Gaming Giant to Offer Text Message Betting
AUSTRALIA As reported by the Townsville Bulletin: "Lottery tickets and electronic gambling games would be offered via mobile phones under a proposal from an international gaming giant to revolutionize the industry in Australia and attract young people to gambling on a '24/7 basis.'
"Intralot … wants to offer betting on computerized games such as backgammon, checkers and chess via mobile phone along with lotteries in which entrants buy tickets via a text message.
"The Greek-based company has also flagged a range of games allowing players to bet against each other via mobile phone or the Internet and says convincing customers to make the switch to mobile gambling is 'highly achievable.'
"'With more than one billion mobile phones in the world today and an ever-increasing number of internet access and use, consumers will seek new forms of gaming entertainment,' the company says.
"… The company's submission says lottery companies in Australia have failed to exploit technological advances and to heed the fact that young people have half the participation rate in lotteries of their elders …
2006-05-26
