Mobile app revenues up 287pc as Paddy Power attacks Android

15 Oct 2010

E-commerce giant Paddy Power is rapidly gaining ground as a world leader in mobile betting technology with mobile-based turnover up 287pc this year. The company has today launched an Android app for its mobile customers.

The move is prescient as mobile becomes a US$1bn business for internet giant Google. Sales of Android-based smartphones are up 886pc year on year and the operating system sits on about 17pc of smartphones in the world today.

This is the third mobile application that Paddy Power has launched this year, following hot on the heels of a web app for iPhones and iPod touches in June, and an iPhone app in August.

Through the Android app, just like the iPhone app, customers can manage their entire online Paddy Power account.

Paddy Power app specials

The range of Paddy Power specials available on the app include money-back specials, fallers insurance and early payouts, among others. Clients can also open a new account, deposit and withdraw money. They can bet on the entire range of Paddy Power markets and the app even allows customers to place multiple bets.

“At Paddy Power, we feel that every customer should be able to have a great user experience using our mobile applications,” said James Grimes, product manager at Paddy Power.

“We are really happy with the response to our iPhone app and now thought it was time to bring out an Android app for our customers. We have been offering sneak previews of the app to customers through our Twitter and Facebook profiles and the response has been phenomenal. We want all of our customers to have a great mobile experience, one that is just as good as they would experience in our shops or on our website.

“Mobile betting is now accounting for a significant proportion of all our betting since it was introduced. We have seen mobile turnover increase 287pc in the first half of 2010,” Grimes explained.

“After the success of our iPhone app launch, we took all of our customer feedback to our partner Mobenga to help develop this Android app. It was particularly important that we cater for all those customers who were early adopters of Android.

“We put in a lot of effort to build the app to support Android back to version 1.6 and this allows us to provide the best mobile betting experience to over 90pc of Android users.”

“With the premiership season in full swing we are seeing many of our customers taking the opportunity to bet on mobile while enjoying the action, and we are expecting this to drive downloads of the Android app. Keeping on top of new and developing technology will ensure Paddy Power remains a leader in this area,” said Grimes.

An eye on the future

“We are continually looking around the corner to develop applications that are compatible with future technology. We are really excited by Android and other emerging channels to market.

“The engaging nature of this technology means that all of our www.paddypower.com mobile customers can experience our site and navigate easily from their handsets. We will continue to take advantage of these technologies to deliver the best betting experience for our customers,” said Grimes.

Paddy Power Mobile was established in 2007 in order to provide mobile betting on mobile phone technology to clients from Paddy Power.

Christian Rajter of Mobenga commented, “Once again Paddy Power is at the forefront of mobile technology.

“As their mobile partner, Mobenga is committed to keeping up the pace and securing their lead and innovation. Android being the fastest-growing, but still fragmented OS, is an excellent bet on the future and a natural step for Paddy Power and Mobenga.”

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com