Wireless gaming revenues are increasing, with funding for mobile gaming companies jumping to €184 million, almost three times 2003’s levels, according to new data released by media research company Screen Digest.
In the US, mobile game revenues rose to €72 million in 2004, up from €24 million in 2003, and are expected to reach €430 million by 2009, according to Jupiter Research.
Research earlier in the year by Juniper Research forecast lotteries, betting and casino style gambling to generate over $2 billion for the mobile phone industry in 2009 (see Gambling To Generate Over $2 Billion By 2006 For Mobile Phone Industry).
Other findings from the report predict that 2005 will see total mobile gambling exceed the $2 billion mark, including more than $800 million spent on sports bets.
A study on the mobile market by measurement company M:Metrics revealed that almost 60% of mobile US subscribers use their handsets for non-voice functions (see Multi Use Of Mobile Handsets).
The report showed that although about one-third of the surveyed users claimed they had played a game on their mobile phone, just 3.3% had actually downloaded a game, with men far more likely than women to access this technology.