The internet domain name company Gambling Invest has announced that they will auction off more than two thousand gambling-related domain names. Domain names (e.g. 888.com) are the names companies use to tie their website’s internet protocol (IP) address to the site’s content. Domain names also make sites easier for users to find and reinforce brand name recognition.
The domain names will cover a variety of potential subjects, including online casino games, sports wagers, horse racing and internet poker. Gambling Invest has announced that some of the names available at the auction will include jackpotnews.com, bookmakers.mobi (a domain extension specific to mobile phones) and bettingexchange.us.
Pierluigi Buccioli, the founder and chief executive of Gambling Invest, said that domain names, especially in the online gaming industry, “are an excellent investment.” He also noted that both the prices of and demand for online gambling domain names “have continued to go up … despite the economic crisis and recession”.
Many potential buyers at the auction could be planning to create their own online gaming sites. With the new, looser standards for online casino operators in the European Market, along with the movement to legalize online poker in the US, new players in the industry could literally make a name for themselves with the right domain name.
While some participants may have plans to use their domain names, others may never plan to build a site around their purchase. Instead, they may hold the names until an interested party inquires for it, then resell the name at a higher price.
The online auction site Proxbid will handle the auction, which runs from 26 January to 2 February.
