Research that was recently commissioned by a US company has shown that mobile UK gambling doubled from 2009 to 2010.

IHS Screen Digest has shown that in 2010 mobile gambling generated £41 million in 2010 and £19 million for 2009.

Reason given for the increase is the growing popularity in online gambling and the range of smart phones available.

Ronan De Renesse, the Head of Mobile at HIS Screen Digest commented: "The full implementation of the 2005 UK Gambling Act in 2007 helped change the public perception of mobile gambling by allowing online betting sites to advertise their services on television and radio for the first time."

He added that over the last year there had been a rapid increase in advertising aimed at mobile gambling.

Gambling opinions in the UK have changed in recent years. "No longer does gambling conjure an image of a smoky betting shop hidden from the public," he said. "Instead, betting has crafted itself into a respectable enterprise by using ad campaigns featuring the endorsements of sports pundits."

IHS says the proliferation of the smartphone has helped the mobile gambling market to experience breakthrough years in 2009 and 2010. But with the launches of 4G and spectrum auctions coming in the upcoming months, 2011 looks to be a year where U.K. gambling operators reinforce mobile as a substantial source of revenue.

A new wave of speedy, glamorous mobile gambling applications is emerging, which can be promoted in the wider media with ease and IHS expects this trend to continue.

The statistics from HIS suggest that13.7% of the UK population participated in remote gambling in one way or another in the fourth quarter of 2010. This increased from 9.8% fours years earliers.

"Today's mobile gambler is very different from the mobile gambler five years ago," added De Renesse. "Previously, aesthetics and speed were sacrificed for accessibility over a variety of devices. Today, consumers want a quick, good looking application that provides additional content and allows them to place bets, spin a roulette wheel or buy a bingo ticket with the same level of ease that they currently can find online."

A new wave of speedy, glamorous mobile gambling applications is emerging, which can be promoted in the wider media with ease and IHS expects this trend to continue.