It was only a generation or so ago that sport betting necessitated a trip to what would invariably be a somewhat uninviting, smoke-filled and dingy traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ High Street bookies.
Thanks to advances in technology there has been significant progress since those days of course and today the ability to bet on a multitude of sporting events and markets, bet in-play and watch events streamed live from around the world 24/7 is taken for granted.
More recently the arrival of mobile betting has resulted in new levels of convenience, as mobile devices such as smart-phones and tablets become ever more commonplace. The online betting industry was quick to realise that gambling and mobile devices were made for each other.
For example, a UK Gambling Commission report in 2016 found that 48% of respondents had gambled within the previous four weeks. Even when excluding those that only played the National Lottery, the figure was still 33%.
The big move they recorded was in the use of mobile phones or tablet devices to gamble, which had increased by 10% since 2015, to 43%. It’s not an unreasonable assumption to speculate that use of mobile devices would probably now exceed 50%. The desire to bet on the go would suggest that this figure still has some way to go yet.
Any sport betting via your iOS or Android betting apps today will usually offer near identical features and levels of service as that afforded to those betting at home on their laptop.
Not only do most bookmakers offer the full range of markets on their mobile versions and apps as they do on their main sites, but features such as in-play betting, live streaming and ‘Cash Out’ options are now becoming increasingly routine.
Any Welcome Bonuses, Free Bets and other promotional offers are also usually available to mobile customers. If you’re lucky, there are now even additional bonuses specifically related to the mobile app itself.
Using Android betting apps requires a little more work than using an iOS device as a result of Google’s policy of not permitting the downloading or storing of any Android betting apps on the Google Play Store.
It’s important to note that this is purely Google’s own policy and there is no legal issue with downloading an Android betting app.
It’s still a straightforward process to get your hands on the best Android betting apps, usually requiring little more than adjusting your security settings to allow for ‘Unknown Sources’, simply by clicking the ‘Unknown Sources’ box in your settings.
From there it’s usually simply a matter of installing the bookie’s Android application package (APK).
Perhaps the most highly-regarded of the Android betting apps at present is the bet365 offering. One of the main factors here is that it comes with a hugely impressive 100% matched deposit bonus of up to £200 for new customers, but the bet365 betting app also has plenty more going for it.
The bet365 app has an easy-to-use interface that provides speed and simplicity – bet placement is fast and straightforward, with it being possible to get your stake on with just a few touches of the screen.
It’s also been designed with a range of great features, including ‘Cash Out’ and additional Free Bet bonuses and promotional offers.
There’s also a vast selection of events streamed live and the variety of betting markets available really takes some beating. Being bet365 you are also assured of some of the most competitive odds in the business.
Essentially the bet365 betting app gives you pretty much everything you get from their main site with the added convenience of being mobile.
Many of the other leading industry players also have Android apps for betting worthy of consideration, including William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfair, Paddy Power and BetVictor to name just a few.
With bettors increasingly wanting the convenience of mobile betting with the full features and service of a bookmaker’s main site, it’s clear that Android betting apps are going to claim an ever greater share of the market.