W H AT ’ S N E X T F O R E G A M I N G ? / C OV E R S T O RY
always-on and easy to use sportsbook and gaming apps.
The immediacy and extent of access operators now have to
engage with their customers is mind-blowing and the mobile
channel is quickly becoming the headline driver of revenues.
Paddy Power now derives more than half of its entire online
revenues from the mobile channel and the likes of Betfair,
William Hill and Ladbrokes are not far behind. The revenue mix
at some private operators is believed to be higher still. But this
might just be the start. Almost two-thirds of stakes Ladbrokes
accepted over the course of the World Cup were from mobile
devices, and BetVictor anticipates it will derive up to 80% of its
total revenues from mobile devices by the end of 2015.
Operators remain split on the future of mobile. Some have
reported early signs of maturation and mobile revenues
beginning to plateau, forecasting a revival of the desktop
computer. But the crystal ball has proved unreliable in the
past. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen in the next five
years. Even if their name is [Apple CEO] Tim Cook, I wouldn’t
believe them,” Robert Smith, director of mobile at Unibet, says.
But most are agreed that investment in quality mobile
products that provide relevant, personalised and timely
c