Is mobile sports betting dominating the industry?

The publication Business Insider carried an interesting article on mobile sports betting this week, claiming that the channel now dominates the sector with 50 percent of the global market.

The piece was sponsored by the Sports Agent Blog, an online sports industry publication, which featured some interesting, if unsourced, comparative stats.

It claims that mobile sports betting – undoubtedly providing major European gambling groups with rewarding revenues, judging by recent financial reports – has rapidly taken 50 percent of the global gaming marketplace, and attributes this to the accelerated growth of smart phone and tablet use, a situation that shows little sign of slowing down.

“In the face of this certain reality, what online gambling companies must now embrace is the use of mobile interfaces to engage both members and prospective clients on their terms. This leads to the necessity to both promote and provide financial transaction facilities via mobile user interfaces,” the article notes.

“Traditionally, the mobile betting arm of an online gambling operator was situated as a utility piece for registered members,” it continues. “The product was more of a convenience than an actual fully equipped site. Fast forward a decade and it is very apparent that the use of mobile betting interfaces as a value added option for members is no longer a competitive position for operators to take.

“What has been seen from the mobile sports betting sector is exciting. The reported growth across the globe is triple digits, and some of the related numbers that go hand and hand with that growth make the numbers even more fascinating. Sports Betting KPI’s that have been affected also include volume, bet ticket count, and bet size. Other affected KPI’s are site retention and length of visit per session.”

The piece goes on to compare Web versus Mobile on important traffic and member activity KPI’s over the period January 1st 2011 – December 31st 2011:

Length of visit Desk Top = 4 minutes per session.

Length of visit Mobile = 9.5 minutes per session.

Returning Visit +201 Days Desk Top = 13.5 percent.

Returning Visit +201 Days Mobile = 18.6 percent.

Ave Bet Size Mobile = 30 percent greater than Desk-top.

Ave Ticket Count Mobile = 28 percent greater than Desk-top.

Sports Agent Blog warns that online gambling operators who neglect the opportunities afforded by mobile gambling will see customer attrition over the next six months as more progressive companies take the lead and the business.

Read more: http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2012/01/06/2011-numbers-confirm-that-mobile-betting-has-crashed-the-online-gambling-party/#ixzz1il3qLVXx