By Jane Wakefield BBC News Online technology staff

Next generation mobile phones could create a new wave of gamblers with early signs that wireless betting is popular among punters.

If you fancied a flutter on last weekend's Grand National, and had a Wap-enabled Orange mobile, you would not have had to make the trip to a smoky betting shop.

Instead, you could have looked up the latest odds and placed a tax-free bet without moving from your sofa via a wireless gambling service offered by Orange and an online gambling site, ukbetting.

It proved a hit with UK punters, according to ukbetting managing director, Dave Annat.

Few winners

"It was a soft launch and people could only register via Orange's website," said Mr Annat.

"We had hundreds of registrations and most of them placed a bet although not many of them won."

M-commerce slow to take off on Wap

Phone betting is not new. Both Ladbrokes and online gambling site Bluesquare already offer these services, but this is the first time it has been done in conjunction with a mobile network operator.

"Wap users are restricted and we thought it was better to go to someone with a distinct user customer base," explained Mr Annat.

There are about 2.8 million Wap users in the UK. While more are now using the technology to access the net, mobile commerce has not taken off.

M-commerce and other wireless services will have to wait for 3G phones to realise its potential say analysts.

See the action

IDC analyst Paolo Pescatore believes that betting will form an important part of the cocktail of services being prepared for third generation mobile phones.

The World Cup is when we anticipate it really taking off

Dave Annat, ukbetting

"Just imagine it, you can place a bet and then receive a reminder about the race and even see a clip of the final moment - all over your mobile," he said.

Mobile betting could prove a lucrative market for mobile operators weighed down with the huge costs of third generation licences.

"Operators need to find extra revenues and some people go mad and bet regularly so it could provide the opportunity for generating money," said Mr Pescatore.

Ukbetting and Orange will add other sports and information to their service in the run up to the World Cup.

"The World Cup is when we anticipate it really taking off," said Mr Annat.

A survey out last month found that internet betting services were creating more gambling addicts.

A spokesperson for Gamblers Anonymous believes mobile phone gambling is bound to add to the problem.

"The more readily available and the easier it is, the more gambling becomes a problem," he said.