HAMPSHIRE, U.K.—Wireless subscribers will place $23 billion in bets annually on their phones by 2011, according to new figures from Juniper Research.
The firm said a combination of 3G services, sophisticated handsets and loosening restrictions will help mobile gambling to explode 11-fold during the next five years. Wireless lotteries will drive the market, Juniper forecasts, generating 41 percent of total mobile wagering.
Juniper pointed to new regulations in Nevada, where The Venetian hotel and casino has partnered with technology company Cantor G&W L.P. to allow users to play roulette and other games on wireless devices. A field trial for the service is expected later this year or early next year.
“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,” said Bruce Gibson, who authored the report. “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.”
