This year alone, Verizon customers have paid for 50 million game transactions.

Tammy Robinson, manager of broadband, wireless downloadable content for Verizon Wireless, said: "To see an increase of 38 per cent in revenue from game sales year-over-year for the first nine months of 2007 shows that our customers continue to have a healthy appetite for mobile games. Classic games are still strongest in the category, but we've also seen growth in non-traditional mobile game areas, such as sports and strategy games."

According to Nielsen Mobile, a service of The Nielsen Company, the average price of a mobile game purchase is $4.70 and the average game buyer made an average of 2.7 unlimited use or monthly subscription game purchases in the second quarter of 2007.