Once upon a time the gaming world was all about consoles and PCs, but no longer. Ever since mobile gaming first overtook them back in 2018 the rise has been nothing short of meteoric. There have been various driving forces behind this rise and the first, like in so many areas, has been the advance of technology. As smartphones have rapidly become more sophisticated and powerful the opportunities for gaming have multiplied.

So even complex console games like League of Legends and Fortnite can be played on mobile devices. Of course, smartphones are equally able to accommodate simpler games too like the Candy Crush Saga and it’s this breadth of choice that makes mobile gaming so appealing to so many people.

Games developers have also been quick to respond to this explosion of demand for mobile games and it’s now estimated that there are over 260,000 different games available for download from the Google Play Store – the first port of call for any Android user looking for a quick diversion in the form of a new title to play.

Canada is one country that has seen phenomenal growth in the playing of mobile games. According to the latest predictions by 2027 around 13.6 million Canadians will be playing on mobile games with the market worth a staggering US$1.46 billion. With a projected annual growth rate of over 9% by 2030 number of players is due to rise to 15 million, or 36% of the 41 million-strong population. This, naturally, will see a similar upturn in the market’s value.

Why Canada?

There have been many theories put forward as to why mobile gaming has taken off to such a huge extent in Canada. The real acceleration began in the midst of the Covid pandemic. With people confined to their homes, many not being able to even go to work or socialise with friends, mobile gaming represented a perfect form of escapism.

Another key factor is the climate of Canada. The long, cold winters preclude many outdoor activities for many people, so they find themselves looking for alternative activities and entertainment – and what better than a mobile gaming session to pass the time?

Then there’s the question of demographics. Research has found that over 90% of men aged between 18 and 34 regularly play video games, as well as 80% of women in the same age range taking part too.

While these demographics do seem to be near saturation point, the sheer number of games now available mean that other groups are set to also be drawn into gaming as time moves on. Certain ethnicities, such as the country’s Chinese-heritage population, have also shown a great propensity for mobile gaming too.

The growth of online gambling

The increasing popularity of mobile gaming has also started to manifest itself in the world of online casinos. This has seen a corresponding explosion in the number of operators entering the market, many of which have seen the importance of offering mobile play too. In fact, there is now such a profusion of them that reviews sites have also started to spring up.

For example, Casino.org helps you find the best Android casinos in Canada currently available, they thoroughly review each one and provide a simple link to register with any that are especially appealing. Most of these online casinos also offer very generous joining bonuses and offers to incentivise participation.

The growth in the popularity of online been further accelerated with the general loosening of laws and regulations around the activity, led by the developments in Ontario that started some three years ago .

By finally legitimising the activity it has seen more and more people starting to enjoy online gambling in online casinos and by betting on their favourite teams and players in sportsbooks too.

It’s all about Android

As we’ve already mentioned, mobile gaming in general has become the domain of Android with an estimated 70% market share in the sector. This isn’t just about the sheer number of games on offer, it’s not even that there are many more Android users in Canada – in fact it’s around a 50/50 split with Apple. It’s more that Android phones tend to lend themselves better to playing mobile games than iPhones do, for example by having longer battery life and, dare we say it, better graphics too.

Looking to the future, it seems very probable that many more Android gamers will be coming online. And with no apparent slowdown in new games being introduced they are set to be spoilt for choice when it comes to what to play. So it’s safe to say that mobile gaming in Canada certainly continues to be on the move.