A report published by IHS Screen Digest states that in the UK, the market for gambling using mobile phones, or “remote gambling,” has more than doubled in the last year, according to thefonecast.com. In 2009, the revenue from mobile gambling was £19 million, but in 2010, that amount jumped to £41 million.
The media outlet reports that much of the increase is due to the UK Gambling Act that, in 2007, gave online and mobile casinos the ability to advertise using television and radio, which has changed how the public views gambling. Advertising campaigns and endorsements from sports pundits have also helped the industry to be seen as more respectable than it has in the past. Individuals who gamble using mobile devices place their bets using systems similar to PayPal, which has an account balance that is set by the user.
This increase can also be attributed to mobile gambling applications that are user friendly, like the ones players can find online. IHS anticipates that the influx of applications that allow users to place bets easily will continue the trend.
