In the late 90s if I wanted to place a bet with my bookie while I was on vacation in Monaco I’d use my cell phone. The main problem though was a payment method. Sure I could use my credit card but I wasn’t too happy to give this  information over insecure lines. I didn’t even want my bookie to have this information!
All this began to change when cellular phones became equipped with WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). Then came Java, an easy programming language that enabled poker, bingo and roulette to be played on mobile phones. Eventually commerce caught up, in the form of transmitting money with mobile phones. This takes us consumers to the near fututre, and a market place that analysts value at US$20 billion by 2010. The best part now is when I am in St. Tropez and i need to place a winning bet, I don’t have to trust Lenny, my bookie in San Fransisco, with my credit card info.