Firing the starting gun on its real-money gambling venture, Glu Mobile has entered into a strategic relationship with UK-based mobile gambling specialist Probability.

The partnership will see Glu's existing IP leveraged to create a suite of Glu-branded mobile slot games. These titles will be distributed across Probability's regulated markets – initially the UK and Italy.

First out of the blocks

The agreement will also see Probability take charge of regulatory responsibility for the operation of said games, as real-money gambling becomes a reality for one of mobile's most prolific publishers.

"We believe that mobile gambling momentum is beginning to accelerate on a global basis, and with this deal, Glu becomes an early mover," explained Glu Mobile CEO Niccolo de Masi.

"We anticipate that as additional markets around the world open up to real-money mobile gaming, we will expand our investment in the subsector.

"We view real-money mobile gaming as an opportunity to extend the reach of our successful original IP to new demographics, as well as deepen engagement and rewards for our players."

Odds-on

Glu-branded casino games will be offered as part of the Probability portfolio, and therefore could be made available through Probability partners such as Ladbrokes, William Hill, PaddyPower and others.

"We are delighted to be partnering with a pioneer and leader in the freemium mobile gaming industry," explained Probability PLC CEO Charles Cohen.

"We look forward to deepening our relationship with Glu as we seek to expand our regulatory reach to new markets worldwide."

While it's early days yet for real-money mobile gambling, it's clear that casino games on mobile are already monetising extremely well – as we discovered in a recent PocketGamer.biz Charticle.