Casino News

"Difficult to predict" mobile gambling growth

2009-02-10 12:00:20

It is "difficult to predict" whether the mobile gambling industry will grow in line with an increase in the number of people with the ability to partake in it, it has been claimed.

John Travers, the Gambling Commission's corporate affairs manager, admitted that internet gambling did increase as more homes were fitted with broadband connections, but suggested it cannot be said for certain whether a similar trend will be observed with phones.

"The growth of mobile phone gambling is partly controlled by the availability of fast internet-enabled mobile phones with an acceptable user interface," the expert remarked.

Last month, the Gambling Commission published its Survey data on remote gambling participation, which included statistics about mobile gambling.

Approximately 9.7 per cent of the 8,000 people polled gambled using the internet, mobile phones or televisions during 2008, compared with 8.8 per cent in the year before and 7.2 per cent in 2006.