LONDON, October 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Boosted by growth in the UK and other key markets, mobile gambling is going to devour a bigger slice of the gambling pie by 2017

According to a new report from Juniper Research the value of mobile gambling could reach $100 billion by 2017. Growth will largely be fuelled by an expansion in mobile lottery games in certain international markets and an increase in sports betting and social gaming in the UK. http://www.jackpotcity.co.uk/mobile-casino/ already offers a mobile site complete with all its casino games. It is looking to make its mobile play even more socially minded in the future as are other major players in the gaming industry.

What with a new app available on Facebook offering real-money rewards on bingo and smartphone use exceeding 45% in the UK, the path is set for mobile gaming to be rapidly adopted on a wide scale in Britain.

Online gambling became so popular, luring land-based players away from the flashing lights of casinos, because of sheer convenience. Rather than traipsing to a casino, which perhaps was many miles away, players could play at home whenever they had time. Smartphones take this flexibility and convenience to a whole new level, above and beyond that of home-based Internet. Smartphones offer 24/7 access to the Internet; players can try their luck at poker, bingo, blackjack or slots on their commutes to work, during their lunch hours and so on. As smartphone use becomes ingrained in UK society and Internet speeds and graphics improve with every new handset release, gaming on smartphones will become increasingly viable.

Another major trend to watch is that of social gaming. Facebook is now offering an app that allows users to play bingo for real-money rewards. Alongside the app, users can chat and interact with other players.

Social gaming is another driving force behind the move towards mobile game play. Many large gaming operators are already eyeing up Facebook and its ilk to run social gaming apps, which can easily be played using a smartphone.

As gambling becomes more convenient, via mobile phones and social media, not only will more offline players switch to online modes of game play, but online casinos will attract completely new players that have never gambled in real-world casinos before.

SOURCE gamingclub