London/Munich (PRWEB) July 31, 2006 -- The consulting firm MECN's new study «Casual Gaming and Gambling in the Internet» analyzes some of the hottest topics in the industry -- skill gaming, online bingo, and fantasy sports. The study includes the results of a survey MECN conducted among more than 60 industry experts who offered their unique insights and assessments.
The recent weeks were the toughest for the private online gambling industry ever: an online gambling prohibition bill (Goodlatte/Leach Bill) passed the US House of Representatives and has a chance to be passed by the Senate also; the CEO of online sportsbook BetonSports was arrested by the FBI; high courts in Germany limited the validity of private betting licenses, … just to name a few of recent blows that shook the industry. It is particularly the rapid succession of these events in just a few short weeks that shocked the industry
But some operators had already started to think about alternative revenue sources in case gambling would face tougher restrictions, and previous growth sectors, such as online poker and betting exchanges, would mature. According to many experts, casual gaming and gambling, which includes skill gaming, online bingo, and fantasy sports, represents such an alternative. Although some of the casual gaming and gambling offers have already been in existence for several years, the industry has only recently begun to focus on them. «It is astonishing at what speed this industry is currently moving,» explains Martin Oelbermann, coauthor of the study. »We can see, for example, on a weekly base high caliber companies and investors, such as media giants Liberty or Burda, as well as Betfair's founders getting involved.»
Millions of casual gamers, especially women, are waiting for attractive offers
The main reason for the increased interest are the millions of potential casual gamers and gamblers not yet targeted by the industry. As the market for heavy punters and gamblers becomes more and more saturated, the industry now begins to focus on casual gamers and gamblers and especially on women.
Casual gaming as attractive product option as legislation concerning online gambling becomes more complex
Another reason for the growing relevance of the casual sector is that the legislation regarding gambling is getting more and more complex everywhere and forces state lotteries as well as private companies to look for alternative products to their traditional gambling offerings. For example, in accordance with European court decisions, some state lotteries (such as Dutch De Lotto and German WestLotto) now have to decrease their marketing and expansion efforts for sports betting. Casual gaming could be an attractive alternative revenue source for them. As Martin Oelbermann adds, «Especially the legally less problematic skill gaming sector, including online versions of various card and board games, must become a consideration in many strategic discussions at state lotteries as one of the key future growth options.»
Selected key insights
Among key results of the report are the following insights into the casual gaming and gambling industry:
- The experts estimate the current market size for casual gaming and gambling (skill gaming and online bingo) to be about USD 500 million with 8 million registered players playing for cash.
- By 2010 the casual gaming and gambling market is expected to grow to USD 1 billion.
- The experts estimate that more than 63% of the casual gamers are women, which is unique in the generally male-dominated gaming and gambling industry.
- As many as 72% of the experts believe that offering a large variety of games is the most important characteristic of a successful casual gaming site.
- Europe will be the most important region for future growth, according to 91% of the experts.
The study can be obtained at http://www.casual-gaming.mecn.net
About MECN:
MECN is a network of experts on issues concerning the media and entertainment industry. Together they provide in-depth knowledge, analysis, and advice to global clients.
Contact: Martin Oelbermann, Tel: +49 (0)89 3835 6785
In addition to online casino news hot off the presses, OCN shows you the best first deposit bonuses at the best online casinos on the web. We've spared you the search by putting together a list of the latest and greatest first deposit bonuses around. So, all you have to do is click and enjoy!
| Name | First Deposit |
|---|
| 400% Welcome Bonus |
| 100% up to $1,000 |
| 100% up to 200$ |
| 100% match upto $400 |
| 100% up to $377 |
Most Recommended Casino Books
There's a bright light of hope shining at the end of the tunnel for many persons in the online casin...
The state of the US has been declared precarious due to its unregulated online gambling which has cr...
The island nation of Antigua and Barbuda has experienced a recent surge in their online gambling ind...
The online casino industry on a daily basis is becoming assertively competitive. Many casinos have l...
Winding down its extraordinary holiday bonus schedule this December is Cherry Red online casino. A 2...
This week's big news was the plea of Anurag Dikshit, co-founder of Partygaming subject to violating ...
A new report claims that there is a dramatic decrease in 2008 of online casino crime....
Harvard Medical School reached an agreement with online casino operator bwin to undertake a joint fi...
During the 4th and 7th of December a non-refuse offer was made by Europa Casino to new players enabl...
Online Casino Games Portal CasinoBonusGuy has been nominated for ''Best Casino Affiliate'' ''Best Bi...
Online casino group Vegas Partner Lounge's leading promotion ''Casino Treasure Cruise'' is a yearly ...
Curacao licensed online site Money Casino released one new slot game and upgraded existing slot bonu...
The Irish gambling taxes are so low in comparison to most of the rest of the world that it is little...
The long held belief that ''gambling is recession proof'' has been proved wrong this year as Las Veg...
One of the highest payouts a player can win in on online non-progressive casino has been given to To...
Vancouver, Washington- In an effort to build a casino resort near La Centre, Clark County- a Norther...
For the last 20 years City Council leaders debate the idea of a casino in Atlanta with the belief th...
Sep. 10 Curacao -- (Press Release) Club Vegas USA has released yet another thrilling i-Slot game cal...
Club Vegas USA is latest online casino Powered by Rival to be released. Rival is one of the up and c...
Reuters reported recently that the United States is not worried about having to pay $100 billion in ...
The release of a new game is always a special event in the gambling industry, but when Microgaming, ...
The sixth annual European i-Gaming Congress and Expo got underway at the spacious Barcelona Diagonal...
The United States government released proposed guidelines for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforce...
On October 1, 2007 the Federal Reserve and the Department of the Treasury released their joint repor...
Although the passage of the UIGEA last year made it difficult for American players to gamble online,...
Are the new lax gambling laws causing more and more Britons to be under the sway of compulsive gambl...
You may have a surprise in your Full Tilt Poker Account today! After recent allegations that bots we...
Coming off a 26th-place finish at the World Series of Poker, Rancho Mirage's Roy Winston won the Bor...
But the Gloucester Township homemaker never expected another fight -- this time with bureaucrats -- ...
It should come as a surprise to no one that charity-poker games have emerged in recent years as an i...
Spurred by the three-month success of high stakes poker, the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track’s pok...
Online Casino Group Betfair has announced that it has boosted its IT energy efficiency to support it...
Rumors have been circulating for a while now about the future of 32Red.com and its Gibraltar-based B...
CryptoLogic has announced that they have received exclusive rights to make slots and other casino ga...
Since the beginning of the U.S. Presidents first term, the Bush administration has been trying to ke...
The coastal casino in the State of Mississippi have had a diffilcutl few years, yet it seems that th...
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II recently found that not only was she one of the most richest women in...
It seems that there is no limit to how low some online casinos can go in order to secure a profit. V...
After a 10-month investigation into the slimy world of Internet "casinos or sports books", Americas ...
| Name | Payout | |
|---|---|---|
 |
Slots Oasis | 98.5%
|
 |
||
 |
Lucky18 Casino | 98%
|
|
||
 |
Cherry Red Casino | 99%
|
|
||
 |
Rushmore Casino | 97.2%
|
|
||
 |
LuckyAce Casino | 98.3%
|
|
||
Online Casino News - news
from the world of
online casinos RSS Feed.
The OCN directory is currently in development and will be available soon. If you are interested in adding a link, just click on the “Add Link” button. Thanks for your patience.
You do not need prior permission to link to any of the pages on this site. Limited copyright is granted for you to use and/or republish any of the articles on this site for any legitimate media purpose as long as you reference OCN as the source, and include a link referring the reader to the OCN site.