Online gaming fastest growing sector

NEW technologies are set to fuel the growth of the global gaming industry, say Gamingclub.com. The online casino and online slots site reports that online gaming is now one of the fastest growing sectors of the gambling industry, accounting for approximately $30 billion of the estimated $1 trillion value of the global gambling market as a whole.

The online sector has seen rapid growth in recent years, rising 42.5% since 2008, according to figures issued by H2 Gambling Capital, a leading supplier of data and market intelligence on the global gambling industry.

While the global gaming market as a whole is growing, with figures estimating a 15% rise between 2009 and 2012, the online gaming sector is projected to see far higher growth, at a rate of 38% within the same period.

As well as fuelling growth within the online sector, advances in technology are set to drive growth within the mobile gaming sector too. Online casino games and online slots have become increasingly available on portable devices such as tablets and mobile phones in recent years, and the trend for mobile online casino apps looks set to grow. Juniper Research reports that mobile gaming wagering will exceed $48 billion by 2015. The report goes on to state that:
“The market for these services is potentially vast… It is now up to the service providers to seize the opportunity.”

Although online gaming remains illegal in many forms in much of Asia, as well as in the US, government attitudes towards online gambling have become increasingly more relaxed. Online gaming has taken off in Europe, with France, Germany and Italy all relaxing restrictions on online casino gaming recently. After their announcement in 2011 that certain forms of online wagering would now be legalised in certain states, there is also much potential for growth in the US.
The future looks bright for the global gaming industry. With the increasing availability of broadband access, 3G and even 4G technology, coupled with the growth in mobile gaming platforms, this is an exciting time for the online and mobile sectors and the industry as a whole.