LONDON-Mobile gambling will hit the mass market next year and explode into a $4.26 billion industry in 2008, according to a report from U.K. media and research firm visiongain.
Companies are jockeying for position in the worldwide mobile gambling industry, which will “take off in earnest” in the second quarter of 2006, visiongain said. More gambling operators and wager-centric devices are coming to market, and the vast community of online gamers will look to wireless to extend their Internet experiences.
While wireless gambling has gained substantial traction in the U.K. and other markets, regulatory issues have shackled the industry in the United States and elsewhere. Although U.S. law forbids the use of phones to place bets, Nevada recently approved the use of wireless devices for in-casino wagering.
The move has given gambling companies hope that legislation could be loosened on a national level.
“As regulatory, technical and other challenges are gradually resolved, gambling operators are expected to begin actively marketing mobile gambling to their customers, starting in the middle of 2006,” said Jean-Pierre Aubertin, who authored the report. “Initial trials of mobile gambling sites have confirmed the channel as viable sources of income for gambling site operators such as William Hill and Ladbrokes.”
