Former Ladbrokes and OpenBet Directors to Launch Locus Gaming in January 2013
Ed Andrewes and Mick d'Ancona have created Locus Gaming and are putting the final touches on their first B2C product to be launched in January 2013. The company are keeping a tight lid on exact details of the forthcoming product but they have received an important boost by gaining a licence from the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission.
Andrewes explains: “Even the most cursory glance at figures from the UK’s listed bookmakers shows that the mobile and tablet gaming market has exploded over the last few months to such an extent that the traditional website is increasingly by-passed in favour of these versions. This is the market where Locus Gaming will focus its products.”
Mick d'Ancona has provided the technical expertise to complement Andrewes’s commercial background in the online gambling sphere and adds:
“The phone call has become almost a secondary use for mobile devices now with leisure usage going through the roof be that listening to music, watching films or, inevitably, gambling and often this can be a more rewarding experience on touchscreen devices than on desktop. Sitting on a train or in the back of a taxi is boring and we feel strongly that those with disposable income will enjoy our product for a bit of buzz whether on their way to dinner or an evening of just sitting in front of the TV”.
The stats: H2 Gaming Capital (H2), a leading consultant in the sector, estimated the total gross win (i.e. money staked, less customer winnings) from mobile gaming across all gambling products to be £2.29bn in 2011 and this is set to grow to £3.9bn by 2015.
H2 also reported that the UK gaming-specific (i.e. excluding lottery and sports betting) mobile market is set to follow this trend, growing from £202m in 2010 to £488m in 2015.
