Mobile gaming in iGaming 2026: how smartphones reshaped player behaviour, game design and platform strategy – Special report

The smartphone has become the default access point for iGaming players worldwide, with mobile activity growing over 1,000% in some portfolios between mid-2025 and 2026. In this special report, executives from Play’n GO, BGaming, Greentube, TaDa Gaming, SA Gaming, Onlyplay and GR8_TECH examine how mobile dominance has reshaped game design, platform strategy and what comes next: hyper-personalisation, richer storytelling and experiences that adapt to the player rather than the other way around.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Mobile device activity in a sample of iGaming games grew by more than 1,000% between July 2025 and May 2026, according to internal data from BGaming — while desktop players still wager approximately 40% more per session on average.
• The mobile-first design shift is now total: studios including BGaming, TaDa Gaming, SA Gaming and Play’n GO design exclusively for smartphones from the outset, with desktop treated as a secondary adaptation rather than the baseline.
• Portrait mode and one-handed play have moved from optional features to non-negotiable product requirements across the iGaming supply chain.
• Despite mobile dominance, desktop retains a distinct role: longer sessions, higher-value bets and sustained engagement with specific game titles — making a dual-channel product strategy still necessary for operators.
• The next frontier is not mobile-first but player-adaptive: hyper-personalisation, AI-driven content discovery and richer storytelling are the features suppliers across the industry are now building toward for 2027.

Special report.- The debate over whether the smartphone is king of online gambling is now settled. The smartphone has become the main access point for millions of players, while desktop remains relevant for specific profiles or longer sessions. In igaming, the discussion has moved on: it’s no longer about whether mobile dominates, but about how to keep up with users who have completely changed their consumption habits.

This is the third in a series of special articles analysing how the gambling industry has evolved over the past decade, the challenges it has faced and what the future holds. In this special report, Focus Gaming News examines how the shift to mobile has reshaped player behaviour, game design and platform strategy across the igaming industry as players turn to shorter, more frequent sessions that fit into different moments of the day.

Magnus Wallentin, games ambassador at Play’n GO, says the shift to mobile was not simply a change of hardware, but a complete reshaping of expectations: “Today, mobile is the first thought for the vast majority of players, whereas desktop has become secondary in many markets,” he says.

Richard Ganster, director of Game Strategy and Portfolio Management at Greentube, shares that view. “A few years ago, desktop computers set the benchmark for how a game should be designed, and the mobile version was an adaptation; today, exactly the opposite is true,” he says.

Mobile becomes the default

Data from suppliers underscores how quickly the balance has shifted. Julia Alekseeva, CPO at BGaming, points to internal event data from a subset of games and players: “Starting in July 2025, mobile activity grew rapidly, peaking in May 2026. Across the sample we analysed, the number of mobile players, bets placed, and total bet volume increased by more than 1,000 per cent during this period. At the same time, desktop users continue to demonstrate higher average betting values. Both the average stake and the average amount wagered per player remain around 40 per cent higher on desktop than on mobile. While it’s difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the reasons behind this trend, it suggests that player behaviour may vary depending on the device and the context in which they choose to play.”

TaDa Gaming’s Sean Liu, director of product management, observes a similar pattern: “Desktop shows longer sessions and sustained retention with specific titles. Mobile players are more open to new releases, play in shorter bursts but return more frequently.”

He adds that regulation is also changing behaviour, with requirements for shorter average slot sessions and lower spins per session influencing how players engage with content.

For years, there was speculation that shorter sessions on smartphones would lead to more superficial or casual gameplay. However, practice has shown otherwise. According to Ganster, mobile users are just as willing as desktop players to explore advanced features, seek out bonus rounds and wager on higher-volatility content.

Wallentin notes the same trend: “There was once an assumption that mobile users would favour simpler, more traditional experiences, but the opposite has proven true. Players are increasingly embracing more complex, feature-rich games, provided they are delivered in a clear and intuitive way. That evolution has allowed us to push the boundaries of design while still maintaining mass appeal.”

Desktop has not disappeared; it still accounts for longer sessions and higher-value play, but the mobile shift has forced developers to reorder their priorities. Speed, smooth navigation and immediate access have moved to the top of the development agenda.

Anna Serheieva, head of partnerships at Onlyplay adds a historical perspective to this assessment: “The biggest change isn’t that mobile has become dominant; it has been the primary platform for slot games for years. In our portfolio, mobile still accounts for the vast majority of gameplay. Interestingly, we’ve recently seen a slight shift towards desktop, with the distribution changing from roughly 1:99 to 4:96 in desktop’s favour. While this isn’t enough to suggest a broader market trend, it shows desktop still plays an important role for certain player segments and gaming scenarios.

“The more significant shift is how players use mobile devices. They expect the same seamless experience regardless of screen size or device performance. Players switch between portrait and landscape modes, move across devices, and expect games to load instantly without compromising visuals or gameplay.

“Rather than replacing desktop, mobile has raised expectations across all platforms. Speed, simplicity, and accessibility have become universal standards, regardless of where players choose to play.”

Designing for mobile, not adapting to it

This dominance has changed the architecture of gaming products themselves. Adapting a game originally designed for a monitor after the fact is no longer viable; the experience needs to be conceived from the ground up around the touchscreen.

“Designing for a smartphone means designing with the thumb, a vertical screen, constant interruptions and highly variable connectivity in mind, all at the same time,” Ganster explains.

UX and UI are critical. Symbols must be identifiable at a glance, controls need to be within reach of one hand, and every action should require as few steps as possible. In an environment filled with notifications, a confusing or slow interface can mean losing the user before the first spin.

At BGaming, every game is designed with mobile users in mind from the outset, rather than creating separate mobile versions, Alekseeva says. “We pay close attention to symbol readability, button placement, and the amount of information displayed on screen at any given moment. Core game actions should always remain easily accessible without covering important gameplay elements or interrupting the player experience. This approach allows us to deliver the same intuitive and comfortable gameplay across smartphones, tablets, and desktops,” she explains.

TaDa Gaming’s Liu explains that the company has adapted its games for more basic devices in emerging markets, using compressed graphics, limited file sizes and designs that are more resilient against uneven internet coverage. “All our games have been built mobile-first from inception to include portrait orientation, larger buttons and cleaner UIs,” he says.

This focus has led companies such as SA Gaming to restructure their interfaces according to how frequently each button is used. Osman Walker, CSO of SA Gaming, says the studio introduced features such as “Lite Mode” to mitigate the impact of slow networks, as well as larger touch areas during countdowns, ensuring that the game not only runs on a phone but also responds naturally to one-handed use.

“We have learnt that mobile players expect the same premium visual experience without any compromise on speed or quality,” Walker adds. “This is why our developers have spent huge efforts on adapting our layout perfectly on any device and any screen size.”

At Play’n GO, designing for mobile has been part of the company’s DNA since before smartphones became mainstream, Wallentin says. Even so, the continuous evolution of devices requires regular audits of every component to ensure the experience feels genuinely native. “The key principle is that the game should feel native to mobile, rather than a scaled-down desktop experience,” he says.

The technical challenge becomes even greater in emerging markets, where differences in network quality and devices are the norm. Kate Shevchenko, CRM product manager at GR8_TECH, argues that a mobile-first approach must encompass the operator’s entire platform rather than being limited to the visual design of the game. “Today, operators need to design around mobile behaviour from the outset: fast loading, simple navigation, seamless payments and reliable performance during traffic peaks,” she emphasises.

In a competitive market, details such as a smooth registration process or frictionless deposit can ultimately become the variables that determine conversion and long-term retention.

The next evolution: speed, personalisation and richer worlds

When asked which features moved to the top of the roadmap as mobile became dominant, the answers from suppliers converge on a few themes: portrait mode and one-handed play, faster gameplay, and mechanics that give short sessions a clear sense of purpose.

Ganster says portrait mode and comfortable one-handed play became “non-negotiable rather than nice-to-have”, alongside quick-spin and turbo modes, faster feature entry and options like buy-bonus that let a player reach the part of the game they came for without a long build-up. In-game jackpots and pot-style mechanics have also become central because a visible, climbing prize gives a short session an immediate sense of purpose and progression.

At SA Gaming, portrait mode was a major focus to enable natural one-handed play, complemented by “Quick Access” features that allow players to jump into their favourite tables with just a click or two. Walker says the next major evolution will centre on “hyper-personalisation through deep localisation”, using regional data to tailor layouts, game suggestions and even technical settings like Lite Mode to local connection speeds and habits.

Alekseeva sees the next step driven by speed and personalisation: further reductions in loading times, simpler navigation and more intelligent content discovery through personalised lobbies and game recommendations tailored to individual preferences. “As game portfolios continue to expand, helping players quickly find content they’ll genuinely enjoy will become an increasingly important part of the overall gaming experience,” she says.

Liu points in the same direction: “Better personalisation and tailored game recommendations for genuine entertainment and progression – so long as they conform to regulatory and responsible gaming requirements.”

For Play’n GO, the next evolution goes beyond the screen. Wallentin says mobile will increasingly become the central hub for interconnected entertainment experiences, where players not only access games but also interact with IP, follow narratives, explore new content formats and engage with brands in a much wider sense. “Ultimately, the future of mobile gaming lies at the nexus of entertainment—where the boundaries between playing, watching, listening, and interacting continue to blur,” he says.

Serheieva sums up the new baseline: “Mobile-first is no longer enough. The next evolution of mobile gaming will be about creating experiences that adapt to the player, rather than expecting the player to adapt to the game.” She further says: “Another important direction is richer storytelling. Players increasingly expect games to offer more than a series of spins. Narrative progression, evolving characters, and meaningful in-game events can make the experience more engaging and help games stand out in a crowded market.

“At the same time, none of these innovations matter without flawless performance. Mobile players expect games to launch instantly, run smoothly on any device and provide an intuitive interface. We believe the future of mobile gaming will combine intelligent game design, immersive content and uncompromising technical optimisation into a seamless player experience.”

This article is the third instalment of a series produced by Focus Gaming News to mark its tenth anniversary. Over the course of 2026, the articles will examine the most defining moments that shaped the global igaming industry between 2016 and 2026, from regulatory changes and market openings to technological shifts and the rise of new regions. Each piece will be accompanied by exclusive interviews with the executives, regulators and analysts who were part of these changes.