Betting from home, call it evolution.
Even if you don't gamble online, chances are you know something of the recent legislation against internet gambling passed by the US Senate. But what was your first exposure to online gambling? For many it was the plethora of online advertising from 888 (then casino-on-net) that absolutely flooded the internet. Online gambling has gone from nothing to something quite formidable since 2000. But what has driven this rise?
The answer is simple. The channel. The internet as a medium for delivery has changed the way that we find information, meet people, shop and, yes, gamble. Labroke's is one of Britain's biggest and most successful bookmakers. They have over 1,900 betting outlets on many "high streets" in the UK. They also have 150 shops in Ireland. Ladbrokes launched its internet betting site in 2001. Just 5 years later, it accounts for one fifth of all of it's sales. If a full fifth of betting business does not appear to be a large proportion, consider the following. It takes far less people to account for the operation of a betting website than it does the staff needed to operate these high street shops. The internet has allowed Ladbrokes to deliver a wider range of betting products to its punters. Poker, Bingo, Casino and skill-based games are all available. Bingo is a growth segment for Ladbrokes. When most people think Bingo, they think the blue rinse set; ladies in their 40s onwards. Surely this demographic would be the last to turn to the internet to replace their afternoon at the bingo hall? With the UK Government's introduction of anti-smoking legislation, it is this very segment that is turning to the internet for their bingo fix. An added benefit for these newly online players are the larger jackpots on offer. Someone used to scooping a prize of $25 at the local bingo hall can now play at any time for stakes almost 50 times that amount. The government has not banned smoking in the privacy of one's own home. Yet. But it is not just alternatives to event based betting that the internet has allowed bookmakers like Ladbrokes to offer. Reality TV shows are a modern phenomenon, whose popularity is due in most part to the very nature of the internet's ability to pass information quickly to it's users. Programs like Big Brother allow viewers to vote for there favorite contest by text messaging by cellular phone.
Indeed, betting on popular cultural events or "specialty props is the fastest growing segment of events wagering today. All this due in the main part to the internet. Bingo & casino games are strong performers for Ladbrokes, but there core business is sports betting. A high watermark came for the company earlier this year. On May 17th of this year in Paris, Barcelona scored twice in the last 14 minutes to beat 10-man Arsenal in the Champions League final.
For Ladbrokes, this was the first time that they took more money online than from their high street shops. Betting on European football on the net is the fastest growing source of revenue at Ladbrokes and most probably it's main competitors. For the UK gambling industry, one that has been high-profile and well regulated for many years, this is a turning point.
posted by Ian of egamingpulse.
