When considering what makes Toronto, and more broadly, Ontario, an amazing place to live, there are several factors to consider (although nowadays, the argument will be about whether the Leafs can be included in this list of positives or not!). One of the major positives is the city and the region’s ever-growing status as a potentially huge tech hub.

While some cities and locations need to really invest in infrastructure or work on piggybacking a few pre-existing companies already coincidentally based there (or, in the case of Ireland, low tax rates) to become serious tech hub locations, Toronto already has plenty in its favor, and it has done for quite some time. For instance, Toronto has such an excellent university that it was ranked joint-22nd in the world by the Times Higher Education rankings this year. With an army of well-qualified graduates, and sitting in the context of a country that takes tech seriously, there is no reason why Ontario can't continue to embrace the world of tech, and the world of mobile gaming development in particular.

Investments, Investments, Investments

Back in July, the province decided to make a splash by investing in supporting 97 companies in the Digital Media Centre, and back in 2015, VentureBeat ran an article about why the Ontario province is a major place for mobile gaming development, so there is certainly the will and desire to make the area successful, and not just a gesture of a “poker hand” being held out as a bluff about the level of support available to companies in this area. Clearly, tech is big business, and business that is being taken seriously.

Indeed, if we look worldwide, there is a clear and continuing trend towards a focus on mobile technology, and away from PC and console-backed gaming. This has seen some brands shift entirely away from PC gaming towards creating games for mobile. iGaming is a great case in point. While in the past, these kind of iGaming options for mobile may have been poorer versions of the PC equivalent, with less sophisticated functionality and weaker graphics, in 2017 everything has changed. Companies are now using dedicated mobile browsers, hugely sophisticated apps, and are taking advantage of the fact that mobile devices can handle more intricate gaming quickly and easily, so you can play a game of Texas Hold 'Em with 888poker without having to think you're just playing against a faceless computer opponent, but instead playing a real battle against real people from around the world.

Grabbing the Opportunity

There will be a few who are calling for Ontario to look at investing resources and money in the green and clean technology of the future, and those who believe that the development of virtual and augmented reality products could be the real golden goose for the next tech boom, but the world of mobile gaming could be a growth sector that not only helps Ontario jump truly onto the global map as a center of forward-thinking technology, but also help to bring in big bucks for the province as well.

Who knows, some of the tech developed in Ontario might even help the Leafs improve their game as well!