Juniper Research has forecast that $62 billion (£37 billion) will be wagered on casino-type gambling and poker games via mobile handsets and tablets in 2018, more than six times the $10 billion wagered worldwide last year.
Much of this increase will be driven by the legalisation of online gambling services in parts of the USA, with more US-based services expected to launch during the next five years.
Its report also noted that the success of free-to-play casino games has shown real-money gambling providers how immersive these games can be on a mobile device. Thanks to virtual currency rather than real money, Big Fish Casino, Poker by Zynga and Slotomania are amongst the highest grossing games on Apple’s App Store.
However, a lack of competition meant there was little evidence that lotteries were keen to expand into mobile.
[Whitepaper; report]