Global annual wager via mobile handsets and Tablets will rise to $100bn by 2017, from less than $20bn last year, according to a report from Juniper Research. That surge will be helped along by a rise in social gambling activity, along with the introduction of intrastate casino and lottery services in the US.

According to the report, while sports currently accounts for the largest share of mobile gaming, over the next five years it will be overtaken by casino gaming. Mobile will move from its role primarily as a retentive tool, Juniper says, to become an acquisitive channel.

“Social gaming companies such as Zynga are seeking to move from play-for-fun casino games into real money gambling, while pureplay mobile casinos including Probability have begun to integrate with the Facebook mobile platform,” says report author Dr Windsor Holden. “In this way, consumers will be able to use their social networks to register for casino games, substantially increasing both the reach and engagement of such services.”

The full Mobile Gambling: Casinos, Lotteries & Betting 2012-2017 report can be downloaded here, along with an accompanying whitepaper, Mobile Betting – Game On, here.