Tabcorp Witnesses Fast, Steep Rise in Mobile Betting

 

Tabcorp Holdings Limited, an Australian Keno operator and wagering firm, is known as one of the world’s largest and most successful publicly listed gaming companies. They have pioneered much of the mobile gaming industry, and according to the company, there is no real limit to just how large the mobile betting market can grow.

Thanks to hordes of new smartphones and tablets arriving on the market every year, the average Australian now has at least one mobile device with Internet connectivity on their person or in their possession. This fact, coupled with the availability of gambling in Australia, led Tabcorb to one of their biggest years ever, strengthening their wagering business in the 2013/14 fiscal year.

Mobile gambling had a 19-point uptick, rising from 35% of all gambling last year and coming in at 54% this year. According to Tabcorp’s chief executive David Attenborough, “Our success in [mobile gaming] is no accident.” Adding that mobile continues as the “key driver of digital growth.”

The overall gambling revenue paints the same clear picture. Over the fiscal year, mobile gaming profits alone were $2.9 billion, up 18% over the previous year.

From the World Cup alone, Tabcorp earned $25 million in profits, and new types of games and other gambling apps continue to pull in big business for the corporation.

Plans for Keno Going Forward

Despite increased revenue overall, Tabcorb’s Keno division, operated in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, did not see the same uptick. Though Tabcorb has big plans to generate more of a buzz for their Keno games; pooling the jackpots to increase their frequency and hopefully garnering more interest in the game is the goal.

Part of the reason for Keno’s level performance amidst an otherwise booming market is that the game is stagnant in comparison to what developers can do with card games and slots. Keno is basically a lottery, and it’s hard to change a lottery.

The specifics of Keno’s future are unclear as of yet, beyond pooling, but if Tabcorp’s previous ventures are any indicator, there is sure to be a mobile makeover coming down the pike.

The more Keno is able to spread as part of a mobile gaming suite; the corporation’s hopes are that this game will experience the same popularity as others. Keno is a popular game that’s easy to learn and play, so be on the lookout, you Keno lovers, for new and exciting layouts and formats in the future.