Dr Windsor Holden, author of a report for Juniper Research, explained that two of the industry's major players – William Hill and Ladbrokes – each enjoyed a boost in mobile activity over the first quarter of 2011.

He revealed both have unveiled results in recent days that show more people are placing wagers and playing casino games on their handsets. Year on year, Ladbrokes experienced an increase of 786 per cent in terms of the amount of money placed via mobile services, while William Hill reported a 250 per cent rise.

It has also become clear that 18 per cent of all Ladbrokes online customers placed at least one bet via a mobile phone in the period.