| Online casinos have managed to offer enthusiasts a | | | | anticipated. Over the last four years, the mobile casino |
| number of enticing benefits. From convenience to high | | | | and remote gambling market has grown at a rate of |
| jackpots, players have learned to come to appreciate | | | | thirty-five percent. While in 2007 the industry was |
| online casinos as a source of entertainment from their | | | | estimated to have a worth of $7 billion dollars, mobile |
| homes, office and - now - their cell phones. Mobile | | | | casinos and mobile gaming only made up about $5 |
| casinos allow individuals to play a variety of different | | | | million dollars of this. By 2006, analysts estimated this |
| casino games from a number of varying mobile | | | | growth to have reached a peak of $1 billion, making it |
| devices. The remote and wirelessly connected | | | | very promising as a source of entertainment and |
| devices which often lend themselves to positive mobile | | | | equity. |
| casino entertainment experiences include wireless | | | | To take part in mobile casino experiences, players |
| tablet personal computers, mobile phones and a | | | | need to complete a number of steps. In many |
| variety of other, non-traditional and mid-level computer | | | | instances, players will need to register on the site to |
| devices which have been networked together. It is not | | | | begin playing at mobile casinos. Once registered, |
| all online casinos and online poker card rooms that will | | | | players can take part in a number of different fun and |
| offer their players mobile casino options, so players | | | | exciting games, including Bingo, Keno, scratch off |
| need to investigate casinos to learn whether or not | | | | cards, Poker, Craps and Blackjack, simply by |
| they offer these types of options to their website | | | | downloading the pages, games and/or software |
| visitors. | | | | necessary. The specifics will vary from one mobile |
| In order to take part in most of the mobile casinos and | | | | casino site to the next. Most websites will not charge |
| gaming options available to players, a data connection | | | | players to download their games. This is especially true |
| is required. The data connections are made available | | | | of legitimate and reputable websites offering mobile |
| to mobile device owners by their specific telecom | | | | casino capabilities. These positive and beneficial mobile |
| provider(s). This is the provider situated and operating | | | | casino sites will be secure. They will offer encryptions |
| in the region where the owner is located. Some of the | | | | and other protective measures, which have been put |
| most popular data layer technologies that are utilized in | | | | in place to keep the players' identities and account |
| these instances include GPRS, GSM Data, UMTS and | | | | information secure and safe. |
| I-MODE. It is also important to note that there are a | | | | Signing up is an important step in the mobile casino |
| number of services available through SMS text | | | | process. This is because mobile casinos offer players |
| messaging interfacing. | | | | the ability to win and play with real money. Players |
| Critics of mobile casinos feel as though the market is | | | | need to register to link money to their player account |
| still considerably underdeveloped and underused. | | | | and receive their winning funds. In many cases, it does |
| However, many analysts believe that the market | | | | not matter what mobile operator service the individual |
| space will continue to grow steadily and will, in fact, be | | | | subscribes to in order to play on mobile casino sites. |
| valued at as much as $20 billion by the year 2010. | | | | However, as with the software and download options, |
| Some of the companies best poised to grow with this | | | | this will vary from site to site and specifics will need to |
| market include Juniper, Gartner and Seymour Pierce. | | | | be reviewed prior to actually playing the site. Still, one |
| Still, there are a number of other companies that have | | | | thing is for sure: players who take part in mobile casino |
| started testing their own mobile platforms in order to | | | | entertainment will never be far from the action, glamor |
| take advantage of the market growth that has been | | | | and fun of online gambling. |