The global gambling industry is steadily moving behind a common trend — the influx of mobile platform users is increasing every year. In order not to miss out on new customers, developers are releasing casino and slot machine apps.
How casinos for iOS are launched on the App Store
Such products are very popular on the App Store: there is even a special section for gambling games. Nevertheless, their publication is associated with some difficulties: in order for the casino app not to be banned, you need to follow the shop’s rules clearly, while trying to please its demanding users.
The experience of running a casino by a real company
Atlas Gaming, an Australian company, shared their successes in this endeavour on Reddit. The developers have highlighted a few major problems you’ll have to face when publishing a casino app for iPhones on the App Store:
- Downloadable files shouldn’t weigh more than 100MB so that the client doesn’t overpay for data transfer;
- To reach a full audience, the product needs to be adapted for three generations of iOS devices;
- To integrate with the AppStore API technology, additional changes had to be made.
Thus, the developers had to shrink the graphic elements from 400 MB to 90 MB, rework some effects and change the picture format from PNG to WebP. The app was adapted for iPad (4:3), iPhone 4 (3:2), iPhone 5 (16:9). The screen was the same size for all devices, but scaled to suit different needs. On some devices, the images were unreadable, so the developers added the ability to zoom in manually.
The application was written in C++, and changes were made in Objective-C. A virtual panel was invented specifically for those players who are used to using real slots. For them, navigation would look easier and buttons would be more familiar.
In any case, there are already more than 100 thousand such applications in the App Store, so without promotion, it will remain little known.
What were the first casino apps?
One of the first such products appeared in the iOS app shop in 2012. It was a joint project between Big Fish and Betable. In the summer, it was announced in the media, touting a new way for the app to play for real money. At the time, many expressed doubts that the App Store would skip such a game, as it contradicted the shop’s policy.
The casino app offered slots, Texas Hold’em and roulette. A special platform from Betable was created for cashing out winnings. In September the project launched successfully, with all payments going through iTunes and Apple receiving 30% of each. Any developer could potentially use such a platform, but it cannot work in countries where gambling is illegal.
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Rules for downloading apps from the App Store
Apple has outlined its requirements for apps in its App Store Review Guidelines. They can be reviewed by anyone. In addition to standard stability and error-free guidelines, there is a special section on contests, sweepstakes, lotteries, raffles and gambling. Failure to comply with them will prevent the app from appearing on the App Store:
- All winnings must be sponsored by the app owner;
- There must be a page inside with a clear description of the rules, which will also state that Apple has nothing to do with the game;
- The owner must have a gambling licence valid in each country where the game is available;
- It is forbidden to sell any real product, in particular lottery tickets;
- The application in which the game is played for real money must be free of charge (or at least conditionally free, i.e. there is no charge when downloading it, and the basic functionality is still available);
- Gambling must not be advertised and images inappropriate for children must not be used.
More often than not, a casino is an app with in-app purchases. This means that App Store employees will check it much more thoroughly. They will not allow a product that has purchase mechanisms other than those provided, such as one with a buy button that will lead to the company’s website. In addition, they cannot sell virtual currencies that have an expiration date and content that becomes unavailable over time.
How casino apps are promoted
Mostly standard techniques are used to attract players, although specific ones are sometimes used. Common ones include the distribution of press releases and media advertising, in-store optimisation, creation of a landing page for search engine users, and motivated instals.
Specialised methods of casino promotion include mailings to bases of gamblers inclined towards gambling entertainment. These can be people loyal to the slot machines, poker, forex and other topics related to winning real money. If an advertising campaign is properly organised and a promotion is made that is of interest to such an audience, the effect of the mailing becomes enormous.
Available casino games on iPhone
All games on iOS can run exclusively on the HTML5 platform. This peculiarity is due to the peculiarities of the operating system itself.
The range of entertainment for iPhone casino, according to many players, is slightly inferior to that for Android, but not by much. Users will have access to a wide variety of slot machines with a variety of themes. You will also be able to select the content of interest and on technical criteria (number of reels, lines, availability of bonuses, etc.).
Poker, blackjack, baccarat, lottery, roulette and other table games as well as live mode where players can watch live broadcasts from real casinos and play with a live dealer remain accessible. It also remains possible to play for free or for money. At the same time, the ability to play in free mode is available even without registration and internet connection.
As the iPhone has become an indispensable market player, it’s safe to say that gambling for iOS will always be part of the online gambling industry.
