So, what did we all learn at BetMarkets 09? Doing no justice to the details and intricate knowledge of the speakers and delegates, I’ll forge ahead and give my general impressions.

Legal and regulatory issues still dominate people’s imagination as they are the most sure-fire way of large growth. Where people have asked ‘where is the next big thing’ I think we find common answers:

- What is the broadband penetration?

- Are the population comfortable with online/debit payments or is education needed?

- Does the population have a propensity to gamble (der!) but you can check these figures

- Is the government under EU/media/population/budgetary pressure?

Innovation is still ripe in the market, with web2.0 basics like community and peer betting finally getting monetised in a solid, business-lie way. Fantasy sports continue to attract interest and confusion in equal measure, but look to be here to stay as a viable gaming model. And spread betting sounds like a no-brainer as a huge revenue cash cow in the midst of our economic melt-down. At least some are enjoying it!

Then there’s mobile betting, with the advent of exciting handsets like the iPhone, Android and Symbian looks set to final be a ‘future star’ to ‘right here right now growth channel’...(part 2 coming).