The No Download Revolution

There's a major technological arms race in the online casino industry. Different software providers and operators have been trying to get an advantage over the competition for more than two decades. This has happened by providing a better experience through technological advances that make playing faster, more fun and more convenient. One of the big things to change in the industry as a result of this arms race is the fact that most sites are switching over to being no download casinos. While there are advantages and disadvantages to this platform, the pros drastically outweigh the cons. This shift is a reflection of a larger paradigm shift for online casinos of all types.

The Best No Download Casinos

There are many no download casinos in the market, but only a few are really worth your time and money. So, how do you distinguish the good casinos from the bad ones? Well, your best bet is to check out HitYah's trusted online casino reviews so you can come up with a wise decision. Our team of experts review these sites and check the availability of an HTML5 platform as well as great user experience. Trust that you will only get the best when you check out our features online casinos.

The Issues of Software Companies

Virtually every single online casino software company out there today has a no download casino product. That, or makes games that are available without a download required. The major differences from company to company are; how much of their library they have invested in for the no download format (compared to their download casino offering); which no download casino platform they have used between HTML5 and Adobe Flash. Unlike the download casino side of the equation, no download software packages can be made on multiple platforms. The choice of platform speaks volumes about the long-term viability of the product.

Adobe Flash vs. HTML5

Online casino no download games can be coded in Adobe Flash or HTML5. Flash is what's used for a number of products that players are likely already familiar with like YouTube videos, online social games and more. However, HTML5 is a newer technology that is likely to be the platform of the future because it has a number of long-term advantages over Flash. As a result, the top software providers have been switching their games over to the HTML5 platform. However, there is a key problem here that shifts this aspect of the industry:

It costs time and money to convert games over to HTML5 as they have to be virtually rebuilt from the ground up (there is no simple conversion process).

This means that many providers who already have a larger library of titles (like Microgaming online casinos) are only switching over a portion of their most popular titles to HTML5. This is a matter of simple economics. Along these lines, certain game selection issues can come up for players who want to enjoy an HTML5 platform instead of using Adobe Flash or the software that download casinos have available.

The Key Advantages of No Download Casinos

There are four key advantages that we're going to discuss here. Here's a quick rundown of each of them before we cover them in detail:

Easy to access from multiple operating systems
Can double as a mobile casino platform
Easier to incorporate titles from multiple software providers
Can get started playing quickly from most computers
These four points represent some of the key reasons why players have been flocking away from download casinos to their no download counterparts for the past several years. It can also be said that this is why the downloadable software package is becoming virtually obsolete as time goes on.

1. The operating system issue

Some of the major problems with providing software for a download casino is that it has to be programmed differently and kept up to date in different packages for different operating systems. Because there are a lot of different ways to play (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.), this can drastically increase the amount of resources that established and new online casinos have to spend on their software.

Online casino no download games do not have this problem. All you need to play in no download casinos is an updated Internet browser with Adobe Flash or HTML5 installed. This is now the standard across all relevant operating systems at this point. By going this route, an online casino instantly becomes available to a much wider audience.

2. Doubling as a mobile casino

Something that's really cool about the Adobe Flash and HTML5 formats is that they can be accessed on mobile devices and double as a mobile casino. This is something that download casinos can't do for obvious reasons. While it is true that the best mobile casinos run faster, downloading and paying for apps may be inconvenient for some. It's just another way that this format allows more and more people to get in on the action without having to pour more money into resources.

It's also worth noting that many software providers have started relying on the double duty of Adobe Flash in particular by offering games that can run in a full-screen mode that's perfect for the screens on tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices.

3. Multi-provider online casinos

If you look back to around the year 2000, the online casino software landscape was much different. Casino software developers had exclusive contracts with operators, so a single casino could offer games from just one provider without giving players chances to play titles from multiple developers in one place. This wasn't a problem because it was the norm. No one had really thought about what would happen if you could play titles from several different companies all at one online casino.

Looking at a present-day no download casino, you're often going to see several titles from several providers brought together in one place. In fact, major developers like Microgaming even have products like their Quickfire platform that includes games from third-party developers. This is a selling point to give casinos and players more options. Download casinos don't have the flexibility to make incorporating games from different providers simple, but you can with Adobe Flash and HTML5.

4. Quick play from any computer

To get started in online casino no download games, you just have to navigate to the casino's website, log in and choose the game you want to play. It's simple, and it gets players into the games quickly. This means you can jump from computer to computer and get in on the action without having to go through the trouble of installing the software of a download casino, playing for a bit and then uninstalling the software. This is a major advantage for people who like to play on public computers in libraries and Internet cafes.

Disadvantages of Playing in a No Download Casino

While there are plenty of advantages to playing at these sites, there are also some disadvantages. We're going to take a look at the following three disadvantages in a bit of detail:

  • Slower loading times
  • Concessions on graphics
  • Lower number of games available

We want to point out that these disadvantages are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. However, they can create a situation where it's better to play at download casinos under certain conditions.

1. Slower loading times

When you play with no download casinos, you have to wait for the game to load in the computer's memory and temporary Internet files before you can play. Depending on the speed of the computer, the speed of the connection and the type of software you're playing with, this can be very quick, or it can be fairly slow. If you normally play on a Windows-based computer that you have regular access to, then you might want to use the downloadable software instead to avoid this issue since most of the advantages won't apply to you.

2. Graphical concessions

This is related to the first disadvantage above, but software providers for no download casino software will often make the graphics for their games slightly lower quality than the downloadable editions. The idea here is that a small concession on graphics can speed things up quite a bit for the loading time. This is an issue that the downloadable games do not have to deal with.

With that having been said, it's worth pointing out that not all games will have a huge difference in the graphics that will make much of a difference. It'll usually be difficult to notice the change unless you compare screenshots side-by-side.

3. Game selection issues

In some cases, there will not be as many games available in the no download software for an online casino as there will be in the downloadable software platform. This is a simple issue of an operator being in the process of moving their games over to the no download platform. It's very much tied into the issue of HTML5 vs. Adobe Flash. Overall, there's not a huge difference here for most software providers in today's industry. A difference does exist in some cases, and that'll be important for some players.

Overview

Overall, the only real case where you'll probably prefer a downloadable casino platform is if you use the same Windows-based computer for most or all of your play. For people who use other operating systems, who want to play by mobile or who play at various computers, the no download software is the way to go. The advantages are completely geared towards these individuals, and the disadvantages do not really apply.

The bottom line is that there's no doubting that HTML5-based no download casinos are the future of the industry. This is especially true considering how easily they can be played on mobile devices and how mobile growth has been high over the past several years. To this end, we see more operators pushing to switch over to HTML5 and more software companies looking to satisfy that change.


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