Online Gambling Goes Mobile and Social

The wind of change isn't blowing; it's positively howling.

From the way we make money to the way we meet our future spouses - every aspect of our lives is undergoing nothing short of a two-phase revolution. First came the internet, followed by its natural successor - the mobile device - the smartphone and the tablet. Of course it is far too early to even start measure the impact of this technological innovation. Suffice to say, however, modern life is in the fast lane of change: our access to information has undergone a total upheaval - instant and democratized; the way we consume becoming more customized and more immediate. Free Apps and free media have changed business models and advertising forever and on the flip-side consumers have been given the platform to show their ingenuity and canny with the birth of community websites such as AirBnB, Freecycle and Couchsurfing.

The online gambling industry is wise to this mantra of accessibility, with some casino operators designing products exclusive to mobile devices: mFortune offers an ever-growing range of slots and poker games to its players; as does Moobile which for the moment is only available to UK residents. Red Flush Casino launched its Android service earlier this month - a slick, well-designed product with secure banking services; and the Betfair offering is a fully interactive multi-media experience with In-Play and split-screen functions.

Meanwhile, social gaming industry is hoping to following suite, by piloting real-money games on Facebook. Whilst the US is reviewing its online gambling regulations, the 'Bingo and Slots Friendzy' game is being piloted in the UK, which has looser regulations and a player demographic thought similar to the US. Zynga is also interested in developing its games in the same direction and is hopeful of an imminent change in legislation in the US.