It feels like the world advances at an increasingly rapid pace. Everything in technology is geared towards faster speeds and at the same time, operating more efficiently in power consumption. Online betting has been one of many sectors that have benefitted from the relentless march of progress.
Within that, mobile betting has been the biggest benefactor of all. In 2019 the first 5G mobile networks were rolled out. While it initially took a while to get going, because of limited roll-outs and device compatibility, it’s now readily advertised by providers.
The arrival of 5G brought with it a big revolution in the speed of data transfer. That meant that mobile betting, for example, for accessing everything from a Quinnbet sign up offer to making in-play selections on the World Cup Final, received a massive boost.
5g vs 4g
What is the big fuss over 5G? Is it that much better than 4G? Well, it can be. While there are many variables due to things like location and network traffic, 5G is phenomenally quicker than 4G. It’s more than just a buzzword, more than just a single-figure increment in mobile data plans.
It’s been reported that 5G is an improvement of up to 100 times faster than 4G. Again, that is cited as being under optimum conditions. Even a 20x increase is a huge upgrade. But what should that equate to when it comes to mobile betting? Faster response times for live odds and less lag in connecting to online betting services.
So Everything Is Good?
There are some disadvantages to the rollout of the big 5G network boosts. The addition of new towers to give as much even connectivity as its predecessor 4G, has been a big logistical application. That had to happen.
With each new generation of mobile connectivity, it will have to happen over and over again. The coverage and accessibility of 5G are also not as widespread as its fourth-generation brethren. It has, understandably, been deployed mostly in urban areas.
To get the benefits of this faster data capability, which runs at lower latency, new devices are the best way to go. But that’s an added expense that punters would have to shell out for, to reap the rewards. In some instances, access to 5G network plans are more expensive as well.
Improved Connectivity
Mobile betting in and of itself has been one of the big innovations of online sports betting. In 2020 the UK Gambling Commission did a study that specifically stated that access to gambling via a mobile phone was the most popular way that punters placed bets.
It also announced the majority of online bettors had bet in-play on markets as well. The biggest demographic that had, were younger players, suggesting that those who are assumed to be in better touch with updated, modern technology, were using it more frequently.
To further back that up, the study stated that three-quarters of punters aged 18-34 used their smartphones for online betting. Only 14% of people aged 65 and older did. 2021-22 numbers from April 2021-March 2022, remote betting numbers surpassed more than £3 billion by UK players for the fourth financial year running.
Benefits of 5G for Mobile Betting
There are obvious benefits that punters should find on a tuned-up 5G network and device combo. There is the quicker loading time of mobile betting sites and apps, for example. Live in-play odds shouldn’t suffer from latency because of the improved transmission speeds and connectivity. Access to live streams should also be vastly improved.
But there could be more. Sports betting and statistics are intertwined. Imagine sitting in the stands at Old Trafford and getting precise data points delivered about the action that’s happening in front of you. It could be shifting xG (expected goals) for a team or individual players as the match is in swing.
5G networks should be able to deliver, quicker, bigger packets of data like that to aid live betting. 52% of regular bettors surveyed by payment company Paysafe, said that being able to bet while attending an event would make the experience more enjoyable.
45% said that they would actually be more likely to go to an event if live wagering at the game was accessible. Those are huge numbers.
Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger
Over 70% of mobile bets in the UK are in-play wagers. So clearly punters are hungry for online betting. That in turn should mean that if the experience can be improved further through the faster speeds of 5G, then it is only going to go from strength to strength.
But it’s not just a boon for players who already do their in-play betting. A lack of comparative speed from 4G networks, could be a hurdle for punters who want to do in-play mobile betting. They may be avoiding it because it’s not as quick as they would want it to be on their smartphone. There is probably a huge crop of punters wanting to play more live bets, and 5G could give them the power to do so.
