Tag: Bookmakers
GBGC: Global igaming model prepares for major changes
The true advent of cryptocurrencies and an international effort to harmonise corporation tax have long been foretold, writes Warwick Bartlett, chief executive of Global Betting and Gaming Consultants. Both are now palpable, and set to shake the foundations of the global online gaming industry.
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Bartlett: “Very few see the UK market as one with any opportunity left in it”
Warwick Bartlett, CEO of Global Betting and Gaming Consultants, suggests that William Hill’s sale to Caesars Entertainment, and the operator’s decision to focus exclusively on the emerging US sports betting market, is symptomatic of an increasingly challenging business environment in the UK
Virtual Grand National raises £2.6m for the NHS
British bookmakers donated £2.6m in profits to the UK’s National Health Service after the Grand National became the first televised virtual horse race
Business rate relief expanded to gaming firms
High street bookmakers have been thrown a vital lifeline, with the chancellor Rishi Sunak announcing they are now eligible for business rate relief.
British bookies on voluntary shirt sponsorship ban
Following last month’s furore over gambling companies streaming FA matches through their apps, leading British bookies are now considering a voluntary ban..
Kenyan tax ruling puts Sportpesa back in play
Yet another twist in the Kenyan saga sees an appeals tribunal rule in favour of the ousted bookmakers, Sportpesa and Betin, over the controversial..
Top Five pledge poses big challenge for small firms
The Big Five’s pledge to raise their contributions for the treatment of problem gambling could be enough to prevent more tightening down the line - but..
Betting shop closures: reality bites
Ministers must have thought the bookmakers were bluffing in their warning of how many shops would close, writes GBGC’s Lorein Pilling. Unfortunately that..
UK Bookmakers increase funding for problem gambling
The UK’s biggest bookmakers have agreed to increase funding for problem gambling treatment to £100m over the next four years.
Owners have confirmed that they will increase their voluntary levy on gambling profits from 0.1 percent to 1 percent.
The companies are Ladbrokes Coral, Paddy Power Betfair, Skybet, William Hill and Bet 365.
“This is an unprecedented level of commitment and collaboration...
EY: Despite the headwinds, the UK is still a great place to be
From FOBTs to Brexit, Grant Humphrey, betting and gaming lead at EY, talks through how his clients view the UK after another turbulent year for British bookmakers.
iGAMING TIMES: As the dust settles on the FOBT debate, are we heading for some of the worst-case scenarios that the industry had warned us of?
GRANT HUMPHREY: It’s getting towards that. With original...
Irish retail faces nationwide closures as tax take doubles
Following the announcement of an increased two percent tax rate for gambling operators in October, the IBA has rallied its members to fight the catastrophic effect on independent retail bookmakers – but the government’s inertia on reform may prove insurmountable.
EveryMatrix introduces unique sports aggregation technology at Betting on Sports Week in London
Between 18-21 September, EveryMatrix is gearing up to join Betting on Sports at Olympia London, to showcase our latest OddsMatrix Sports Data Feeds products, including the recently launched OddsMatrix Aggregator. With the OddsMatrix Aggregator…
STS has signed a deal with IMG for 20,000 broadcasts of sporting events
Poland's largest bookmaker, STS, has signed deal with IMG – a global entertainment industry leader. The contract will allow STS to significantly extend its offer of sporting events broadcast via its website and mobile app. It will be in force until the…
Industry event to discuss Future of the UK High Street Bookmakers
Panels and keynotes planned for September 13 at Soho Hotel, London Stakeholders in the future of the UK high street bookmakers will be taking part in a dedicated event taking place on 13 September that will look into how the industry should respond…
Bookmakers avoid £150m pay-out after England World Cup loss
While countless English football fans shed tears following the country’s noble defeat, bookmakers across the country breathed a sigh of relief having saved themselves an estimated £150m.
Oddschecker spokesperson George Elek said: “Jubilation turned to despair…
Revealed: How bookies use technology to retain players
In response to a Guardian article charging British firms with using artificial intelligence “to keep gamblers hooked”, the RGA’s Clive Hawkswood and GBGC’s Warwick Bartlett discuss the complexities of escaping another nasty PR paradigm.
British business hobbled by gaming review
Asides from the Department for Culture - the self-proclaimed victor in its decision to cut machine stakes and raise online gaming tax - the industry laments that no company, sector or sport will be better off as a result.
It’s fair to say the UK’s review of machine…
Horse racing to become ‘more important to bookmakers’ amid FOBT stake uncertainty
With the UK betting industry waiting on tenterhooks for an announcement from the government over stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs), the British Horse Authority (BHA) believes that horse racing is to become more important to gaming operators.
The statement was made at the Asian Racing Conference in Seoul by Brant Dunshea, BHA’s newly appointed chief regulatory officer. Dunshea was...
Ladbrokes continues Challenge Cup partnership
The Rugby Football League and Ladbrokes have agreed to extend their current partnership meaning the bookmaker will be title sponsor for the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.
Ladbrokes confirmed the one-year extension to the current deal on the week of the 2017 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final, which will see Hull FC take on Wigan Warriors in the oldest Rugby League Cup competition...
Betwatch Birmingham bookies ban five people
Five people have been banned from 24 betting shops across Birmingham city centre, as part of the UK Gambling Commission’s Betwatch initiative.
A partnership between the Gambling Commission, police, local council and bookmakers, the scheme is designed to tackle localised antisocial and criminal behaviour in and around betting shops.
“This is a really positive result for Betwatch, which has been rolled...
Worldpay predicts big bookie results for Premier League
As the Premier League celebrates its 25th anniversary, Worldpay has predicted the biggest-ever opening weekend for online betting.
Compared to the previous weekend, which marked the start of the rest of the English Football League, the 2016/17 Premiership opening weekend saw a 12% increase in the volume of bets placed.
Our data shows just how valuable the Premiership is for Britain’s...
Online bookmaker performance grilled on race day
In an increasingly competitive and low-margin market for online sports betting, loading times and bets-per-minute have come to define the industry’s winners and losers. The Grand National results were mixed on race day, yet even the fastest off the block may be wishing they’d slowed down their Scottish customers this year.
As forty horses took to the field in the...
Election reprieve for Britiain’s bookmakers
A snap UK election has postponed the inevitable regulatory assault on FOBTs, affording bookmakers more time to adjust and recoup. The prospect will however continue to weigh heavy on the industry’s dealmakers.
A snap general election has given British bookmakers a timely reprieve, maybe weeks, probably months, before a regulatory crackdown on gaming machines will be announced.
The triennial review of...
The greatest show on turf, for the bookmakers at least
In stark contrast to last year’s horror show, the bookmakers have come out on top from Cheltenham 2017. A timely reprieve given the state of the industry’s post-merger balance sheets.
Several injured front-runners left the field wide open at this year’s Cheltenham festival, meaning bookmakers were always primed for better run than last year.
In light of the barrage of well-backed...
Bookmakers call for end to war of words between UK sectors
As the DCMS gears up to release the findings from its investigations into gaming machine stakes and prizes, Britain’s bookmakers are calling for an end to industry in-fighting and an ‘evidence-based’ approach to the issues.
Gambling industry stakeholders are calling for a cease-fire between warring industry sectors as the turf battle over the government review of stakes and prizes becomes...
Bookies prepare for more than just a flutter at Cheltenham
UK bookmakers are set for a potential increase of over 60 percent in turnover this week as the Cheltenham Festival gears up for another big year.
Following last year’s record-breaking Cheltenham Festival, current predictions show a potential 60 percent increase in turnover for online bookmakers this week.
The global leader in payments, Worldpay, has forecast the figure in the week leading...
World first for Coral and Fresh8’s dynamic duo
The launch of a dynamic video advertising product from Coral and Fresh8 marks a world first for online gaming.
UK bookmaker Coral has launched the world's first dynamic video advertising product for online gaming in partnership with Fresh8 Gaming.
The product will see Coral working with Fresh8 technology to power auto-generated videos with real time offers and odds across their digital...
William Hill remains a ship without a captain
William Hill might not be the first driverless plc, but is six months without
a CEO at the helm already indicative that the ship is sailing dangerously close to wind?
The Catch-22 preventing William Hill from finalising a strategic merger that would soften an impending shift in retail regulation, has seemingly spilled over to its recruitment efforts.
While the company reports...
Rise of the little man upsetting the odds
We may be in unpredictable political times, but how is it that the majority of gamblers keep calling the mood, while Britain’s biggest odds-bods keep getting it so wrong? Political betting seems to be dangerous territory for the industry at the moment.
When pollsters lose their credibility, the chatterati routinely turns to bookmakers for answers, yet the last 18 months...
