The launch of the first 3G network in 2003 was heralded as the beginning of a new era for mobile in the UK. Extensive ad campaigns showing how we would soon be making the most of our mobile seemed to offer a brave new world of connectivity.

Such at least was the hope. But if the reality in terms of 3G take-up has been far from astounding, there is evidence of interest on the part of mobile users to utilise their devices for interactive gaming. Of huge significance is the potential scale of the mobile gambling market. The very latest technology may still be an expensive option for most, with latest estimates suggesting there are only around 10 million 3G users worldwide. But products such as mobile lotteries, for instance, do not even require 3G handsets. They are simple to run, and they are increasingly popular worldwide.

With clear evidence of mainstream demand for products and services such as mobile banking, wireless internet on mobiles, and picture and video messaging, it is a fair assumption that take-up of mobile gaming may not be far behind.

Nader Rahimizad, president of mobile games provider PlayWizard, says: “As with any new technology, once the early adopters are saturated and time passes by, the normal consumer starts to nibble.”

Untapped potential

Where the technology uptake is high enough, there is ample evidence that the interest in mobile gaming is on the rise. Yet, with complex and demandingly fast-paced mobile developments, and limited cross-over from the online space, it means that at present the market is largely untapped.

As Simon Swanson, UK country manager for Wild Jack Mobile Casino (WJMC), says: “The potential is huge, but so are the challenges.” A report from UK-based consultancy Juniper Research states that use of mobile handsets for TV, interactive downloads and gambling is on course to increase rapidly in the next five years.

Research director Bruce Gibson and report author Aditya Kadul say that consumers are now familiar with a multi-purpose handset. Gibson argues this in itself suits the impulsive gambler. “The mobile channel takes gambling to the mass market. The mobile phone is a wonderful device for doing things on impulse, and for all but the regular gambler, betting is an impulse activity.”

He continues: “Current trends suggest that gamers gamble more frequently on the mobile than other channels, but with lower stakes.”

Women on top

This trend for small stakes may account for the fact that women are forecast to play an increasingly important role for mobile operators. As research firm Telephia reported in June this year, 65% of mobile games revenue is gained from female users. This report also cites the casual  appeal of mobile games for women, and explains that for puzzles and skill games, which account for 34% of the total revenue, women formed 72% of the customer base. But despite positive indicators, a consensual opinion from developers and operators is that mobile needs both a high level of commitment and investment.

Customer crossover from online cannot be relied upon to provide a pre-existing playerbase. Rahimizad explains: “Originally, the casino operators thought they could just put out a few games on their portals and all the consumers would flock over to mobile gambling, but they were proven otherwise.”

He continues: “We have argued that the normal casino customer is not a mobile customer since they are not early adopters. Our bet was the real novice or the really early adopters would be the initial audience. We saw this back in 2000 when we developed the Push2Bet proactive mobile betting system for Victor Chandler and William Hill.”

Matti Zinder, chief executive of Spin3, agrees that online and mobile customers are distinct. He says: “There is not much crossover between egaming customers and those who play on the mobile casino.”

Equally, the games themselves cannot automatically be transplanted, as Swanson from WJMC says: “Our markets are certainly distinct at this stage. Some people have tried to transport their operation onto mobile platforms; it is not the best way to do things,” he says. “This is not something you set up on a whim.”

Obstacle course

Zinder adds that not only does the mobile games operator have to recruit new customers, but the pace of development poses a continual challenge: “It is difficult to compete in this market, you have to have a willingness to stay abreast. This market is very unforgiving. The barriers to entry are quite significant.”

Aside from the challenges of player recruitment, technology remains an obstacle. Unlike the relative uniformity offered for online developers, where Microsoft and Apple Mac systems are dominant across the globe, mobile game development is hampered by the volume and variety of handsets.

“If you are not at the cutting edge, the technology will leave you behind,” says Zinder. “There are issues with handsets. Manufacturers are bringing out new handsets practically every week and they all run on different systems. For each game you have to remake it for more than a 100 handsets. It¹s not like an online game. Every time, you have to rework it so it fits the handsets. We need to create 900 versions for each game. It does cost quite a bit.”

Location, location, location

There also appears to be a consensus that the global market needs specific country-focus. Zinder says: “The Asian market presents a particular issue. In Japan, some technology is specifically not available anywhere else. The manuals and everything else are only in Japanese, it¹s not available in the West, so we have invested in that as

well.”

Juniper’s Gibson agrees: “Mobile gambling success is very much dictated by local regulation.” The US ­ legislative issues aside ­ lags behind Europe and Asia in terms of telecoms technology, making it an unattractive area for investment according to Zinder.

He says: “The US has a number of issues, for a start their technology is between six and eight months behind Europe. The best return is not from the US.” Although there are barriers to success, those within the space remain

optimistic of progress.

Focused campaigns for individual markets, and bespoke regional product offerings provide solutions to problems of uptake according to both researchers and the companies themselves. Gibson says: “Currently the UK is one of the most attractive markets due to the recent overhaul of gaming legislation.”

Zinder is positive that looking further afield is equally beneficial: “South America is interesting, we have just concluded a deal with Mobistar to provide services for 11 different South American countries with a local partner.”

Rahimizad argues that regional trend spotting is key for success. He says: “Hong Kong has the highest uptake worldwide for play for points.” Says Juniper’s Kadul: “Japan has been very receptive in terms of 3G penetration so far.” Zinder agrees: “In China and East Asia there is a huge cultural tendency to gamble. There is massive potential there.”

Indeed, where there is a generally high uptake of technology in general, there is a proportional likelihood of successful mobile launches. Japan’s reputation as technology-friendly and receptive to gambling means mobile products are being pitched to a responsive audience.

Interactive connections

A similar logic is used by Dale Tempest, PR director at Skybet. Following a recent deal between BSkyB and mobile operators for the provision of mobile sports content to subscribers from the UK Premiership, he argues that where uptake of interactive television is high, mobile use will follow.

He says: “We have 70% of the interactive market, and we understand that our customers are very technologically sophisticated. Interactive television customers are the kind of people who will take well to mobile betting. Anything Sky does with mobile content, we will be there.”

The betting exchange is, according to Betfair, another transferable concept. Betfair spokesperson Oliver Bowen argues that mobile betting is the future for the sector. “Successful exchange betting is about getting the right price at the right time, and mobile allows customers to adjust their Betfair positions on the move.” In 2000, the World Health Organisation predicted there would be 1.5 billion mobiles worldwide in five years. For established online operators this represents a market opportunity which is too good to miss.

Swanson from WJMC argues that the outlook is positive: “My perspective on the market is that it is still in its infancy.” Zinder agrees: “Generally speaking, online is so established now as an industry it is getting close to mainstream. I can see the same indicators happening with the mobile space. We are getting a huge deployment for our products.”

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Finally,there are a range of deposit methods including Neteller, Credit Cards & wire, so there is a payment method for everyone!

What does this mean for all the players who have money online in various poker sites, sports books, and with payment processors like Neteller?  For starters, it’s probably not a time to panic, sites like Neteller and Poker Stars are quite reputable, and segregate customer deposits from operating revenues, so as difficult as it may be to access funds at these sites in the short run, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect to be able to get the money in the long run, either through slower methods like paper checks, or through other payment processors that are, or may become, available.  Neteller is also encouraging members with a need to more quickly access their online balances to withdraw through their Neteller ATM card, though there are some fees and limitations involved, as noted here .  That said, now would certainly be a good time to make a prudent assessment of your bankroll and your needs to have ready availability of some or all of it while deciding how best to manage your money online.  In my opinion, the best way for a US based poker player to proceed would probably be to get a working bankroll into the sites which seem the most failsafe, in the event that deposit methods are further curtailed.  This should allow US players to continue to play at the sites like Poker Stars, Full-Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and others which seem to be in no hurry to prohibit US players from playing, even if methods of depositing money into these sites becomes more difficult in the future.  Each player will, of course, have to determine how much risk is acceptable, especially when dealing with the larger sums that a regular online pro will need to maintain in order to minimize normal bankroll risk.

So, what are the options for funding accounts online now?  For an up-to-date list of the most popular options and the sites which accept them, you can check out this link for an online spreadsheet which we will keep updating as things progress.  The most widely accepted ewallet at this point would appear to be ePassporte which is the method of funding currently recommended by Poker Stars, and which is also available at Ultimate Bet, Absolute, and Full Tilt.  By comparison to Neteller it has the disadvantage of some significant fees and slower transfer of cash from a bank account to an ePassporte account, but it does have the advantage of offering a virtual Visa card for online shopping directly from your balance as well as a physical Visa card option (for an additional fee) which allows you to spend from your online balance anywhere Visa is accepted.   Also, once funded, transferring funds to and from poker sites online is fee free (with the exception of $5 annual account fee for the the ePassporte account itself), which does mean that for those players who don’t need to constantly move money online from regular accounts the fees will probably be a relatively minor nuisance.  A complete listing of ePassporte’s fees can be found here. 

For as long as ePassporte or an equivalent option remains available (new ones such as ATMonline, NUcharge and  eWalletXpress have already popped up), cashing out is also probably best handled via an eWallet, but for those sites where ePassporte isn’t available, or in the event of further restrictions, there are some other alternatives.  For example, it is possible to fund most sites via Western Union transfers, and in many cases to cash out via this method as well.  Unfortunately, this requires person-to-person transfers via Western Union which can be a bit unsettling given the potential amounts involved and the fees can be significant as well.  For now, Bodog is picking up the fees for one cashout per week, as noted here, and other sites may institute similar setups if other methods of funding become more difficult.  Similarly, most sites will fund an account via a mailed cashier’s check or money order and will cash out via a paper check.  These methods are likely to remain available for the foreseeable future, as they aren’t covered by the UIGEA, but they are obviously not as transparent as online transactions, and do potentially involve the risk/hassle of payments lost in the mail.  We will continue to monitor the options available and update here and on the ITH forums with any new information.

Finally, it is worth noting that the online gambling customers in the US are a large portion of the market for these sites, and despite the dearth of options currently available to US players to fund these accounts it is reasonable to expect that the sites that continue to do business in the US will provide alternatives.  Likewise, as with any new business, it is essential that those customers do appropriate due diligence and be wary of potential scams and fly-by-night operations.  Neteller’s withdrawal from the US certainly makes this landscape more uncertain, but with the resources available here and elsewhere we hope to be able to provide you with enough good information to make intelligent decisions about how to continue with your online poker hobby/profession.

 

Click2Pay is the newest online payment solution for US-based players. It is similar to Neteller. It provides a safe and secure method to transfer cash online, same-day payments, and virtually instant cash transfers. After opening your free Click2Pay account, you can use it to make immediate deposits at Online Casino and many other online businesses.

FROM:
MIt seems that Le Chiffre - aka “The Number” - is alive and well, despite intelligence reports to the contrary. We know that he provides a global money-laundering service to terrorists - offering them cash anywhere, at any time, to fund their operations. We now believe that he has been using his clients’ money and these terrorist contacts to manipulate the stock market. Thanks to your efforts, he lost a great deal on his last transaction. He has set up a high stakes poker game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro in an attempt to make up his losses. We’re sending you to disrupt his plans. This is not a game, 007. We want you to stop him from winning but we need him alive. He can offer valuable information that we can use to penetrate and shut down terrorist activities worldwide. The Treasury has agreed to stake you in the game and are sending one of their foreign liaison officers, Vesper Lynd, to accompany you. It will be her decision to release additional funds, if necessary. She will contact you on your way to Montenegro. Once you arrive, you will rendezvous with our local contact, Renee Mathis. We have been informed of another player who recently joined the game at the last minute, Felix Leiter. His story seems in order but it would be wise to remain alert. I will need your full report on the Solange affair before you depart. Please submit this to me before 0900 tomorrow. Good luck, M   

One dozen years of vacant bimbos, horrendous puns, and obsolete gadgets … remember the pretitle sequence of Live and Let Die? Behold, o mortals! The futuristic wonder of … the digital watch! Oh, how the God of Bond Movies tested our faith during those years. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember how good Bond films can be when they’re at their best, following a Moore marathon (or, if you will, a Mooreathon). All those twtichings of what Anthony Lane described as “Roger Moore’s stunt-eyebrows … ” Now that these terrible films have been dredged up for DVD, they’re worsened by commentary tracks by public-school accented second unit directors, reminiscing about “Dear Wodger’s” sense of humor, like the time he hid Bernard Lee’s Metamucil, or something …

But today, let us praise seven moments during Moore’s tenure. It wasn’t all bad, was it?

For your viewing pleasure, Cinematical has already kicked off its Seven Days of 007 feature. For the next seven days, we’ll be taking a closer look at James Bond, his girls, his enemies and the twenty films that we have either grown to love or loved to hate. Where will Casino Royale fit in? In just a couple of days, we’ll have our answer. However, before we begin gushing over the legendary character, I’d like to know which Bond films failed to entertain. Which ones did you absolutely hate? For me, it’s a toss up between A View to a Kill and The World is Not Enough. The latter I dislike for obvious reasons — c’mon, you can’t do any better than Denise Richards? The girl was a complete moron — but besides that — who’s bright idea was it to have Michael Apted direct this flick? Sure, the guy is great at what he does, but boy did he fail here. As far as A View to a Kill is concerned, aside from a groovy song by Duran Duran, was I the only one who was completely freaked out by Grace Jones. Ugh, just thinking about her in this film gives me the bad kind of goose bumps. And while Christopher Walken should have been an awesome bad guy, in my opinion, his talent was completely wasted.

So, I ask you: Which films showed James Bond at his worst?

After the jump check out the trailer for every Bond film up through Casino Royale, and some bonus video treats at the very bottom of the list.

These trailers also serve as a sort of visual history of film. It’s especially eye-opening to contrast the Dr. No trailer with the one for Casino Royale. We certainly have come a long way, Mr. Bond.