Casino apps: real money casinos on your phone

Why there's no app in the store

Apple and Google both let real-money casino apps into their stores, on conditions. Apple's App Store Review Guidelines, section 5.3.4, say an app offering real money gaming "must have necessary licensing and permissions in the locations where the app is used, must be geo-restricted to those locations, and must be free on the App Store". Google's real-money gambling policy asks for "a valid gambling license for each country or state/territory in which the app is distributed", an application process, blocking of places the licence doesn't cover, and blocking of minors.

An offshore casino taking players from US states that haven't licensed it can't meet that. So it skips the store and builds a site that works on a phone. So a "real money casino app" from one of the casinos we've reviewed means the website on your phone, or something you install from the casino's own site.

That matters for one reason I'd keep in mind. A store app from a licensed casino has been through a check that included its licence and its location blocking. A mobile site hasn't been through anyone's check but the casino's. The games may be the same; the protection around them isn't. Our page on betting apps makes the same point for sportsbooks, and it holds here.

What each review says about mobile

All nine casinos we've reviewed say they play on a phone. What they say about how varies.

Bovada Casino is the clearest: all games on desktop and mobile in the browser, no app. Bookie.ag Casino calls itself a mobile-optimized site with no download, and BookMaker Casino says desktop, tablet or phone, no download. JustBet Casino says the casino and its slot tournaments play on mobile, with no download. BetNow Casino says its games play on desktop or mobile. Everygame Casino describes a mobile platform and browser instant play. YouWager Casino says its live casino plays on desktop and mobile.

Two mention an app. MyBookie Casino offers an app download and Xbet Casino says it has a mobile site and an app. Neither review says the app is in Apple's or Google's store, and given the rules above I wouldn't assume it. If a casino asks you to install something from its own site on an Android phone, you're allowing an app from outside the store, and I'd think hard about that on a phone that also holds your bank.

None of the reviews says the mobile game list is smaller than the desktop one, and none says it's the same. We haven't tested any of them on a phone yet; every review reads ATB Tested: No.

How to judge one on your phone

I'd treat a mobile casino as the same casino on a smaller screen, and judge it the same way. The things that decide whether it's any good, the payout limits, the bonus terms and who runs it, are identical on both. Our payout comparison sets out the limits.

Then a few things the phone changes. Save the casino's real address yourself rather than following links to it, since a copied site is easier to fall for on a small screen. Check that the cashier works on mobile before you deposit, including the crypto address, which you'll want to copy and paste rather than type. And look for deposit limits in the account settings; MyBookie's banking page, for one, offers daily, weekly and monthly limits.

The last one is the one I'd care about most. A casino in your pocket is open every hour you're awake, and the phone makes the next deposit two taps away. Set the limit at a calm moment, and see the responsible gambling page for the rest. Whether you may play at any of these depends on where you live.

The list below holds every casino we've reviewed that says it plays on mobile, with its mobile line from the review.