程阳：Online and Mobile Gambling

Online gambling is one of the most lucrative adult-content services on the Internet today, responsible for the rapid growth of both the gambling industry and interactive media. The industry is in the process of being shaped and molded, but as it evolves, operators are already reaping ample rewards. Moreover, new operators are eagerly tapping into this attractive new business arena, in spite of the fact that from both the legal and political perspectives, there are considerable obstacles to overcome.

Currently, the gambling industry is expanding into the sphere of mobile content services, making mobile gambling the next big money-maker. Recent market research expects the mobile gambling industry to generate approximately $5 billion by 2006, and $19 billion by 2009, representing a staggering 32.6% of all mobile entertainment revenues. The financial rewards that mobile gambling can promise its investors as well as continued growth of the industry are directly related to the appeal of the gaming environment. Key to the success of the mobile gaming industry is establishing an exceptional playing environment which can secure a strong client base of players while constantly attracting new ones.

Ideal Target Market

The profile of mobile phone users is one that is extremely attractive to gambling companies. A large proportion of mobile users are young males who have disposable income and the propensity to spend. Many are already playing games on their mobile phones and it is a small step to persuading them that a small wager makes things even more exciting.

Penetration

Mobile phone penetration has passed 80% in most European countries, and stands at 75% in South Korea, 70% in Japan and at around 60% in the US. In some countries (Hong Kong, Greece) it has actually gone beyond 100%. In these developed markets, this mass of handsets is seen as a highly significant driver of mobile entertainment services in general. Meanwhile, mobile penetration is fast increasing in countries such as China, India, and Indonesia, opening up the market for entertainment services to a global audience of 2bn by 2007 and 2.5bn by 2009.