I said the other day that porn is always the first into new technologies, but I might have to amend that statement to include the gambling industry. A Jupiter Research analyst is predicting:

that the value of bets placed will rise from USD 2 billion to USD 23 billion by 2011.

In a new report titled Mobile Gambling: Casinos, Lotteries & Betting, Gibson said the growth will be primarily attributable to the increasing popularity of mobile lotteries. He predicts that lotteries will account for 41 per cent of total mobile gambling expenditure over the next five years.

Gibson also believes that the roll out of 3G services and more sophisticated handsets will cause a rise in mobile casino game usage, as will the relaxation of US state laws regarding mobile gambling.