Online gambling requires far less effort and resources than a visit to a traditional casino, but there is one thing that is absolutely critical for a positive experience. To have uninterrupted access to an iGaming platform, players must have a stable WiFi connection that is fast enough to support the type of games found on the platform. That sounds like a modest requirement, but you would be surprised how often bad internet ruins an otherwise great iGaming session.

To accentuate the importance of connectivity, we will discuss some of the issues that could arise from access over the wrong network. Players may already be aware of most of them, but a friendly reminder to use a reliable internet service won’t hurt anybody.

Interruption at the Wrong Time Can Lead to Losses

Most online casino games are interactive and require the player to actively participate. Of course, players who temporarily lose access will be logged out of the game and they won’t be able to affect the outcomes any more. That might result in a forfeiture of any funds staked on the current game, or even worse a missed opportunity to win big.

Timing is even more important with sports betting, where a few minutes are enough for the odds to change and for a chance to make a profitable wager to evaporate. For players who are specialised for live casino or live betting, the cost of every internet outage can be tremendous, even if it doesn’t last more than fifteen seconds. When there is money on the line, it’s inexcusable to jeopardise the entire strategy because of something as trivial as spotty internet.

Losing Connectivity Is Very Frustrating

While instances where loss of internet connects results in a direct financial lose are relatively rare, the frustration because of it surely isn’t. Even the most serene players will lose their minds if they are suddenly cut off in the middle of an exciting iGaming session. Repeated incidents of this kind are especially maddening, and could lead the player to lose confidence in his internet connection and consequently start worrying about it more than he pays attention to the game.

Once the player’s focus is lost and his rhythm disrupted, it can be very difficult to get back in the winning groove. Frustrated players tend to get impatient and make unnecessarily risky moves, so it might be best to take some time to cool off before continuing play after a connection mishap. Of course, that takes even more time and could completely ruin the experience. 

Long Loading Times Can Discourage Play

Most online casino games load very quickly since they are delivered from remote servers and don’t require the player to download any software to his device. That’s assuming your internet is working normally, of course. If your bandwidth slows down to a crawl, some features in the games might fail to load properly or will take forever to activate. It may still be possible to play this way, but hardly with any joy.

Of all types of casino games slot machines usually have the most extra features so players who like them should be extra careful to always use fast internet. We are not talking about serious speed, just the bare minimum that you need for running the core game and watching high-resolution animations.

Mobile Gaming Requires Good Area Coverage

In this day and age, smartphones are largely replacing computers as the primary way to visit online casinos and sportsbooks. This magnifies connectivity issues as good Wi-Fi networks are not available everywhere and even when they are, coverage could weaken just a short distance away. Since players often move around while logged in to their iGaming accounts, it’s very easy to cross the boundary of reliable internet service, thus triggering the issues described above.

It’s a smart practice to test how far your home Wi-Fi can reach before you try playing from your back yard or balcony, but in other locations you might just have to minimise movement. Another thing you could try is to set up mobile internet to turn on automatically in case Wi-Fi signal is lost, ensuring continuity and avoiding embarrassing situations that can lead to financial losses.

The Dangers of Playing on Public Networks

Connectivity and speed are not the only factors that contribute to a pleasurable iGaming session. You can never forget about security, particularly if you are accessing gaming websites from a public location. Free Wi-Fi might turn out to be very expensive if your sensitive banking data is stolen while you are sending funds to your account or making a withdrawal.

While major iGaming platforms deploy robust security measures, they are worth little if you are hacked before you reach the website. This is why you should always be aware which Wi-Fi network you are using and avoid making financial transactions when you are not on a private internet connection. You can still play your favorite games when you are out and about, just wait until you get home before you try transferring any winnings to your bank.