Mobile Gambling to generate US$7.6bn of global revenues by 2010
* 201 million mobile gamblers by 2010
* Asia-Pacific and Europe to lead the way
* Lotteries set to be most popular form of mobile gambling
* Social responsibility will be a crucial issue
The market for mobile gambling content is predicted to rise from US$1.2bn of annual revenues in 2005 to US$7.6bn by 2010, by which time there will be more than 200 million consumers gambling using their mobiles, according to Informa Telecoms & Media's new report, Mobile Gambling. However, to reach this goal, operators and the companies who run mobile gambling services will have to negotiate legislative,
technological and cultural hurdles.
"Mobile gambling is already generating significant revenues, but there is room for sharp growth in the years ahead," says Stuart Dredge, the report's author. "Operators recognise that there is a strong demand for mobile gambling services, and there is no shortage of companies
looking to provide them. However, the industry must keep in mind its responsibilities to tackle underage and problem gambling."
The report examines the three key types of mobile gambling: sports betting, lotteries and casino-gaming. Lotteries are set to be the most popular form of mobile gambling in the next five years, because they support the widest range of handsets. Casino gaming will be popular, particularly as internet casinos migrate their games to mobile. Sports betting will be a niche sector by comparison, although bookmakers
have been keen to launch mobile applications for their customers to bet on the move.
Europe is likely to remain the largest market for mobile gambling, generating US$3.2bn of annual revenues by 2010. However, it will be closely followed by Asia-Pacific, which is forecast to generate US$2.7bn by 2010. North America is the great unknown, as the size of the market there depends first on mobile gambling being legalized in the U.S., and then on which restrictions are then placed upon it. Nevertheless, the report predicts US$979 million of annual revenues for the region by 2010.
The report also examines issues of social responsibility, focusing on the need for operators and service-providers to ensure that underage consumers cannot gamble on their mobiles, and that potential problem-gamblers are effectively monitored and provided with any necessary advice and support. The implementation of cross-operator codes of conduct, as has been seen in the UK, will be an important step forward in this regard.
