Mobile Gambling, projected value and demographics
Traditional casino gambling is more popular than ever and online gambling is also a huge industry. Mobile-phone gambling is still getting off the ground but, thanks to its convenience and a receptive 20 to 35 year-old age bracket, the sector is primed for growth. Complete with charts and graphs.
Global revenues from mobile phone based casino games will grow at an accelerated pace through 2008, expanding by nearly 50% from 2006 to 2007, according to Visiongain. Mobile casino game revenues are projected to total over $2.2 billion by 2010 more than five times the revenues generated in 2004.
Revenues for all mobile gambling, including sports betting and others, totalled $1.2 billion in 2005, and will reach $7.6 billion by 2010, according to Informa Media & Telecoms. eMarketer estimates that worldwide online gambling revenues totalled $10.9 billion in 2005.
What is the appeal of mobile gambling? Visiongain surveyed mobile phone users in the UK , who overwhelmingly cited convenience as a benefit (70%), with smaller numbers saying that mobile gambling was less intimidating and allowed for more discretion.
The desire to gamble on cell phones is especially strong among 20 to 35 year-olds. Visiongain notes that this group tends to be unmarried or married without children, allowing them more time and disposable income with which to gamble. Although seniors are traditionally seen as a strong age group for gambling, just 2% of those who are 65 and over use mobile gambling, clearly demonstrating a technological barrier. About one-fifth of those under the age of 20 said they would gamble on their mobile phone. Age restrictions and a lack of money keep this percentage lower in practice.
The charity Gamcare, which works to help problem gamblers already believes gambling in the UK is already 24x7 with the internet. They stresses that mobile gambling needs to be as responsibly run by operators with measures that adhere to codes of practice, such as limits on deposits or time which players can play for, to reduce the threat of problem gambling.
Lotteries are popular as users play low stakes gaming on their mobile phones. Juniper predicts mobile lotteries will account for 41 per cent of mobile gambling expenditure within five years. In total Juniper Research expects bets placed over mobile phone applications to rise from just under $2bn to in excess of $23bn by 2011.
The appeal of mobile gambling from a survey of mobile phone users in the UK has revealed that convenience as a benefit (70%). A factor of convenience for mobile lotteries is the regular draws which take place and that this can be done simply (sometimes by SMS) via a mobile without having to visit a retailer. In addition a smaller number of respondents stated that mobile gambling was less intimidating and allowed for more discretion.
It is also important to remember that mobile gambling is not confined to just casino games and sports betting. As Visiongain points out in its report, bingo could be also a big game among wireless consumers.
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