Discover how the advent of HTML5 has had a transformative effect on online industries.
For several years, Apple was criticised for failing to permit the use of Flash on its iOS devices, with its now-deceased co-founder, Steve Jobs, citing HTML5 technology as a more sustainable solution than Adobe Flash. In April 2010, Jobs published a blog titled Thoughts on Flash, citing its resource-hungry flaws and insecurities making it unfit for the mobile-first world of today.
Although Jobs was chastised then for his views, it turned out that he was absolutely right. The advent of HTML5 technology has had a transformative effect on so many leading online industries, most notably in the iGaming sector, where more casual iGamers are using smartphone and tablet devices to play their favourite video slots and table games than ever before. According to the UK Gambling Commission, gross gambling yield among UK bettors was up year-on-year in April 2017-March 2018 to £5.39 billion, compared with £4.74 billion in April 2016-March 2017. The mobile iGaming sector also had a 37.3 per cent market share in April 2017-March 2018, representing a 3 per cent year-on-year increase.
HTML5: The main driver of remote iGaming
Much of this success for the mobile iGaming sector can be attributed to the adoption of HTML5 technology by the leading iGaming operators and software developers. Even the earliest pioneers of online slot titles have made the move from Flash to HTML5. In 2014, Swedish iGaming developers NetEnt became one of the first to develop a video slot entirely in HTML5 code. The declining support for Flash plugins in modern-day web browsers meant that developers like NetEnt were faced with a big decision to make: whether to forge ahead with Flash-based iGaming or dump it altogether in favour of HTML5.
Leading iGaming operators have redeveloped their games in HTML5
NetEnt took the ground-breaking decision in December 2017 to redevelop its entire portfolio of video slots and table games for HTML5, creating fully responsive cross-platform iGaming experiences in the process. HTML5 technology has also helped to facilitate vastly superior visuals and audio quality, creating immersive effects and gameplay that have taken the industry by storm. It’s possible to sample these state-of-the-art slot titles without having to spend a penny of your own cash by seeking out NetEnt free spins promotions from iGaming operators powered by NetEnt’s award-winning suite of online casino games.
The technicalities of using HTML5 technology for iGaming titles are that developers are only required to build games in one, unified programming language. In the past, when Flash games were rife, developers had to use Objective C and Java to build both iOS and Android-specific iGaming apps. HTML5 helps iGaming developers to cover a broader landscape, with all leading mobile and desktop browsers compatible with HTML5.
The global iGaming industry is considered one of the most innovative, forward-thinking sectors in 2019. It demands technology that can help to push the creative boundaries of what is possible. In an age of technological convergence, the universal features of HTML5 allow it to operate parallel with modern day technology. Hence, it is the development code of the future for iGaming and the rest of the world in the truest sense.
Main picture source: Pixabay.com.
