MFUSE EXTENDS LADBROKES' MOBILE SERVICES

15 February 2008

Advanced WAP technology for UK sportsbook


The British mobile technology company Mfuse has announced that the Deal Or No Deal fixed-odds betting game is now available on the Ladbrokes mobile gambling service.

The game, which Mfuse also plans to roll out to other operators, is identical to the online version, with both a free-play and play-for-cash mode.

Mfuse has additionally launched the second On Handset registration (OHR) solution for Ladbrokes. This works across both Java and WAP, allowing users to register through the handset, without the need to go online. Ladbrokes had earlier tasked Mfuse to update the bookmaker’s WAP offering to bring it in line with its richer Java application.

The innovation means that Ladbrokes can acquire customers through marketing at sporting events, the press and even their retail shops via an SMS short-code or by simply directing customers to the WAP portal.

Ladbrokes re-launched its mobile portal last year in a major push to benefit from the relaxation of rules surrounding advertising gambling in Britain. The bookmaking giant believes that mobile services will be boosted by TV ads because punters will respond to mobile calls to action whilst watching televised matches.

According to Juniper Research predictions late last year, mobile business could be worth $16.6 billion (GBP 8.97 billion) by 2011.

“TV ads for mobile services will make a big difference” Carolina Gasparini, mobile product developer for Ladbrokes said at the time. “The chances of people going to their computer to log on aren’t as good as getting them to respond to an SMS.”

Mfuse, which works on mobile services for Blue Square, Mecca, Paddy Power, Sporting Bet and Victor Chandler agreed that TV ads offer the opportunity to reach a wider audience.

“Previously our clients couldn’t advertise their mobile services. The best medium to be on would be TV,” said Rick Brownlow, director of product development at Mfuse. “Now they have mass market access.”

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