Gambling Industry

Responsible Betting Key in LeoVegas’ Bid for License to Operate in Sweden

Posted by Craig Gustling on in Blog, Local, News, UK Today / 0 Comment

LeoVegas, a mobile-focused online betting firm, has confirmed that its application for a license that will see it offer sports betting and casino in its native country of Sweden. The move is part of its expansion efforts in the industry and responsible betting.

 

Beginning January 1, 2019, Sweden will become a licensed betting market. In line with that goal, the country started an application process ahead of the record restructuring of its gambling laws.

 

LeoVegas is seeing the Swedish market as an important element in its efforts to achieve 2020 financial targets. Its goal is to realize a revenue of at least €600 million and EBITDA of €100 million and above.

 

Considering the mounting pressure on betting firms to adopt responsible betting, LeoVegas has adopted the issue and turned it to an advantage. It is now differentiating itself through the commitment to responsible betting. The efforts have been profitable as they have positively impacted revenues – in the second quarter of the of the year, the company’s Net Gaming

 

Revenue (NGR) from the regulated markets accounted for 39% of its total NGR.

Responsible betting is a great opportunity to localize a firm’s offering and become more relevant to the region. Through it, more marketing channels are created while the customer experiences are improved.LeoVegas is positive about the extensive guidelines required for responsible gambling that Sweden regulating market will offer. Commenting on the firm’s application, Gustaf Hagman, the group’s chief executive officer said, “LeoVegas has always had a focus on this area and it is something that it welcomes.”

 

In the Swedish market, LeoVegas will be fronting LeoSafePlay, its responsible gaming platform. It is operated as a stand-alone business to ensure that it has an undivided focus on growth and implementation of market trends in the responsible gambling field. It seeks to use upcoming technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to offer the best experiences for the next generation of gamblers.

 

The firm is hopeful that the application will be successful. That way, it will have an opportunity of advancing its culture, offering the best gaming experience for people betting in its home country, and ultimately increasing NGR from regulated markets. In the long run, the firm will generate more of its NGR from the regulated markets which are viewed as prohibitive by a majority of other industry players.

 

Hugman revealed that LeoVegas has been eyeing the Swedish market. He said, “While it has been known for some time that Sweden is introducing a local license system, it is very exciting to formally submit an application and that is something we have been looking forward to for a long time.”

“Sweden becoming a locally regulated market is a milestone for the country, the industry, and LeoVegas.” He stated.

 

“Now for the first time, everyone can compete on equal terms in a regulated environment, where responsible gaming is a very important part,” he continued indicating the importance that the Swedish betting market will have.

 

He expressed optimism by saying, “We believe we have great opportunities gaining market shares in the Swedish market. LeoVegas is a company that operates in several regulated markets and thus has the right tools and knowledge to create sustainable and strong growth.”

 

The UKGC Rolls Out Better Gambling Protection Rules

Posted by Craig Gustling on in Blog, Local, News, UK Today / 0 Comment

The United Kingdom has been consistently hailed as a role model for online gambling licensure and regulation. Some gaming professionals are however of a different view. This is because most companies have in the recent past violated the various laws, rules, and regulations that govern gambling.

 

Some of these violations include those stipulated by the Advertising Standards Authority and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. Examples of these violations include running misleading advertisements, targeting children who are not mature enough to gamble, and placing unnecessary restrictions on the withdrawals of earnings.

 

These violations have led to public outcries from various quarters. Most gamblers have complained of misleading bonuses and adverts. Most parents have also expressed concerns that their children have been unnecessarily bombarded with undesirable advertisements.

 

In response to these complaints, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission has put in place measures that are geared towards rectifying these problems. It has subsequently announced the introduction of new rules that gambling firms shall have to abide by starting from October 31st, 2018.

 

These rules and regulations are largely geared towards safeguarding the interests of the consumers especially from those adverts that are deemed misleading. They are also meant to shield the vulnerable segments of the population from undue exploitation and deception.

The most significant aspect of these restrictions is stiffer penalties on the companies that violate these regulations. Additionally, the gambling commission shall have the powers to enforce the new laws which shall also include the ability to impose hefty penalties on those operators that breach the prevailing advertising rules.

 

Further to these, the gambling operators shall be required to resolve any complaints that arise internally. They shall do so within an eight-week window. In case this window elapses without the dispute having been conclusively dealt with, the third-party shall be free to bring the said issue to an arbitration body.

 

The commission had these to say about the new regulations: “We will now have the teeth to deal appropriately with all the emerging issues. We shall particularly deal ruthlessly with the firms that tend to glorify gambling. We shall also be unforgiving to those gambling operators that tend to target children and other vulnerable persons in the society.”

 

Other than these, the commission has also put in measures to make it easier for the gamblers to receive their dues. It has lifted the cumbersome withdrawal restrictions that most operators put in place to prevent their gamblers from receiving their incomes. The same case shall apply to unsolicited commercial e-mails.

 

Neil McArthur, the Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission, had these comments to state:

“It is our utmost priority to shield the interests of the consumers. The same has to apply to the gambling operators. The changes we have instituted shall offer added protection from irresponsible adverts and misleading promos. They shall also see to it that gamblers withdraw their incomes faster and smoothly.”

 

These measures shall undoubtedly inflate the costs of doing business. However, they are also beneficial to the gambling operators. They have the impact of instilling confidence on the gamblers. This has the attendant positive impact of increased revenue inflows and income of the operators.

 

Paddy Power Betfair and Boyd Gaming get into a Strategic Agreement

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Paddy Power Betfair has again proved to be on the forefront establish a strong foothold in the U.S sports betting markets. Paddy Power Betfair is a betting company based in Dublin and Ireland, but it is now operating in U.S markets with sister companies such as FanDuel.

 

It seems Paddy Power Betfair team had prepared a beast marketing strategy to give them the top-notch spot in the sports gambling markets in the U.S. Paddy Power has been moving in the U.S markets more aggressively than all other online casinos. The UK bookmakers have recently made another significant move by announcing a strategic partnership between Boyd Gaming and FanDuel. It was a win to win situation for both companies type of agreement where while working together they will dominate the U.S bookmarking markets primarily in the sports betting and online gaming fields.

 

FanDuel is a popular U.S online fantasy sports betting website. In May 2018 Betfair US purchased 61% shares of FanDuel total shares plus an option to keep on increasing more dividends percentage up to 80% in 3 years or to 100% in five years period. Therefore when Paddy Power Betfair struck another deal with Boyd Gaming via FanDuel they opened up for doors to successfully capitalize on the sports and online betting all over U.S. Boyd Gaming is one among the biggest multi-state casino companies in the U.S that owns more than 29 casinos in 10 states while FanDuel has over 8 million customers across 45 states in America. Boyd Gaming stakes shot up to 1.7% at 36.79 on that day’s stock market.

 

Terms and conditions binding their agreement subjected to state laws and regulatory board approvals affirm that FanDuel will provide technology and other related services to operate all online and sports betting sites that are under Boyd Gaming platforms. Financial analysts and other stakeholders have a strong positive feeling that the deal would have secured a long-term solution of running the largest sports betting and online gaming services.

 

The Chief Executive Officer of the FanDuel group, Matt King, said that “There is incredible momentum in the sports betting space and we look forward to partnering with Boyd Gaming to bring the FanDuel Sportsbook to more customers across the United States.” This partnership will greatly help FanDuel solve the problem of its accessibility in different states. Despite that the supreme and other state courts legalized sports betting and online gaming, bookmakers still have a big challenge in getting operational licenses from many states governments. By partnering with Boyd Gaming, Fanduel will joyride on the advantage that they will be operating across all current and future states that Boyd Gaming will have its footprint.

 

The Chief Executive Officer of the Boyd Gaming group said that “we will be positioned to build market-leading sports-betting and online gaming operations in each state as they move forward with these new forms of entertainment. We will also see immediate benefits from our cross-marketing agreement with FanDuel, introducing millions of FanDuel customers to Boyd Gaming’s properties nationwide.” Boyd Gaming will be offered with technical know-how and resources that will run gaming and betting operations in a more user-friendly in return for providing them with market accessibility.

 

In short, this deals allows Boyd Gaming run their online gaming and sports betting websites on using FanDuel’s technology while in return they let FanDuel operate its own online gaming services in all states where Boyd Gaming have or will have a license of operation with an exemption of the Nevada state.

 

Wagering Sports Betting Causes Optimism to Giant Gambling Firm

Posted by Maven Porter on in Blog, Local, News, UK Today / 0 Comment

Paddy power Betfair has scaled its revenue up to a tune of 7 percent reaching to 867 million pounds in a bare six months ending at June 30th. According to interim results, the gambling giant registered underlying earnings of 217 million pounds in constant currency terms scaling up by 1 percent.

 

Before tax, profits were up by 4 percent reaching 106 million pounds in the half year period. The CEO affirmed that the firm had made significant milestones against its strategic priorities. He further added that trading through the second quarter was good and the firm boasted of busy and successful months. He, however, confirmed that the double-digit growth was as a result of contributions from all brands and the various firm’s operating divisions.

 

Individually, different operating divisions showed a correlation in individual revenue increase with Australia registering a 19 percent increase and the United States 20 percent, all during the second quarter. This was despite the headwinds experienced in both the US and Australia. However, the gambling giant disappointed investors as it missed its projected six months revenue growth. Alistair Ross, an analyst at Investec, termed the performance as a ‘’solid miss’’.

 

Talking to the FTSE, the firm’s CEO claimed that the full-year projection was partly influenced by changes in the tax regime changes effected in Australia as well as the 770 million dollar takeover deal with US sports company FanDuel.

 

Despite missing the half year 9.9 percent revenue projection by a big lag, the firm managed a 13 percent increase in revenue in the second quarter. According to Ed Monk, a director at Fidelity Personal Investing, Paddy Power Betfair is bound to gain from the already opening betting markets in the United States. He further affirmed that through its expansion of FanDuel site, pricing of shares rose and investors now expect to realize a rise in operational performance and subsequent growth in the market share onwards.

 

Experts in the firm have further given an expectation that the earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization should lie between 460 million pounds and 480 million pounds prior to the impact caused of US betting. This is as a result of a recent reflection in the trading stance with an overwhelming anticipated performance in gaming. This is after an offset by prolonged weakness in horse racing revenues, Australian taxes impact, and an increase in product fee as well as the addition of the FanDuel fantasy sports in the firm’s operation.

 

Looking at the agreement between Paddy Power Betfair and FanDuel in July, the gambling giant is expected to offer more daily fantasy games-which will open the market enormously. The firm’s CEO affirmed. He continued to assert that FanDuel has created a large online business portfolio after entering an agreement with Boyd Gaming. The firm is expected to cover an extensive national stretch including New Jersey. This was possible after a Supreme Court ruling allowing individual states to come up with their own independent betting laws. Additionally, the CEO has confirmed that the firm is now better-positioned in-terms of visibility and regulatory of fiscal changes stretching across the UK, US, and Australia. In this respect, the company is expected to build a sustainable business position that will guarantee shareholders good returns over a long time.

 

According to the company, the key ways of surviving the wagering market in the US is by ensuring brand recognition from the widely stretched customer base, ensuring market access and investing substantially in the operating capabilities of the firm. It is important to note that significant optimism has been realized by the company owing to the largely wagering sports markets in the US.

 

Brexit on Gibraltar Gambling Industry is Imminent

Posted by Maven Porter on in Blog, Local, News, UK Today / 1 Comment

The United Kingdom is almost exiting the European Union. This impending departure from the regional and economic bloc is intended to inflict adverse consequences on the gambling industry in Gibraltar. This is because Gibraltar is under the domain of the United Kingdom.

 

brexitIn case Brexit goes through successfully, then firms that are located in the UK but which would wish to gain access to the EU market will have to make individual applications to this effect. This will further complicate issues for the various gambling operators. They will also forfeit the privileges that come along with the Mini One-Stop-Shop (MOSS Scheme). They will not be able to supply services and goods to the European Union except they register for it.

 

The reasons that underlie these likely adverse negative consequences are many. For one, the firms that are located in the United Kingdom shall no longer have access to the huge European Union market. This, of course, shall translate to reduced revenue inflows.

 

In response to these dangers, Gibraltar has decided to put in place certain intervention mechanisms. The city-state has decided to lower its tax revenues from gambling yet at the same time raise its license fees on gambling companies.

 

Many firms have also decided to take matters into their own hands. They have for instance decided to offload some of their operations to localities that are still within the jurisdiction of the European Union. The most notable examples of these are the Bet365 and 888 Holdings.

 

The issue is yet to be resolved conclusively though. This is because the Brexit deal has yet to be finalized. Moreover, various stakeholders within the gambling industry are still pushing for certain concessions to be made and guarantees approved.

 

As stated, Gibraltar has lowered its tax rate from gambling revenue. Before the Brexit talks commenced, the nation-state levied 1% tax rate on the revenue from gambling. It has reduced this rate drastically to a paltry 0.15%. This has given many firms that operate in the area some incentive to keep staying on the island despite the impending exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

 

On the same note, the nation has increased the license fees on new gambling firms. For instance, the business-to-business corporate entities are now supposed to part with $112,000 (£85,000) while their business-to-consumers are required to pay $132,000 (£100,000) for the license.

 

Given that license fees are a one-time expense, this increase is very unlikely to inflict a significant rise in the cost of doing business. On the contrary, it shall enable the state to make up for the anticipated loss of tax revenue at least in the short run.

 

In response to these latest developments, Bet365 has already indicated the intention of relocating to Malta. The Minister for Financial Services of Gibraltar, Mr. Albert Isola, has however downplayed this move. He maintains that Gibraltar still has the capacity to weather the storm and secure its financial standing even if the UK withdraws from the EU.

 

Some stakeholders have even contemplated looking up to the World Trade Organization for a guidance on the way forward. They draw their inspiration from the Case that pitied Antigua on the one hand and the United States on the other hand. The World Trade Organization did step in and offer an amicable solution.

 

This stand has mainly been inspired by the fact that service industries, of which gambling is part, has largely been given a wide berth during the ongoing Brexit negotiations. They also decry the complex nature in which the payments from gambling will have to confront. It will be interesting to see just how the issue will ultimately be resolved.

 

William Hill’s Stand on Problem Gambling

Posted by Craig Gustling on in Blog, Local, News, UK Today / 2 Comments

With the introduction of gambling, many people found a source of making extra cash on the games that they like. Over the years, more and more people enrolled in gambling across the world. However, the gambling industry has failed to perform its role in preventing the negative effects of gambling.

 

According to William Hill, the stakeholders in the wider gambling industry have launched a new approach to the matter to prevent more harm caused by gambling.William Hill appointed Lyndsay Wright as their first-ever director of sustainability. This gives her an additional role to her already existing roles like the one in charge of strategy and investor relations. According to Lyndsay Wright, the response to gambling-related problems is very significant for the future of the gambling industry. In addition, she stated a number of commitments the William Hill was putting in place to curb problems arising from gambling.

 

As part of the campaign to end gambling-related problems, Lyndsay Wright stated that William Hill as a company is pushing for the registration of all products across the industry. She also added that the firm is taking an active role in the push for reforms in advertising around live sports. The campaign against gambling problems is a result of repeated calls by the Gambling Commission to have the stakeholders in the gambling industry reduce the negative effects of gambling, especially on television advertising.

 

Lyndsay Wright stated that the company has been working to correct the matter for more than nine months. She added that the company is very cautious about the significant decline in people’s perception concerning both the company and the gambling industry at large within the past few years. Also, Lyndsay said that to understand the issue better and respond to it in the right way, the gambling industry needed to ask tough questions within itself and that it’s the ambition of all stakeholders in the gambling industry to ensure gambling harms nobody.

 

According to the Gambling Commission, more than 400,000 people within Britain are problem gamblers. The Commission also added that with there are over two million people who are exposed to the risk of becoming problem gamblers. Research showed that for every one who becomes a problem gambler, there are at least six people who are indirectly affected. This showed that the gambling firms have failed to attain what is expected of them and that the reputation of the gambling industry was at stake.

 

According to Wright, the issue of gambling problems is broad and requires urgent attention for the long-term success of William Hill as well as the entire gambling industry. She added that William Hill is a company that has been in existence for eighty-four years and it needs to handle gambling problems with a lot of care and in the right way for it to survive for a longer period. She added that it is the company’s desire to have the clients not only enjoy gamble but also stay gambling for a long time.

 

 

River UK Casino Limited Acquires a 70% Majority Stake in Gaming Realms PLC.

Posted by Craig Gustling on in Blog, Local, News, UK Today / 1 Comment

The gambling sector of the United Kingdom is set to experience a major shift. The UK gambling giant, River iGaming has established a new subsidiary, River UK Casino Limited which it has used to acquire a 70% majority stake in the Gaming Realms plc.

 

This takeover encompasses X Factor Games sites, Pocket Fruity, Britain’s Got Talent Games, and Spin Genie over and above the gambling giant. The takeover shall cost £23.1 million, subject to the approvals by the shareholders. At the conclusion of the takeover, the remaining 30% stake and the flagship Slingo brands shall be held by Gaming Realms.

 

This 30% stake shall be subjected to a call option and mutual put arrangement. This privilege, as per the sales arrangement, shall be exercised on or before 31st October 2020. It shall further be subjected to the uncapped valuation of around 5.5 times the earnings-before-interest-and-taxes of River UK Casino. The entire privilege shall run for the duration of 12 months preceding the 30 June 2020 deadline.

 

A press release from the company stated that it shall pay out a minimum of £8.4 million to effect the takeover. It plans to spend half of this amount as soon as the deal is sealed and the remaining half progressively on an earn-out basis. It further anticipates spending yet another £14.7 million on the basis of earn-outs on or before August 31st, 2019.

 

Gaming Realms CEO, Patrick Southon had this to say:

“This sale is indeed revolutionary. This is because it will grant us the leeway to channel all our resources on matters of international licensing as well as the development of newer gaming contents. This shall subsequently place us in a stronger position as to let us generate further profitable growths in the future.”

 

In all, River iGaming which is the parent company of the River UK Casino Limited expects to make no less than £1m in annual revenue with the new acquisition. This stems from the profitable nature of the particular business. For this to happen, the acquisition shall have to generate earnings-before-interest-and-taxes of no less than £6 million in the 12-month duration prior to 30 June 2019.

 

For instance, in the financial year ended 2017, Gaming Realms plc made net gaming revenue to the tune of £13.9m. In the same year, its adjusted profit before tax and the corresponding interest amounted to £2.2m.

 

During the transition phase, the present management team of the business will oversee the River UK Casino till June 30, 2020. At the same time, River iGaming and Gaming Realms plc will jointly raise a working capital loan facility of around £3 million to fund investments in marketing for the business until at least 30 June 2019.

 

This loan facility shall be repaid in full no later than 30 June 2020. Of the £3 million, £2.1 million shall be contributed by River iGaming with the remaining £0.9 million by Gaming Realms plc.

With regards to this, Gaming Realms had this to say:

“We plan to spend the first batch of the £4.2m of the sales proceeds to develop new gaming contents and enhance the current platforms. We shall also provide a loan of approximately £0.9m to fund the River UK Casino’s marketing budget as stipulated previously.”

 

This, the company argues, is consistent with its strategy of channeling its resource base on content developments and international licensing. The final resolution to sell the 70% stake, however, rests with the general meeting and is expected to be endorsed on July 18 in London, United Kingdom.

 

Given the highly lucrative and competitive nature of the online gambling sector in the United Kingdom, we all wait to see just how much impact this acquisition is going to have.

 

 

 

Banach Technology Receives an Investment Boost from Investors for Expanding their Startup

Posted by Craig Gustling on in Blog, Local, News, UK Today / 1 Comment

One of the leading betting technology companies in Ireland, Banach Technology, raised a vast $2.55m funds for startups from investors.

 

Some of the investors that contributed towards the raising of these funds for startups included Cormac McCarty and Patrick Kennedy. Both the investors have served in corporate leadership positions at Paddy Powers. Patrick Kennedy is the former Chief Executive Officer for Paddy Powers, and Cormac McCarthy served in the area of Chief Financial Officer at Paddy Power.

 

Banach Technology was also backed by investors such as Stewart Kenny and David Power. Banach Technology is a company that provides gambling groups with products, pricing and customer experience systems and has worked with renowned brands such as GVC Holdings.

 

GVC holdings are the sole owner of BWin and Ladbrokes. Currently, the Chief Executive Officer for Banach Technology is one Mark Huges and has also worked for Paddy Powers serving in the position of Senior Quantitative Analyst and the Head of Quants. Also, the other co-corporate executives for Banach Technologies have a history with Paddy Powers including Rob Reck who is the Managing Director for Banach. Speaking to Sunday Times, the Managing Director for

 

Banach reported that the funding that they received from investors was by a large extend oversubscribed. Also, Rob Reck stated that Banach Technology was looking forward to hiring more than a dozen employees to work for the company. Banach Technology is to increase the number of their staff from 12 to 30 workers with the inclusion of hiring software engineers and quant mathematicians. Banach Technology is a startup that as attracted shareholders such as the owner for Red Tiger and also an entrepreneur in the field of gaming Nick Maughan.

 

Banach Technology is a firm that has based their operations in Dublin, and the structure of the corporate leadership is one with extensive expertise in the industry with a good number having worked for Paddy Powers. Banach Technology is a company that is bringing a revolution to the trade of betting. The technology developed by Banach will enhance customer engagement and also improve the operator margin across the board for all channels. It was reported that, the products being provided by Banach Technology are designed around the empowering of customers.

 

The users will be able to come up with a structured bet that is customized and will feature correlated multiples of the same game. Banach Technology was founded in the year 2015 by an executive team of mathematicians and technologists. The senior management team comprises Mark Hughes who is the CEO and is a Bsc holder in the field of economics and finance having studied at the University College of Dublin. Rob Reck is the Managing Director and holds an MBS in the area of Actuarial Science from the University College Dublin.

 

Furthermore, Rob Reck has a Bachelor’s in Maths and Mathematical Physics that he obtained from University College Dublin. Alex Zevenbergen is the Chief Technical Officer for Banach Technology, and he holds a BSc in Business and information systems from the University College Cork.

 

Adrien Lepretre is the Chief Operating Officer for the Dublin based organization and holds an MSc in Quantitative Finance from the University College of Dublin. Also, Adrien Lepretre holds a BSc in Economics that he obtained at HEC Lausanne. Banach Technology is headed for greater heights in the gambling industry, and the executives are focused on expanding their venture. The firm is now focused on bringing on board new and skilled employees with the vision of growing their wings.

 

 

Bingo! Humble Oldham Man took Home £50,000

Posted by Craig Gustling on in Blog, Local, News, UK Today / 1 Comment

A whopping £50,000! That is what Steven Bray, a 35-year-old Oldham resident is set to pocket after winning the national Bingo Game Jackpot at Mecca.

 

The night of Tuesday, 5th June will forever remain etched in his mind since it is the day fate granted him a wish every bingo player lives for- having the right number combination to win the jackpot! Bingo has been a traditional family pastime for Steven, having been introduced to the game by his late parents, seven years ago.

 

The win was not the first one for Steven, but none of his previous wins was as big as this life-changing jackpot. For the 35-year-old who works as a hire controller for Hire Station, this win opens many doors. He plans to take a holiday to the Maldives, a popular destination that he has always wanted to visit. Clearing his mortgage is also high up on his list of priorities.

 

When asked how the win will change his daily life, he said: “I work two jobs which keep me extremely busy, so I’m hoping to use the money to take a break from my hectic lifestyle.” He also hopes that some aspects of his life like the relationship he has with the people around him will remain the same. That is why he plans to hold a Thanksgiving party for family and friends.

 

Despite the absence of his parents, Steven believes his luck when choosing the numbers could be a gift from them. They were avid bingo players, and he would have enjoyed sharing the joy of winning with them. It was actually a bittersweet memory, having lost his dad only last September, to a heart attack – He was aged 69. His mother also died of a heart attack back in 2011 while she was 55 years old.

 

Asked why he loves bingo, Steven says it provides a sweet escape from daily hassles. “It’s always a good buzz when waiting for the last numbers to be called,” he adds. Playing bingo once or twice a week offers him a chance of meeting new people.

 

Tony Beverly, the Mecca Oldham club manager was also elated by Steven’s win because it adds to his club’s tally of jackpot winners in the new National Bingo game that started on 30th April. Steven’s win is the 11th. He said: “it is great to see one of our longest standing players win the National Bingo Game. He really couldn’t believe it when we told him there and then that he had won a £50,000 Jackpot.” The new National Bingo game offers various jackpot prizes including £100, £1000 and £50,000 on each game. House prices are also available at every club.

 

Apart from Steven, everyone at the club also had a reason to celebrate. The party held for members by the Mecca Bingo club on 21st June gave everyone a chance to enjoy a drink, and tuck some buffet as they watched Steven, his sister and some of his buddies receive the giant check on stage. Their optimism that probably some of Steven’s luck would rub off on them was quite apparent.

 

 

 

BetFred First Major Annual Losses

Posted by Craig Gustling on in Blog, Local, News, UK Today / 1 Comment

The land and online gambling group, Betfred, has experienced a decrease in the incoming profit for the year that came to a close in September 2017. The profit decreased from GBP 32.4 million as compared to the previous year to a loss of GBP 13.4 million; the company blamed their decrease to goodwill deterioration attributed to increasing costs, digital assets and higher taxation.

 

Despite a 9.6 percent increase in revenue that rose up to GBP 634.5 million and up to 3 percent earnings at 83.3 million, the company still experienced a loss. Mostly from the retailers, the group turnover was up to 17.5 % at GBP 12.7 billion.

 

An analysis made on the Betfred group estimated the groups’ online revenue at GBP ninety million on a three percent yearly increment from growing player base. None of the figures had increased by then. They also realized that eighty-three percent of what the group was earning originated from retail operations. The United Kingdom government decided to reduce the highest limit Fixed Odds Betting terminal stakes from GBP one hundred up to GBP by the year 2020; this shall have an effect that may provoke changes in the groups’ earnings. The director of the group requested the government to reconsider this decision for it might lead to huge losses across the industry.

 

On 25th of June 2018, the Betfred group again reported the same operating loss of £13.4m despite an increase in earnings and revenue. The revenue during the twelve months to September 24, 2017, was still at £634.5m with an increase of 9.6 percent as compared to the previous year. The earnings also had improved by the same three percent yearly up to £83.3m.

 

The Betfred retail total gambling turnover, Tote, and online businesses rose up to 17.5 percent to £12.7bn. Regulus partners commented that the online revenue of the Betfred group increased by three percent on a yearly basis to £90m; that of Tote increased by twelve percent to £32.4m. These partners also suggested that the Betfred might be set for more challenges in the coming future because of the regulation modifications on fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs).

 

The Betfred group experienced an eight-figure loss in its treasury year despite a good revenue gain. The improved revenue came largely through the group’s 2016 October addition of three hundred and twenty-two Ladbrokes Coral betting shops. The company’s Totepoool business also signed a commingling deal with the Hong Kong Jockey Club plus a non-specified rise in their online customer base.

 

Predictably, the anti-gambling suspects in the United Kingdom’s media played up with the fact the founder of Betfred, Fred Done, decided to take a £10.2m annual dividend just like the previous year. These kinds of media noted that Betfred had announced the previous week that there was a possibility of closing up to nine hundred betting shops and fire up to four thousand, five hundred staff members. This would occur if all the government would execute their plan of reducing the highest limit stake on fixed- odds betting terminals (FOBTs) from £100 up to just £2. Lucky enough the government recently announced that the FOBTs stake reduction would not take place till the year 2020.

 

The Regulus partners also realized that the 83 percent earnings from the retailers put the company in a particularly hard position given the current government stance. As a result, they suggested that Betfred’s core business would require some structural change.

 

Recently the director of Betfred gave a decree that his company’s association with racing had been broken after several years of dis-unity between the racing and the betting industry. He also reported a deal with Alizeti Capital as the very first page of their decision to disrobe its Tote holdings.

 

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