Frequently asked questions
In March of 2014, sales of Apple’s iPhone hit the 500 million mark. In the first quarter of 2014 alone, some 50 million iPhones were shipped to users around the world. As the largest single producer of handheld technology, Apple (and its current product line of smartphones and tablets) has created a massive market of consumers all using the same hardware and software.
While iOS devices are known to be incredibly easy to use, occasionally iPhone and iPad owners encounter problems installing the latest bookmaker apps on their handheld. In this reason we've gathered together answers to the most common questions we receive from our readers. Many of these questions and answers are also relevant to owners of Nokia Lumia, Samsung Galaxy, Google Nexus, HTC and Motorola devices.
What is the difference between a Web app and a native app?
The phrase “Web app” refers to any application with basic Internet capability. Web apps function using the iPhone’s mobile browser. Web apps don’t require downloads, accessible as they are by any mobile Web browser. Familiar mobile apps include Safari and the iOS App Store.
The phrase “native app” refers to any application that’s designed to work on a specific device and must be installed to function. Essentially, any app a user downloads from the App Store is native. Familiar native apps include Facebook and Candy Crush.
The main benefit of a native app for gambling is better performance - because these applications are designed specifically for iOS devices, they can be designed to take advantage of the device’s specific strengths. The main benefit of using a Web app is accessibility; non-native applications are designed to perform consistently on a number of different operating systems and gadgets.
Why can’t I download gambling apps from the App Store in the US?
Apple has long had a policy against making real-money betting applications available in the App Store, mostly to avoid legal scrutiny in parts of the world where gambling is still strictly regulated and looked on by many with suspicion, like the United States. In other parts of the world where gambling is more socially acceptable (like Europe), gambling apps are now readily available in the App Store thanks to the ability of iOS devices to provide apps and content based on geolocation.
Are gambling apps safe to use?
Gambling apps produced by legitimate software developers and released by casinos and sportsbooks with a good reputation are as safe as any other application. Maintaining personal safety while gambling means doing the necessary research to find a reliable provider of real money gambling. Legitimate gaming applications produced by licensed and regulated online casinos and sportsbooks are available.
How much does a gambling app download cost?
Users should never pay to download a mobile gaming application. Trustworthy gaming providers do not charge customers to download or use a native or Web-based gambling app.
Are there any US legal betting apps?
Yes, legal apps designed for American iOS customers exist. The UIGEA bill in 2006 changed American gambling law in a significant way – it made many types of common financial transactions between US citizens and their chosen gaming sites illegal. The immediate result was the exit of the majority of American-facing gambling websites. Since that time, some gaming venues have begun doing business with US customers in earnest, even producing American-specific betting apps. The only way a betting site or app could break American law is by operating on US soil or performing a financial transaction declared illegal by the UIGEA. There are also a number of legal mobile bookmakers from Canada.
Do I need a separate player account to gamble on my iPhone?
Customers who already have player accounts with a gambling site that has a mobile app don’t have to activate any new account to play on an iOS device. New customers will have to create a player account in order to gamble on the mobile app.
Are there any bookmaker apps for iPad?
Yes. The iPad is Apple’s entry into the tablet market, and with total sales nearing 200 million, it is one of the most-used tablet devices in the world. At this time, two big names in the online gambling industry have released iPad-specific bookmaker applications. PaddyPower was the first to release a sportsbook application designed with the iPad in mind. Coral’s sportsbook property followed suit a few months later.
Are the odds the same if I bet online or via an app?
Speaking generally, the overall odds available online and in bookmaker apps are the same. Small variations in odds between different books and apps are common, but there is no built-in disadvantage, odds-wise, for either mobile or Web-based customers. Some mobile apps are designed to offer enhanced betting odds and other special deals to entice users to try the mobile software.
Do any betting advice apps exist?
Along with the proliferation of mobile bookmaker apps has come the release of supporting software designed to capture the new market. Apps featuring sports betting advice (and geared for mobile gadgets) are available now, with no doubt more on the way. A good example is OLBG, covering any sport you can wager on through a bookmaker app or website. Other apps exist to cater to specific gambling markets, such as the Racing Post app for horse racing bettors. Both of these examples have large sections dedicated to sharing tips and strategy for their markets.
Can I watch live sports on a betting app?
The inclusion of live streaming functions to mobile betting apps is a big selling point in the industry. Several mobile betting apps offer some form of live sports streaming – shows tens of thousands of live sporting events in a wide variety of leagues each year, while other apps focus on streaming specific leagues and sports. SkyBet’s exclusive access to live streams of La Liga soccer is an example of the latter.
Can I deposit or withdraw money via bookmaker apps?
The answer varies from one application to another. Customers’ ability to access their full player account via a mobile app (in order to make deposits and withdrawals) is another selling point for mobile gambling venues that release mobile applications. Some of these iOS apps allow full deposits and withdrawals, others allow deposits only.
Can I play on my other Apple devices?
Because iPhone-specific gambling software is developed for iOS (the operating system the iPhone runs on), the vast majority of iPhone betting apps can be downloaded to or accessed using other Web-capable Apple gadgets. Owners of an iPad, iPod Touch, or an iPhone can access these native and Web gambling applications developed with Apple products in mind.
Online casinos, sportsbooks, and other gambling-oriented businesses now specifically target the iOS market. Web apps, native apps, and special mobile platforms developed by these entities give customers using iPhones, iPads, and other gadgets the ability to place bets on slots, sports events, and casino games on their iOS-based device.
While iOS devices are known to be incredibly easy to use, occasionally iPhone and iPad owners encounter problems installing the latest bookmaker apps on their handheld. In this reason we've gathered together answers to the most common questions we receive from our readers. Many of these questions and answers are also relevant to owners of Nokia Lumia, Samsung Galaxy, Google Nexus, HTC and Motorola devices.
What is the difference between a Web app and a native app?
The phrase “Web app” refers to any application with basic Internet capability. Web apps function using the iPhone’s mobile browser. Web apps don’t require downloads, accessible as they are by any mobile Web browser. Familiar mobile apps include Safari and the iOS App Store.
The phrase “native app” refers to any application that’s designed to work on a specific device and must be installed to function. Essentially, any app a user downloads from the App Store is native. Familiar native apps include Facebook and Candy Crush.
The main benefit of a native app for gambling is better performance - because these applications are designed specifically for iOS devices, they can be designed to take advantage of the device’s specific strengths. The main benefit of using a Web app is accessibility; non-native applications are designed to perform consistently on a number of different operating systems and gadgets.
Why can’t I download gambling apps from the App Store in the US?
Apple has long had a policy against making real-money betting applications available in the App Store, mostly to avoid legal scrutiny in parts of the world where gambling is still strictly regulated and looked on by many with suspicion, like the United States. In other parts of the world where gambling is more socially acceptable (like Europe), gambling apps are now readily available in the App Store thanks to the ability of iOS devices to provide apps and content based on geolocation.
Are gambling apps safe to use?
Gambling apps produced by legitimate software developers and released by casinos and sportsbooks with a good reputation are as safe as any other application. Maintaining personal safety while gambling means doing the necessary research to find a reliable provider of real money gambling. Legitimate gaming applications produced by licensed and regulated online casinos and sportsbooks are available.
How much does a gambling app download cost?
Users should never pay to download a mobile gaming application. Trustworthy gaming providers do not charge customers to download or use a native or Web-based gambling app.
Are there any US legal betting apps?
Yes, legal apps designed for American iOS customers exist. The UIGEA bill in 2006 changed American gambling law in a significant way – it made many types of common financial transactions between US citizens and their chosen gaming sites illegal. The immediate result was the exit of the majority of American-facing gambling websites. Since that time, some gaming venues have begun doing business with US customers in earnest, even producing American-specific betting apps. The only way a betting site or app could break American law is by operating on US soil or performing a financial transaction declared illegal by the UIGEA. There are also a number of legal mobile bookmakers from Canada.
Do I need a separate player account to gamble on my iPhone?
Customers who already have player accounts with a gambling site that has a mobile app don’t have to activate any new account to play on an iOS device. New customers will have to create a player account in order to gamble on the mobile app.
Are there any bookmaker apps for iPad?
Yes. The iPad is Apple’s entry into the tablet market, and with total sales nearing 200 million, it is one of the most-used tablet devices in the world. At this time, two big names in the online gambling industry have released iPad-specific bookmaker applications. PaddyPower was the first to release a sportsbook application designed with the iPad in mind. Coral’s sportsbook property followed suit a few months later.
Are the odds the same if I bet online or via an app?
Speaking generally, the overall odds available online and in bookmaker apps are the same. Small variations in odds between different books and apps are common, but there is no built-in disadvantage, odds-wise, for either mobile or Web-based customers. Some mobile apps are designed to offer enhanced betting odds and other special deals to entice users to try the mobile software.
Do any betting advice apps exist?
Along with the proliferation of mobile bookmaker apps has come the release of supporting software designed to capture the new market. Apps featuring sports betting advice (and geared for mobile gadgets) are available now, with no doubt more on the way. A good example is OLBG, covering any sport you can wager on through a bookmaker app or website. Other apps exist to cater to specific gambling markets, such as the Racing Post app for horse racing bettors. Both of these examples have large sections dedicated to sharing tips and strategy for their markets.
Can I watch live sports on a betting app?
The inclusion of live streaming functions to mobile betting apps is a big selling point in the industry. Several mobile betting apps offer some form of live sports streaming – shows tens of thousands of live sporting events in a wide variety of leagues each year, while other apps focus on streaming specific leagues and sports. SkyBet’s exclusive access to live streams of La Liga soccer is an example of the latter.
Can I deposit or withdraw money via bookmaker apps?
The answer varies from one application to another. Customers’ ability to access their full player account via a mobile app (in order to make deposits and withdrawals) is another selling point for mobile gambling venues that release mobile applications. Some of these iOS apps allow full deposits and withdrawals, others allow deposits only.
Can I play on my other Apple devices?
Because iPhone-specific gambling software is developed for iOS (the operating system the iPhone runs on), the vast majority of iPhone betting apps can be downloaded to or accessed using other Web-capable Apple gadgets. Owners of an iPad, iPod Touch, or an iPhone can access these native and Web gambling applications developed with Apple products in mind.
Online casinos, sportsbooks, and other gambling-oriented businesses now specifically target the iOS market. Web apps, native apps, and special mobile platforms developed by these entities give customers using iPhones, iPads, and other gadgets the ability to place bets on slots, sports events, and casino games on their iOS-based device.
