Online Casinos Are Confident in Financial Growth
Online casino operators are making steps toward consolidation as they see technological and governmental signs that their industry will undergo sustained growth. The opening of new markets in Europe under EU pressure, and the development of greater broadband capacities are viewed as signs the Internet gambling industry may flourish over the next several years, says the Financial Times.The beginnings of regulated, competitive online casino markets in France and Italy show things moving in a good direction for gaming companies. While neither country has fully complied with EU policies, movement may indicate a gradual acceptance of the loss of gambling monopolies.
"We are extremely confident about the next two to three years in Europe,” William Hill CEO Ralph Topping told the Times.
With European regulation stabilizing, merger talks are ongoing among Internet gaming companies looking to expand their brands and products.
The advent of mobile technologies has given remote gaming new areas in which to expand, and the diffusion of these developments into countries such as Brazil and Mexico are also seen as prime opportunities.Considering the bleak potential of a few years ago, after the US passage of the UIGEA, online casino executives feel more comfortable about the future than any time in the last several years.
