has been crucial to the rise in gaming on smartphones: what could be better than beating boredom while queuing at the store with a quick game of Angry Birds? It is all available at the click of a button or the swipe of a tablet.

One sector which has especially benefitted from the take-up of this new trend is iGaming. In fact, mobile online casino games such as roulette or slots are perfectly suited for smartphone users who like to play in short bursts and possibly win hard cash on your mobile device. Review websites focusing specifically on mobile casinos such as Casino Quest have even flourished in recent times due to the rise in popularity and exposure of these games. Designers have worked on making the gameplay both realistic and quick; and the live casino rooms are just as detailed on a smartphone device as they are on a wider screen.

"Angry Birds" (CC BY 2.0) by Johan Larsson

While it is sometimes more practical to play these games on a wider computer screen, the graphics and feel of gaming on a smartphone certainly appeals to the masses. After all, not everybody can afford to fork out £500 for a reliable computer; in contrast, smartphones give users the chance to get their gaming fix whilst still being able to text, make phone calls and do other daily chores, all on that tiny screen.

Competitive and MMO Play

The one big difference between mobile and console lies in competitive eSports and MMO games. eSports feature worldwide tournaments and events for the very best players on the planet, while MMOs need massive open worlds and a lot of real-time interaction. It doesn't seem that developers and designers are making much effort (yet) to produce engaging MMO games for mobiles. There needs to be a shift in the MMO culture to ensure that the likes of Order & Chaos don't remain a small niche in the mobile world.

As for eSports, games like League of Legends actually have a huge take-up on PC, which is the first step towards mobile adoption. This type of games tends to be favoured by hardcore players, so again studios need to step up to the challenge of creating engaging mobile options. And if we believe Andrew Paradise, CEO of Skillz (which creates eSports infrastructure), the time is ripe. Games like Vainglory have been very popular on Twitch in 2015, with over 150 million minutes watched.

"Friends with Mobile Phones" (CC BY 2.0) by garryknight

We can't deny that consoles are still very popular but the lure of playing your favourite games on the move has seen a major shift in the gaming universe. With the rise of Augmented Reality (remember Pokémon Go?), mobile gaming is definitely getting a bright future.

The holiday season is almost upon us and many of you will either be travelling back to your home or going on a vacation. Whether you are returning home or going away from it, you will possibly want to avoid expensive roaming data charges from you carrier. Even if you do decide to use the internet while on the road, there are chances that you might end up with no network coverage at times. Offline games are your best bet during these trying times and therefore, here's a small list of games worth downloading before embarking on a trip.

Dead Trigger 2

Improved both in graphics and gameplay, Dead Trigger 2 is the better version of Dead Trigger with more aggressive zombies and a huge arsenal of weapons.

Dots: A Game about Connecting

This is as simple as they get, but the puzzle game is very addictive nonetheless. Minutes will pass by fast as you keep connecting colored dots to figure out the next solution.

Jetpack Joyride

Jetpack Joyride is an extremely fun and popular game where you control and guide Barry, who is riding a machinegun jetpack through a secret laboratory, killing evil scientists and avoiding obstacles for as long as possible.

Plants vs. Zombies 2

This one is a personal favourite of mine and I have put multiple hours into it. An addictive tower defence game at its core, Plants vs. Zombies 2 brings better graphics, animations, more plants, more levels more zombies and even a upside town funny story to the garden.

Click here for a complete list of all offline games prepared by Google on the Play Store itself.

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