Smartphones and tablets have become a major part of everyday life, and with mobile technology increasingly on the rise, we can now play portable casino games for real money anywhere we can secure an Internet connection. Mobile players have the choice between downloading native casino apps, or accessing games directly over the mobile web browser. We explain the difference between the two along with our recommendations for the best casino apps available to international players. Please note this page is not for our Australian readers, as online gambling is illegal in the country as of September 2017 due to the new IGA amendments.
Native casino apps for iOS and Android
A native app is the kind you download from your devices app store; the ones we use for quick access on our phones and tablets to things like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Internet banking.
While it’s not common for online casinos to offer native apps, there are a few available to download for free from the iOS App Store and Google Play for Android. Downloading these casino apps gives you instant access to the mobile game catalogue, perfectly optimised for play on the small screen.
Safe, reputable casinos offering their own native apps are:
Royal Vegas Casino app – Royal Vegas’ mobile app was the first real money native casino app on the market. You’ll find it in the app store for both Apple and Android under the name ‘Regal Vegas’ and once downloaded, it provides a reduced offering of the games which are available on the full desktop site. There are plenty of Microgaming pokies to choose from, but table games are limited to a couple of roulette variants and blackjack games. The banking section within the app is quick and easy to use, while current promotional offers are clearly displayed in the apps game lobby. If you’re adamant on using a native casino app, Royal Vegas is probably your best bet.
Leo Vegas app – Leo Vegas has an outstanding reputation for providing the world’s best mobile casino and the venue recently launched its own native app, available to download for free for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Phone. Leo Vegas has one of the biggest mobile game collections available, with over 260 mobile pokies and around 40 mobile table game variants, including 17 mobile live dealer games. The app is basically identical to Leo’s mobile web casino, but if you prefer to play via native app then you’ll be very satisfied with this one.
32Red Casino app – you won’t find much difference in the game offering between 32Red and Royal Vegas, with both offering a similar selection of Microgaming titles, but if you’re looking for an easy to use casino app available for both iOS and Android, the 32Red app is a reliable choice. New mobile users at 32Red also receive $10 for free, with no deposit required, simply for registering for an account.
Instant play mobile casinos
The alternative to downloading a native app is to simply access instant-play casinos directly over your mobile web browser, just like you would if browsing through any other website. Browser based mobile casinos offer all the features you’d expect to find from a native app, without having to waste any of your precious mobile data on downloads, nor clear any room on your hard drive to store the app software.
Instant-play mobile casinos offer a condensed version of the games offered at the full desktop site, with the most popular titles and a majority of new releases available for portable play. Now mobile gaming technology is much more advanced than it was a couple of years ago, most new online pokies now come with full mobile optimisation.
Using a browser-play mobile casino has the benefit of not discriminating over which operating system you’re using. Mobile casinos are powered using either Flash, Java or HTML5, so as long as your device is up to date with relevant software it won’t matter which make or model you own.
This means instant-play mobile casinos are available for use with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Samsung Galaxy, BlackBerry, HTC, Nokia, Windows Phone, LG and other Android powered devices.
The best mobile Web casinos include:
- 32Red
- Leo Vegas
- Thrills
- Rizk
- Guts
- Slots Million
If you’re reading this on your smartphone or tablet, simply tap any of our links above to head directly to the instant-play casino and see for yourself how easy and effortless it is to start playing real money games on the go using WiFi, 3G or 4G.
How to make a casino Web app
While most international players prefer the ease of instant-play mobile casinos, many users miss the instant access native apps provide, saving you having to search for the casino over your Web browser every time you play. What many users don’t know is if you’re playing at a browser-based mobile casino, there is the option to create your own Web app which gives you one-tap access to the site.
To do this, go to the instant-play casino using your smartphone or tablet and bring up your in-browser settings. If using an iPhone or iPad, this will mean tapping the square box with the upwards facing arrow in it and selecting ‘add to home screen’. For Android users, accessing your in-browser settings will depend on the device you’re using but once located, the same ‘add to home screen’ option applies.
This will automatically send an icon to your mobile home screen which you can now click for instant access to the browser based casino, just as though you’d downloaded a native app. The difference is while the average downloadable app will take up an average of 11MB on your device, a Web app will take up less than 1MB.
