Mobile gambling to hit $100bn by 2017
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A recent report by mobile device experts, Juniper Research, has estimated that the market for mobile gambling will exceed $100bn in the next five years. The report outlined several factors that are set to contribute to the rise in handset gambling, which will net online gaming companies a cool $45bn profit as part of the process.
It is no surprise to find that this is the fastest growing sector in the gambling market. With the advances in smartphone technology, and the trend for gambling on the internet increasing, the expansion of mobile gambling is a natural development. One of the key contributing factors is the cultivation of native gambling apps. Currently there are thousands of apps, available for every type of handset. All of these allow customers quick and easy access to the online gambling market. They are free to download, fun to play, and full of incentives to get customers started.
The author of the Juniper report, Dr Windsor Holden, identified the key players in the UK market. He said, “Companies such as Ladbrokes, William Hill and Paddy Power are all seeing 40% or more of online sportsbook customers placing bets via a mobile or a tablet.” He went on to explain the level of impact that mobile gambling already has for these companies, “The result is that those devices already account for around 20% of bets placed.”
A quick surf through the Ladbrokes.com online casino shows the extent to which gaming companies are working in order to attract in business from this section of the market. On the site there are apps designed to allow customers to enjoy all of the games that they might find in a real casino. It is possible to play Roulette, Poker, Black Jack, Slots and several other gambling innovations as well. It is as a result of this level of access that customers are choosing to use their handsets. For punters there is simply no need to use a computer, or visit a casino, to enjoy the gaming experience as it can be done conveniently from any location using a smartphone, or tablet.
It is not just the big players that are aiming to cash in on mobile gambling either. There are also plenty of new-comers looking to reel in business through mobile apps. Freebetting.com has only been operating since 2011 and boasts a casino that can be accessed via 1600 compatible devices including Blackberry, iPhone, iTouch and Android. This service is typical of most of the operators in the sector.
Another contributing factor in the rise of mobile gambling is the fact that it has become a feature of social networking websites. Facebook recently took their steps into online gambling with the launch of a bingo app. Their head of gaming for Europe, Middle East and Africa; Julien Codorniou, explained the rationale behind the venture, “Gambling is very popular and well regulated in the UK.” He added, "for millions of bingo users it’s already a social experience [so] it makes sense [for us] to offer that as well.”
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