Betting and Big Brother spark alert over mobile phone costs

The Communications Management Association (CMA) has called on companies to review their mobile phone use policies, as potential costs are set to spiral.

The CMA’s billing special interest group said the widening opportunities to use business mobiles for football betting, downloading music and games, viewing video clips and buying other small value products and services meant that companies should act now to stop large employee phone bills mounting up.

Paul Fegan, head of the CMA’s billing group, said, “There are 3,480 betting opportunities on the World Cup games, just through the convenience of your mobile phone.

“You used to be able to bet only on the score, but now it extends to the first corner, first goal, score at half-time, etcetera. Plus, there is the chance to win tickets, holidays and lots of other things, all by texting or phoning your answers to the many competitions on practically every programme you watch on TV today.”

Fegan said corporate telecoms budget holders were not the winners in this mobile commerce expansion, as they faced rising bills and increased work in accounting for the cost.

The CMA is calling on companies to put controls in place to ensure their telecoms budgets are not being used to vote in Big Brother, enter competitions, download ring tones and other services.