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 by visiongain 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, totaled $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 totaled $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.

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.

To learn what is happening in the world of Internet gambling, read eMarketer’s Online Gambling report.