Gambling and betting on mobile devices could exceed US$30 billion worldwide over the next five years.
A new report from Europe-based researchers H2 Gambling Capital forecasts the sector reaching nearly 45% of total interactive gross win by 2018 as Asia’s early adaptation continues to make its impact felt across Europe and the regulated US markets.
Currently, mobile accounts for about 18% of online gambling and betting, by H2’s estimate, more than 75% of it generated by betting, although the report suggests that this is likely to change soon as gaming and lotteries continue to target the platform and more states in the US opt for regulation.
On the other hand, as the report notes, mobile poker and casino gambling are still hampered by screen size and device capability and tend to be more “experience”-driven, while betting is driven principally by “convenience”.
“Mobile: the Future of Interactive Gambling,” as the report is titled, values gross win from mobile at just under €4.5 billion for 2012 ($6.1 billion) as smart phone and tablet penetration levels continue to push the evolution of new channels.
Interactive accounts for about 8% of all gambling gross win. The report predicts that by 2018, mobile alone will approach that.
