Finding fast and reliable ways for players to add funds has been one of the key areas of change in the online casino industry in recent years. With more players in Northern Ireland gambling in this way and smartphone usage always expanding, it’s perhaps no surprise that mobile payment services are becoming increasingly popular, but what does this involve?

How Does This Work?

An Ofcom report at the end of 2024 confirmed that people in Northern Ireland spend an average of more than four hours online using their smartphones daily. This fits the global annual average statistics, with Ghana having the highest figure and Japan one of the lowest.

People now use their mobile devices for a huge number of reasons, from learning new skills to carrying out conference calls and watching videos. However, according to figures on Statista, about a third of people in the UK spend up to five hours a week playing games on their phones. Since mobile banking is now so widespread, players are increasingly looking to play and make payments without changing devices.

Therefore, using a Pay by Mobile service like Boku makes sense as a simple and intuitive way of funding a casino account as it only requires using the same device the person is already playing on. They simply enter their phone number and the amount to be deposited through the network, before confirming the transaction.

This service is gradually emerging as a widely supported payment method on gambling sites across the UK. Irish firm BoyleSports is listed among the top UK Boku casino sites, with this being one of several accepted banking methods, alongside Skrill, Visa and other popular options. Casiplay Casino is another site that welcomes Boku deposits, but it’s still not as easy to find as some other banking methods.

What Are the Main Advantages?

This deposit method is suitable for anyone who wants a fast, easy way of adding funds. With mobile casinos becoming increasingly popular, a lot of players may see the idea of adding their funds using the same phone’s network as a logical step.

According to the Financial Conduct Authority, almost a third of adults in Northern Ireland still visit bank branches regularly, but the results of this survey pointed out that major digital-only banks Monzo and Starling have a higher satisfaction rate than traditional banks. This suggests that people are becoming ever more comfortable with the idea of managing their financial life online, with smartphones now central to the way we handle our money.

Are There Any Disadvantages?

All online banking methods offer a series of pros and cons to take into account. When it comes to adding funds using a pay by mobile service, there are a few potential drawbacks. Perhaps the most important is that you usually can’t also withdraw in this way, meaning that you need to choose an alternative withdrawal method. Once you've chosen one, in some cases, it might then seem easier to simply use that method for deposits too.

You might also find that there’s a lower maximum limit on deposits with mobile payments than with some other methods, while additional fees could be charged. Therefore, it’s a question of weighing up the pros and cons to see whether this way of adding funds suits you better than alternatives such as debit cards and e-wallets. Furthermore, as not all services even accept payments through methods like Boku yet, in some instances, you might have no choice but to go a different route anyway.

Pay by mobile is a slick form of payment that feels right for many online casino users in Northern Ireland. While it’s still growing and steadily being adopted in the iGaming industry, it has not yet achieved real ubiquity, though we can surely expect to hear more about it in the near-future.