The transition to mobile betting is nothing new – mobile-specific casino websites and sports betting apps have been with us for a few years. What’s different now – increased high-speed web access, better hardware, and increased options for U.S.-based bettors. Americans in particular are seeing an increase in the use of tablets for gambling.
Two options exist for tablet-based sports betting – you can use your tablet to connect to a mobile-capable website, or you can download a real-money sports betting app and use it to place your wagers. The difference between the two is significant. iPad users in some markets won’t have the option of downloading and using a sports betting app, thanks to Apple restrictions. But that’s not the only difference – mobile-capable websites don’t require a download, but apps tend to provide a more attractive interface and better performance.
How to Bet on a Tablet
Here’s the three easy steps you have to take before you can use your tablet to wager on sports:
Procure a quality tablet
Obviously you need a tablet before you can place a tablet sports wager. It is recommended to not choose a low-cost tablet; display quality is a big deal. Though tablets have improved by leaps and bounds, the displays are still smaller than you may be used to on a laptop. That’s why you should spring for a model with a (large) high-quality display. If you plan to use your tablet to bet on sports every day, investing a couple of hundred extra bucks is an insignificant expense.
Open an account at a mobile-capable betting website / download a sports betting app
The choice here is up to you – go and check out a few apps and a few mobile-capable sites and play around for a few minutes before you make up your mind. People have different opinions about which is better. Download an app if you are allowed to. They tend to display better on the awkward screen size of a tablet. The opposite is true for mobile phones, by the way – they tend to display mobile sports betting websites better.
Make sure you have a consistent Web connection
Do you plan to do your betting at home, at work, at the bar, or in the backyard while you grill? Whatever your choice, check your ability to connect to the internet. Nothing is more frustrating than needing to make a quick move and not having internet access to pull it off.
Advantages of Tablet Betting
Mobility is the main advantage to sports wagering on your Android tablet or your iPad. These gadgets are built for portability – maybe not as convenient as a pocket-size mobile phone, but the trade-off is better graphics, better hardware and more functionality in some cases.
Believe it or not, plenty of people don’t own or care to own a desktop or laptop computer. If they were forced to use their smartphone to wager on sports, they’d be OK, but they’d have less choice. If you own or buy a tablet, you can get all the functionality of a laptop without the hassle of researching and investing and maintaining one. Tablets are more for entertainment – if that’s your speed, tablet sports bets might be your game.
Disadvantages of Tablet Betting
The main disadvantage to choosing a tablet is the potential for limited functionality and the slightly limited size of the tablet display compared with a laptop or desktop computer. Remember, you’re not placing bets through the main sportsbook website – you’re either using a purpose-built app or a website that’s been tweaked a little to allow mobile business. You’re likely to have fewer options for play, fewer member service features, and forget about live streaming or full access to the attached casino or poker room.
Tablet Betting Conclusion
Betting on sports on tablets isn’t a new thing – web-capable tablets were getting popular as the mobile betting revolution was just underway. People have been wagering on sports on their Android and Apple tablets and mobile phones since sportsbooks figured out there was a market for it. With improvements to tablet technology, the gadgets now rival laptops for functionality, often cost less, and perform better as sportsbook display devices than smaller and less functional mobile phones. If you own a tablet and want to bet on sports, you have plenty of options.