New Jersey online poker is in full swing and, with 100 days of operation under its belt, WSOP.com has released data highlighting the enormous impact that mobile will play in the burgeoning market.

The well-known brand, run by Caesars Interactive Entertainment, found that 26% of all play came from mobile devices or tablets, with gamblers spending an average of 43 minutes on Caesars’ various online casino websites. Poker players at WSOP.com spent even more time on the site, averaging 76 minutes.

The data won’t come as a surprise to analysts and executives who have long predicted that mobile devices would play a key role in the industry. “Mobile applications will play an enormous piece of the puzzle in online wagering, which is why we are so positive and see so much upside in the months ahead,” saidJoe Lupo, Senior VP of Borgata.

While analysts have tempered their online gaming revenue expectations for New Jersey’s first year, casino officials say that the current numbers don’t take into account the potential for mobile growth, which is only starting to happen.

So far, a number of New Jersey casinos offer online poker via mobile apps, including 888 Poker, WSOP.com, PartyPoker, and Borgata Poker (mobile client for Borgata shown below). Operators like the Tropicana, Trump Plaza, and Trump Taj Mahal offer mobile betting on casino table games.

One issue hampering growth is cell phone usage. Due to the fact that players must be verified by geo-location software, most mobile apps only allow players to gamble when connected to WiFi. That means players hoping to access sites on the go using 3G or 4G cellular networks will be out of luck for the time being.

Lisa Spengler, spokeswoman for the DGE, recently told the Associated Press that the Division is working with geo-location vendors to provide a solution that would allow players to connect through such networks in the future.

The trend toward the use of mobile devices in i-gaming is not limited to New Jersey and can be seen in the UK market as well. Gambling operator William Hill recently reported that its mobile betting revenues increased 298% from 2012 to 2013. Paddy Power saw a similar increase in usage, while Betfairhas reported that mobile betting was up 64% year-over-year. Patrick Kennedy, Paddy Power’s CEO, believes that 90% of industry growth will come from mobile.

With smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices so pervasive, it’s easy to see how mobile gaming could see tremendous growth. According to Nielsen, 60% of US mobile subscribers used smartphones as of June 2013.

“With tablet growth increasing and smartphone adoption continuing to reach more and more, it is clear the future of the majority of gaming experiences will be on these devices,” said Caesars’ Seth Palansky.

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