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12/08/03 1:54 AM EST
This Week's Online Gaming News with Brian Cullingworth
NEIN TO LADBROKES
Now it's German
hassles for betting group
The week started on a sour note with news of more EU "sovereignty" problems
for Ladbrokes, which is already fighting attempts by the
Dutch monopoly De Lotto to bar it to Dutch gamblers.
The international gambling group has been forced to shut down its German
language sportsbook and casino sites in order to prevent Germans from using
same, following legal complaints from the Westdeutsche Lotterie.
Ladbrokes understandably were less than impressed by the situation. “(We)
believe that being forced to refuse bets from residents of a member state of
the European Union is a clear breach of European law and we will continue
our efforts to have this reversed,” a spokesperson said.
Ladbrokes may have a case, judging by the results of the Italian
Gambelli case which focuses on a similar problem. Last month a
European High Court heard the case and ruled in favour of the
Stanleybet group which fought an attempt to exclude them from the
Italian market. This case may generate further appeal action by the
Italians, but for now it makes a useful precedent.
VEGAS RED RECONSIDERS
Players urged to submit *appeals*
It takes professionalism and integrity combined to accept that a judgement
error may have been made, even indirectly, and then take steps to redress
the situation. But that is what seemed to be happening in the Vegas
Red affair as we went to press this week.
This Playtech-powered casino was launched recently and with its sisters has
come in for fierce and widespread criticism over Support decisions that
declared a number of winning players to be bonus abusers and deprived them
of winnings and bonuses before locking them out. This is a particularly
sensitive issue because it has become a convenient way for less-than-honest
operations to avoid their financial obligations to winning players.
The correct procedure for casinos declaring a player who has complied with
the T&Cs a bonus abuser is to pay all monies owed before locking
the player out and ensuring that he or she either does not play at the
establishment again, or does not receive further promos. No-one questions
the casinos' right of admission, but it must be handled fairly and openly.
As the row escalated, InfoPowa was made aware that executives in the Vegas
Red group had a genuine desire to reverse the bad decisions for genuine
players, and we agreed to assist them in bringing individual cases forward
for reconsideration.
It is early days yet, but as we went to press the initial results looked
encouraging, with a number of cases from various players or mediators being
successfully resolved, and an apparently more acceptable approach to the
bonus abuse question evident at the Support level.
The proof of the pudding will in this case be in the continued resolution of
genuine appeals by a group that seems to be determined to conduct its
affairs in a fair and honest manner.
DUBIOUS FAME
After Barings, a celebrity poker role
Remember Nick Leeson - the banking trader that brought
about the multi-millions downfall of Barings? He's
getting into the online gambling industry as one of several UK celebs contracted
to play on a poker site branded Celebpoker.com reports
the BBC.
The site is powered by the *bespoke* division of a software company we
have not previously encountered called CodeGen.IT who
have the following to say:
"CodeGen.IT designs and builds software solutions for
the travel and tourism, finance and banking, and e-commerce industries."
The company has apparently identified the online
gambling industry as a lucrative target, which they describe as "...one
of the fastest growing areas of the Internet. Gambling legislation in many
countries is rapidly being overhauled to facilitate the introduction of
new Internet gaming products, and the demographics of Internet gaming
consumers are rapidly changing to take the excitement and fun of playing
games like Poker and Black Jack from the casino to a much wider market.
"CodeGen.IT
Bespoke Solutions has experience in developing Internet gaming software
products, including an online Poker product, where people can play Poker
online with others for fun or for money."
The software company was
founded in 2000 by Dr. Harsha Subasinghe and Dr. Mike Hughes. It has
offices in London, Chicago and Colombo and a client base including
international airlines, banks, tour operators, casinos and e-commerce
organizations.
Using the catchy but misleading headline
"If the Barings
banking dynasty wants to get some of its money back, now's its chance."
the Beeb reports:
"Nick Leeson, the trader who in 1995 precipitated the collapse of Barings Bank
by running up £800m ($1.2bn) in hidden losses, is helping to launch
Celebpoker.com - a new gambling website.
But he's not just cutting the virtual ribbon - he will be playing cards
against Celebpoker.com's customers.
Managing Director of Celebpoker, David Donovan said: "Nick's an
international name in the world of gambling, obviously.
"Unfortunately, so far he's not been so good on that front."
While employed by Barings, Mr Leeson lost £59m in a single day on the
Singapore stock exchange - so does Mr Donovan have any worries that he may be
about to lose a bundle?
He replies that he has taken the precaution of restricting Mr Leeson to a
maximum stake of $500.
Mr Donovan added: "We're also looking at maybe insuring him."
But the website hopes that its roster of celebrity high rollers will help
the website claw back any losses incurred by Leeson.
Mr Donovan believes that punters will be drawn in by the prospect of
pitting their wits against the likes of snooker champion Jimmy White, comedian
Kenny Lynch, and magician Michael Feighan. World Cup rugby players could
follow.
"We're hoping for our customers to have fun and interact with celebrities
on the website," said Mr Donovan. "On Celebpoker, they'll be able to get
autographs and maybe even meet up with them, as we're looking at planning a
once a year get together for players."
The site is based in Sri Lanka for regulatory reasons, and prospective
players needn't worry that they could lose their shirt during an online
session. Donovan explained: "You can't lose a fortune like you can on some
sites. Betting is restricted to $600 a day or $2000 a month."
But bad news for anyone in the US hoping to join a hand - bets cannot be
taken from America.
LITTLEWOODS CHASING THE POKER JACKPOT
Cryptologic chosen to power new poker
room
Major UK gambling group Littlewoods has entered the booming
poker sector with the news that it is has opened a new poker room...and
they've chosen the supplier of their casino software to supply the
specialised software.
The group debuted its Littlewoodspoker.com site this week,
and customers can now go for the thrill of live person-to-person gaming on
one of the world's favorite card games with real players from around the
globe.
"Real-money poker on the Internet is a big growth market - and for
CryptoLogic, it's a great opportunity to increase our market leadership with
a major land-based international operator," said Lewis Rose, CryptoLogic's
President and CEO. "We have worked with Littlewoods Gaming to establish its
brand as one of the premier casinos on the Internet. And by leveraging its
trusted reputation, its extensive customer base and now also our leading
poker technology, we expect Littlewoods Gaming to achieve further growth."
Poker has quickly become a favorite with Internet users. While online
casinos still represent tremendous potential, poker today is where online
casinos were five years ago.
Poker was estimated at about 5% of the $3.5 billion global online gaming
market last year. By leveraging poker software from several of the top
turnkey software firms, many of the most prominent online and land-based
gaming operations in the world are experiencing exciting growth in their
online businesses driven by this large, emerging game segment that attracts
a strong online community of loyal players.
The new poker room offers the most popular Texas Hold'em, Omaha and
7-Card Stud games. With WagerLogic's centralized poker offering, players can
choose from a large number of tables and stake levels. Daily tournaments
offer chances at big cash prizes, and are a popular marketing feature that
increases player appeal and traffic.
LEGALPLAY HAS EURO-AMBITIONS
Searching for a European jurisdiction
for poker
It looks as if LegalPlay (was Poker.com Inc) has not
abandoned it's ambitions in the online poker room sector after all. A
press release this week outlines attempt to license in a European
jurisdiction for a new poker room venture as an operator.
It is not known what software this operation will use, but CEO Mark
Glusing has close connections with a Swiss company called
Pokersoft Software A.V.V. as a result of his Skill Poker
manouevres.
The release announces that LegalPlay has commenced efforts to become
licensed in a jurisdiction "...acceptable to regulatory bodies in Europe
for the purpose of launching its own poker card room with a focus on the
EU market."
The domain PokerPass.com has already been registered, and
the site will market directly to European poker players but will not
accept deposits from United States or Canadian citizens. COOL
CASINOS
New look for a veteran
Golden Tiger Casino.com visitors were treated to a
great new look when they logged on this week. This well established
online in the Casino Rewards network has just undergone an extensive
revamp and refit and is looking mod, colourful and aesthetically very
pleasing. On the practical front it is easy to get around, as the site has
been totally redesigned and the comprehensive step by step instructions
are a breeze to follow.
The new site also reflects many of the latest options available in
a software sense. The new and advanced Microgaming Viper technology
platform on which the extensive games suite is carried offers players a
host of facilities and control options to enhance the gaming experience,
and a selection of nickel slots is offered, with bet options from as
little as 5 cents. Also on Viper here are the brand new MegaSpin Reel
Slots, allowing the player to play 4, 6 or 9 games at once on their screen
as well as the recently launched but already hugely popular Thunderstruck.
Coming attraction
Be on the look out for Superior Poker.com, a new poker
room which will be the product of a deal signed this week between Las
Vegas From Home's Action Poker subsidiary and the
licensee.
Jake Kalpackian's Las Vegas From Home (LVFH) are on
something of a roll. They recently signed a major deal to provide
their poker suite to turnkey provider Real Time Gaming for
sub-licensing to their casinos, and there are several independent and
well established poker outfits already using their software package.
LVFH tells us that another significant deal on which they cannot yet
release details is imminent, too.
Basic but colourful
Pumping out press releases, a new online casino arrival was making its
presence felt this week. Mardigras Casino.com has a
basic but colourful site that unfortunately does not have a lot of
information on it. The licensing is Belize, and Support is
contactable 24/7 by email or Livechat but that's about it. The Java
software suite is apparently proprietary, although much of the
foundation was bought from IkoSoft. It contains 18
games with four more in development. The casino also told us that the
software for their new poker room, which is scheduled to launch around
year-end is also being developed "in-house" on the IkoSoft platform.
Launch promotions include the possibility of winning a draw for an
all-expenses-paid weekend trip to New Orleans and an exclusive Mardi
Gras Party. Visitors can sign up to win $10,000 in a further cash
draw, and there's a rather generous 20% bonus on all deposits...but
watch out for those undisclosed W/T requirements.
CASINO CAUTIONS
Sayonara, NeoMax
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Casino NeoMax
deepened this week with the news that the casino has reappeared as a
Be The Dealer P2P operation branded 777.com. Emails
to the casino and it's Montreal based executive Mr. Takaki
have been bouncing for some time, and regrettably Israel-based Be The Dealer
has not yet come forward to explain what is happening and whether the NeoMax
owners are still around. NeoMax was reportedly owned by a Japanese public
company called JASB, with offices in Montreal that now appear
to have shut down. The domain for the Canadian operation has also been
abandoned. The only positive note would seem to be that NeoMax was not a
popular site, and that is presumably why very few complaints from unpaid
players are evident. But until the intriguing question of what happened to
NeoMax is cleared up, caution might be the wise option here.
Farewell to Cybercroupier, too
Anyone who has been involved in Internet gambling for longer than two years
will be familiar with the once-influential name of Cybercroupier,
a group that was at one time comprised of five or six big, Boss Media-powered
online casinos.
Unfortunately, the management made some questionable decisions when it came
to dealing fair and square with the players, and they compounded this bad
casino practice with some pretty arrogant attitude that did nothing to defuse
the situation.
The result was widespread and sustained condemnation that cannot have served
them in a business sense. Whatever the reasons, the group clearly went into
decline with their casinos closing down one by one.
The last one standing, Riverboat, is now about to bow out on
December 30 according to an email to players this week. The usual "use it or
lose it" condition is being enforced in regard to player balances and is
perhaps the final unprofessional sign-off for this management. There will be
few tears in the player community over their departure.
Futurebet now well funded?
There seemed to be a Futurebet charm offensive abroad on
several message boards this week, with overly-positive postings extolling the
virtues of this troubled, notoriously slow-paying group. But smudging that
charm was an outright lie by one poster on the Start Casino
board that he had mended fences between FB and Casinomeister,
which the latter was quick to refute. One post described a phoenix-like
resurrection in the Vancouver offices of Futurebet thanks to a substantial
injection of capital from several licensees who have apparently taken a share
in the company. There were glowing reports of significant numbers of new
programmers being hired, and a projected 48 hour payout turnaround
*guarantee*. If there is any truth in this rush of positive views, it could
be good news for those players who have waited weeks and sometimes months for
their pay-outs. Because if Futurebet are now flush with cash, surely the
payouts can be accelerated?
Anybody home at Odds On?
It is now almost certain that Forty Plus Casino has gone to
the Great Casino Trashcan in the Sky after a remarkably brief but high-profile
life. Casino manager Alan Roberts, once noticeable on the
message boards has apparently bolted and does not answer emails, whilst the
site shows no sign of life.
That leaves some bemused and unpaid players wondering what is going on. Under
normal circumstances and with a professional turnkey provider it is possible
to get some sort of official closure and an indication to players regarding
the balances in their accounts.
In this case that has not proved possible, however. Several mediators have
been totally unsuccessful in contacting thge Odds On offices or the headman of
Odds On, one Mr. Pierre Gagnon who is normally based in
Montreal. Similarly one of his execs, Richard Brightling
does not answer emails either. It is a strange and amateurish approach to a
provider's responsibilities and one that does not reflect well on either Odds
On or its other licensees.
New owners?
Barely a couple months back the IPI Media group revealed quite astonishingly
that they had carried out an massive (and expensive) branding change on all
of their casinos. The m otivation for this was apparently that they did not
have ownership of the domains they had spent so much time abuilding as online
casino brands. The result was a confusing round of casino name changes which
has probably even now not settled down.
Surprise, surprise this week - like bad pennies those old soldiers are
back. Riviera Gold Casino, Five Roses Casino, Golden Comps Casino,
OnLuck Casino and Fortune Towers Casino are
allegedly "under new management" and seem to have changed from the old RTG
software to something they are being very coy about on the new and rather
primitive sites. Information like licensing jurisdiction is also lacking,
and a "Safebet certified" claim is being made - that site is no longer
involved in the business. It all adds up to places that have a very large
question mark above them until these points are clarified.
New management...so we can't pay you!
The very name BML (Bring Me Luck) Sports is enough to set the
alarm bells ringing off the wall, such is the chequered history of this
operation. This week the excuse for late - very late, like three months
- payouts was that a new management had taken over. In a poorly written
email, the sportsbook "pledged" that it would pay what it owes but said that
the payout schedule had had to be moved. Of course the movement was back, not
forward.
BIG WIN STORY
UK onliner pulls GBP 600K over two weeks.
The following Internet gambling *big win* story appeared in The Sun,
NetImperative and various other UK media this week and has been greeted with
some scepticism by message board posters...but it is definitely possible, if
extremely fortunate.
Brit retail manager Stephen Johnson added a touch of
mystique with his claim that immediately prior to his good fortune he had
been wished good luck by a street beggar to whom he had donated a small
amount.
Describing his lucky experience at Ladbrokes online casino,
he said: “I started playing for quite high stakes and continued once the
winnings started rolling in. I’m so far ahead I’m going to retire from
gambling.”
Playing blackjack and roulette his lucky run on the Ladbrokes site began
with £120,000 winnings.
The next day he scooped £35,000 and 24 hours later he got another £45,000.
He returned to win a further £165,000 and then landed several other large
sums. On blackjack he was playing £2,000 a hand and on roulette he based his
strategy around high numbers.
GOOD WEEK FOR ENGLISH ONLINERS
VIP big winner a Brit
The GBP 600 000 Ladbrokes win was followed by another English scoop when a
young Nottinghamshire computer techie, DanR hit what is claimed to be the
largest online jackpot ever won by a UK citizen.
Dan’s £128,126.12 ($220,671.64) jackpot win at Cryptologic-powered
VIP Casino.com came at 3pm whilst he was experimenting on the
progressive slot machine “Rags to Riches” with some earlier blackjack
winnings.
“I am a blackjack player really”, explained Dan “and
after having won a few thousand on blackjack, I decided to try the slots,
which is a game I’ve never earnestly played before. I was spinning the slot
reels for just over an hour when the three jackpot symbols lined up! I’ve
only been playing online for three months, and I have only been playing at
VIP Casino for a few days. I was shocked, I just couldn’t believe it, I told
my mum and she didn’t believe me until I showed her the screen.”
What dream is Dan going to fulfil
with his newfound fortune? “I plan to pay off my student loan and to buy a
brand new car. I will invest the rest as a nest egg.”
CHRISTMAS PRESENT
New games bonanza from Microgaming
Microgaming launched a new range of Viper-based games this week in good
time for the Christmas break.
Top of the list was MegaSpins - an innovative, patent
pending slot that enables gamblers to play 4, 6 or 9 games at once on
their screen.
This slot follows the successful launch of the already popular Thunderstruck
on the same Viper software platform that gives players an extensive range
of useful playing facilities and guides and is probably the most advanced
gambling software package around.
The new slot again provides online players with the thrill of playing
multiple games at once by applying the "times ten" concept to the popular
three reel, 1 payline video slots Double Magic, Fantastic
7's and High 5.
Individual games have similar pay tables to the originals, and with the
exception of Fantastic 7's feature wild, multiplier symbols. Jackpot
values vary across the three games, which have been branded High 5
Megaspin, Fantastic 7's Megaspin and Double Magic
Megaspin.
Microgaming exec Mark Fredericks, says "MegaSpins provides a whole new
level of excitement for online slots players with the ability to play
multiple screens at once. We plan to continue to regularly roll out
innovative games such as MegaSpins in the future."
In addition to the MegaSpin Reel Slots, the software company has launched
three other new table games and three new slots:
Double Exposure Blackjack: is similar to standard
Blackjack, but both the Dealer's cards are dealt face-up. The Dealer wins
all Ties, except on a Blackjack, where the Player wins.
Super Fun 21 Blackjack: is again similar to standard
Blackjack, with the addition of the American Hole Card and late Surrender
option. It also has unique Splitting and Doubling rules.
Bonus Pai Gow Poker: this is played with a 53 card deck,
including a Joker. The game is one-on-one, with the Player competing
against the Dealer to make the best possible hands.
Break da Bank: A 3 reel, 5 payline Slot game, with a
Wild, Multiplier symbol.
Spring Break: A 5 reel, 9 payline Video Slot game, with a
Wild, Multiplier symbol, a Scatter symbol, a Free Spins with Multiplier
feature, and a Gamble feature.
Hot Shot: A 5 reel, 9 payline Video Slot game, with a
Wild, Multiplier symbol, a Scatter symbol, a Free Spins with Multiplier
feature, and a Gamble feature.
The games are available on many of the larger MGS casinos such as King
Neptune's, Lucky Nugget and Grand Hotel.
U.S. LEGISLATORS GETTING IT TOGETHER
A great opportunity for an industry
briefing for politicos
State legislators from across the USA will be gathering for discussions
early January in Las Vegas, a golden opportunity for organisations like the
IGC to present the online gambling case, one would think.
Issues related to the loss of tax dollars from Internet wagering will come
into focus on public policy questions related to Internet, casino, and other
forms of gaming.
The occasion will be the 2004 Winter Meeting of the National Council
of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) at Harrah's Las Vegas on
the January 9-11 weekend.
In announcing the conference, Florida State Senator and NCLGS president
Steven A. Geller said: "Lost revenues from Internet gambling could be a
budget-buster issue in many states. As state legislators continue to face
severe revenue shortfalls going into 2004, the dollars illegally siphoned by
offshore gaming platforms demand that public policy makers seriously address
Internet wagering issues in their own states, and that they begin to
interface and work in concert with Congress on the issue."
The NCLGS Las Vegas meeting will afford legislators responsible for
gaming policy a forum to discuss and take concerted action on Internet
wagering and other gaming issues.
CAN SLOTS BE THIS BORING?
Watching Oprah and the slot windows at
the same time...
Two thoughts entered our minds when we saw the following press report from
The Press of Atlantic City. The first was, surely slots can't be this
boring? And the second was that land casino players could do this from
the comfort of their own home simply by going to an Internet casino!
Tropicana Casino and Resort has kicked up the competition
for high rollers by attaching television monitors to each of the 94 slot
machines in its new Crystal Room slot parlor.
Gamblers who can afford the $1 to $100 wagering minimums are treated to 34
cable channels, three music channels and movies on demand.
Plop down in the fully adjustable seat, raise your feet onto the
built-in footrest, grab the remote, don the complimentary earphones and
enjoy the show on an 8-inch LCD screen.
HARRODS SURVEY
Nothing really new here..
There was little that was really groundbreaking in the results of
an informal player survey by Harrods Casino.com this
week. In fact, it appeared to be largely a marketing
publicity exercise, as they give no details of the number researched or
methodology.
The results are nevertheless interesting as a restatement of online
player priorities, although from what we see daily, we would place
"prompt and reliable payouts" at the top of the list.
The findings derived from "...recent in-depth telephone research"
conducted amongst "...experienced gamblers" and purport to show that the
key criteria for selecting and playing an online casino, in order of
importance to players, is:
1. Confidence and trust in the casino,
especially the importance of brands with
which they have previously
interacted. Players emphasized their concern
over gambling at unknown brands as they could not
be confident they would be
offered a fair game or even be paid their winnings.
2. Quick and efficient cash-outs
3. Favourable odds of winning
4. Responsive and individualised customer service
5. Ease, speed and quality of play
6. Sign-up and other bonuses
Blackjack is the most favourite game played by respondents, followed
by roulette, slots and baccarat. The research also explored other
aspects of online gambling including: reasons for gambling online, when
people gamble, how they find out about gambling sites, key elements of
play experience etc.
Manu Gambhir, CEO of Kismet International which
operates Harrods Casino under licence from Harrods Ltd, said: “We
conducted the research to continue to fine tune our customer offer and,
to this end, the findings are very helpful. The research will likely
have a positive impact on the promotions, games and play experience we
offer players in the future."
HGN 'LIVE' PATENT ACKNOWLEDGED
CasinoWebCam takes out exclusive
license
Shares in the i2corps-Home Gambling Network company
will have received a boost this week with the news that the top live
gambling over the Internet site, Casino Web Cam.com has
acknowledged the validity of the patent by taking out an
exclusive license....and intends to sub-license to other operators of the
live concept.
i2corps-HGN has been publicising and enforcing their patent claim for
several years, even litigating against the redoubtable Dr. Stanley
Ho and his "live" site at one time. The concept of live gambling
is that the gaming table action and croupiers are video'd live in a casino
"studio", the action being relayed to the player in real time over the
Internet, using sophisticated video-streaming technology. CasinoWebcam's announcement reveals that their exclusive license covers
the method of remote wagering on live games and events utilizing electronic
transactions, and its corresponding foreign patents pending in Europe,
Australia and Canada.
Under the terms of the agreement, CasinoWebcam has the exclusive,
worldwide right to sub-license the patents to gaming operators, and will
cooperate with Home Gambling Network and Mel Molnick in their efforts to
enforce the patent.
TESTING TIME
Jetsetpoker inspected and certified
Cigital, Inc., a provider of software quality management
(SQM) solutions or testing, for the uninitiated has confirmed the
reliability and security of the random number generator (RNG) used by
JetSetPoker.com to shuffle and deal cards in its online
card room.
Cigital says it conducted an in-depth analysis of the RNG's data stream
and entropy sources as well as the procedural methods used by JetSetPoker to
ensure the integrity of the RNG's output.
Unable to break the RNG using standard methods, Cigital subjected
JetSetPoker's RNG to a battery of state-of-the-practice tests, including the
FIPS 140-1 test, the Marsaglia Die-Hard test and the Berlekamp-Massey
examination. The JetSetPoker RNG passed those tests, exhibiting no
statistical weaknesses.
"For gaming companies, the generation of reliable random numbers is an
absolute necessity," said Gary McGraw, Ph.D., chief
technology officer at Cigital. "We were impressed with the design of
JetSetPoker's RNG and applaud its use of a sound entropy extraction
algorithm applied to multiple entropy sources. After extensive analysis and
testing, we are confident that JetSetPoker's RNG exceeds industry standards
and consistently provides statistically random sequences when shuffling and
dealing hands. This should provide JetSetPoker.com players with a fair and
enjoyable gaming experience."
"We are absolutely committed to providing top-tier fairness and security
to our players," states Cassandra Ando, marketing vice
president for JetSetPoker. "Our decision to engage Cigital was driven by our
desire for an expert, third-party certification of our card randomness and
fundamental game integrity, which are the cornerstones of our business.
Cigital's world-class reputation and recognized expertise in testing similar
gaming systems made them the natural choice."
BETTING EXCHANGE FOR SBG GLOBAL
Trading Sports is the name of the
game...
The 125 000 member SBG Global is getting into the P2P
exchange betting sector it appears...using the Trading Sports
technology to introduce their first venture into this competitive field.
Trading Sports is to act as the central exchange, we understand, allowing
customers to bet on a wide range of subjects or sports with each other.
Fees are based on the player winnings, enabling host companies to make
profits similar to more traditional wagering, but with less risk.
TS has enjoyed some success this year with a number of high profile deals
that have included partnering with WWTS, eHorse and CRIS. It was the first
company of its kind to issue an IPO, raising four million pounds sterling
when it floated on the AIM in London in May.
MOBILE STILL ATTRACTS
Profits to rocket in next two years
After a fairly quiet period, mobile wagering was again front-of-mind for
many this week following positive predictions in a major study.
Juniper Research suggests that profit generated by
mobile betting will rocket in the next two years. The European market
is likely to generate some $74.3 million, but by 2006 revenue could be
up by a factor of ten.
Top analyst at Juniper, Paul Skeldon authored the
report and forecasts that growth will come from lottery enthusiasts,
particularly the National Lotto in the UK.
"Lotteries are very simple to do and are low cost. They keep coming out
in our research as very popular" says Skeldon revealing that online
lotteries will generate £5bn across the UK alone, according to figures
from the Betting Office Licensees Association.
Businesses need to act now to for these projections to be fulfilled,
opines Skeldon. And the main challenge the industry faces is the
regulation and implementation of services across the world.
“Our assessment is that the services that are given a green light will
generate good revenues (in certain regions), but these will be limited.
Regulated lotteries and betting services will be the big winners," he
reports.
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