| Online casinos permanently changed the face of gambling when they premiered
in the 1990s. Suddenly people no longer had to venture out of state to the
gambling kingdoms like Las Vegas or travel to the occasional seedy neighborhood
where one might find a slot machine parlor. People had all the buzz and
excitement of a casino in the comfort of their own home. Not many ways to
improve on such a convenience… but gaming developers have a new horizon in the
palm of their hands.
Mobile gambling is still in its infancy but it is causing huge waves. It
refers to gambling over devices with wireless internet connections. Platforms
are being developed for wireless tablet PC’s, mobile phones, personal data
assistants (PDA), and other mid-level networked communication devices. Mobile
options are already appearing in some online casinos and online poker rooms.
Devices require a data connection in order to manage mobile gambling
information. Data layers are accessed through telecommunication providers in
the worlds various regions and countries. Mobile gambling currently relies on
GPRS, UMTS, GSM Data, and I-MODE date layer technologies.
Although still in it very early stages of development, expectations are huge
for mobile gambling. Top analysts are projecting the 2010 value of the industry
to be no less than $20 billion US Dollars.
Mobile casino developers have currently found themselves in a bit of a
holding pattern. Many countries are still deciding the fate of online gambling
in their courts and legislative bodies. For fear of a dashed public reputation,
many companies are still treading water.
However there are a few companies fearlessly pushing forward with test mobile
platforms in hopes of getting an early jump on the expected boom in the market.
Betting and racetracks are even being altered by mobile
capabilities. Mobile betting is being developed to allow gamblers to place bets
on any race or sports game in the world. Soon people may be able to avoid the
travel costs of getting to casinos, stadiums, and racetracks.
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