Analysts: Mobile Gambling to Rise

ENGLAND – (PRESS RELEASE) --The popularity of Mobile gambling, involving casinos, lotteries and betting, is set to rise from under $2bn (in terms of bets placed) to in excess of $23bn come 2011, according to industry analysts Juniper Research. The increasing trend in adoption of mobile gambling services is thanks primarily to an increase in vogue of mobile lotteries, which is set to involve 41 per cent of total mobile gambling expenditure in the next 5 years...

The forecast by Juniper Research is in tandem with emerging technologies in mobile gambling arenas, such as the Venetian hotel-casino who recently unveiled plans to introduce mobile gambling styled services like black jack, roulette, poker and slots to their menu of entertainment services – following regulation approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission - enabling gambling on mobile devices in any public area of the state's casinos.

A move anticipated by report author Bruce Gibson, who states "like all sectors of gambling, mobile gambling remains a legislation constrained industry with higher potential where restrictions on mobile gambling are lifted in key markets such as the USA."

Mobile casino games usage is further set to benefit most from the increasing roll out of 3G services and sophisticated handsets. However, Juniper forecast that mobile casino gambling expenditure will trail lotteries and sports betting slightly with the low stake, mass market end likely to show the most growth through to 2011.

Juniper further expects mobile lotteries to show the greatest expenditure worldwide over the 2006-2011 period, contributing 41% of total mobile gambling expenditure.

Bruce Gibson, Research Director at Juniper Research and author of the latest Juniper report into Mobile Gambling states: "There has been a lot of hype about mobile gambling, but the industry now seems to be taking a more realistic view on how the market will develop.

"We anticipate that the mobile channel will push gambling services out to a broader/lower stake market than existing channels, offering opportunities for market growth where legislation permits".