Posts Tagged ‘bookies’
Bwin, Betfair Predict Egaming Future
December 8th, 2009 | 
Author: Future in online gaming will be behind those online gambling companies that show innovation and creativity.
This is Manfred Bodner’s opinion. He heads one of the most successful European bookies Bwin.
Mr. Bodner received the trophy of Operator of the Year 2009 for his company at recent EGR Awards show.
A unique EGR Live conference and exhibition took place at the same time as the online awards and Mr. Bodner was asked to share his view on the future of online gaming industry.
“The next 10 to 15 years in this industry will be about innovation,” he said. “The last ten years have been about big branding and being the industry’s Red Bull, but the next ten will be about being an Apple, and offering consumers something new that revolutionizes the market.”
“Media spending will not be the answer,” he predicted.
Bodner also expressed his opinion regarding the future of multi player online games, which have changed the very nature of online gaming.
“Live betting has transformed betting from being a transactional interaction to being an entertainment transaction,” he said. “Multi player online games offer us room to move further in that direction because people spend longer online.”
Several other top executives participated in the EGR Live conference in London last week. Some of them also shared their views about the future of online gambling in Europe.
Mark Davies, Betfair MD, said at the event: “The UK shows a mainstream model and I think Italy will also show other countries how to regulate sensibly. Gambling has already become much more of a mainstream activity, and people increasingly quote odds on sports events and even news because it shows the likelihood of something happening.”
Betfair, best of all betting exchanges, captured the title of UK Sports Betting Operator of the Year at ERG Awards 2009. Bwin, best sportsbook online, took Operator of the Year award and also topped latest EGR Power 50 report.
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Sportsbooks Favor Spain To Win World Cup
Bookmakers set European champions Spain as World Cup favorites to win next year's finals in South Africa.
One of top bookmakers online William Hill had Spain at odds of 4-1 to win the trophy. England is second best at 5-1 after Fabio Capello's side were handed a favourable draw. France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and reigning champions Italy, are also among the early favourites to win next year’s competition in South Africa.
Spain will play Honduras, Chile and Switzerland in Group H while England in Group C will face United States, Algeria and Slovenia.
England will be hoping to bounce back from their disappointment in the last World Cup, where they managed to reach the quarter-finals, losing to Portugal on penalties. Following the departure of Sven Goran Eriksson as coach, Fabio Capello has breathed new life into the squad. England confidently finished top of their qualification group and are seen as genuine contenders for the trophy.
Spain strikers Fernando Torres and David Villa, at 9-1, are joint favourites to be top scorer.
"The last World Cup came close to producing a one billion pounds turnover but we have no doubt the 2010 tournament will smash through the barrier and go well beyond," Graham Sharpe said in a news release.
Another online betting site Victor Chandler priced England at odds of 6/1 to win the tournament. Company spokesman said: “We are delighted to be able to announce England as one of the favourites for the 2010 World Cup. With an impressive qualifying campaign, which saw the team finish clear leaders of their group, hopes are high that this could be our year.”
Brazil are third favourites at 11-2 after the five-times champions were placed in a tough group alongside Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea.
Latest EGR Power 50 report placed the two bookies in top 20. William Hill has taken 5th position while Victor Chandler occupied spot number 17.
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Most Visited Sportsbooks In November
According to the latest Egaming Review report, Ladbrokes has beaten other two popular bookies Stan James and William Hill to the third place while Betfair has recovered its lead over Bet365 in November’s traffic figures from one of top odds comparison sites Oddschecker.
The data from Oddschecker, which receives more than 600,000 unique users a month, showed that Ladbrokes has overtaken Stan James and William Hill to become the third most popular online sportsbook with a 10.2% share of total traffic.
Simon Miller, Oddschecker’s Commercial Manager, stated: “The biggest mover of the month was Ladbrokes. The majority of these gains have come in horse racing, where it has added extra market share mainly at the expense of Bet365. Always a good converting brand, Ladbrokes have driven incremental bets with aggressive pricing on mid-week racing meetings.”
Ladbrokes gained some traffic at the expense of Bet365, which lost its share by 0.6% from 13.5% in October to 12.9% in November. Betfair share rose by 0,4% from 14.1% in October to 14.5% in November.
Miller also added: “The gap at the top has widened. After having its supremacy briefly threatened last month, Betfair retained the biggest market share of bets [from Oddschecker]. This was achieved with increased football betting activity, no doubt helped by Betfair’s recent TV campaigns.”
Betfair has implemented some impressive marketing campaigns including sponsorship deals with Manchester United and FC Barcelona football clubs and with the UK’s TalkSport Radio station.
Betfair captured UK Sports Operator of the Year award at recent EGR Awards. Bet365 was specially commended for Operator of the Year award won by Bwin.
Most visited online sportsbooks are listed below. Shown percentage represents share of referred traffic from Oddschecker.
November’s top sportsbooks on Oddschecker (share of referred traffic)
1. Betfair (14.5%)
2. Bet365 (12.9%)
3. Ladbrokes (10.2%)
4. Stan James (9.5%)
5. William Hill (9.3%)
6. Paddy Power (8.2%)
7. Coral (5.3%)
8. SkyBet (4.6%)
9. Sportingbet (4.4%)
10. Betfred (4.3%)
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Sportsbooks Battle Monopolies
Online bookies continue their legal fight to open up markets and allow free competition around the world. In contrast with the US their battle where they fight against a comprehensive ban, in Holland as in other European countries it is against state-owned gambling monopolies that are in conflict with EU principles.
Ladbrokes, one of biggest British sportsbooks online, has been shunned by the Dutch authorities for years. Ladbrokes continues to accept bets from Dutch residents and this case will probably reach the European Court of Justice soon. The battle between the two has been going on for over 7 years now.
Betfair also challenges Holland's legislation. The Dutch government tries to block player transactions through financial institutions, allegedly in breach of EU principles of free passage of goods and services. Betfair will try to change this policy.
In September, the EU Court has taken Portugal’s side that alike Holland supports a state betting monopoly, Santa Casa. Bwin, biggest online sportsbook, tried to enter the local market and was banned from advertising on the Portuguese soccer league website. The court decision stated prohibitions “may be regarded as justified by the objective of combating fraud and crime.”
A study published on the Gaming Intelligence website says over a million Dutch men and women gamble in Holland. It seems that they are doing so illegally.
The study was presented by Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin to the House of Representatives that seems set to to battle betting industry in his country.
Bwin and Ladbrokes are two of leading online sportsbooks in the world. Bwin has been considered the best online gaming operator second year in a row according to the latest EGR Power 50 report. Ladbrokes is holding number six position, dropping 3 spots comparing to the last year’s report.
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Posted in Sports Betting | 
Tags: betfair, bookies, bwin, ladbrokes, online sportsbook, sportsbooks online | 
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European Bookmakers To Sponsor Major Sports Events
Bwin and Bet-at-home have agreed to sponsor two more sports events. Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG, has agreed to become official sponsor of the Hahnenkamm World Cup alpine ski race until 2012. One of the best online bookies will undertake many marketing activities such as public relations, hospitality and promotions. Moreover, Bwin will also be visible on press backdrops, at the official draw and the winners celebration. In addition, one of biggest sportsbooks online will present a sixty-metre advertising board at the Seidlalm curve during the Super G and Downhill races and feature its logo throughout the slalom course.
Bwin's Co-CEO said, “We are extremely pleased to announce this sponsorship agreement today. In the years since its conception, the race has developed into a huge event and it fascinates even those who do not usually follow ski racing. For us, as an international brand with Austrian roots, it’s an honour to be part of such a global ski highlight.” This annual event is scheduled for next year from January 22 to 24 in Kitzbühel, Austria.
Bet-at-home.com AG is part of the Mangas gaming group, a French enterprise in the range of on-line gaming and sports betting. Bet-at-home.com has signed a deal to become an official partner of the European Handball Federation’s (EHF) European Handball Championships to take place in Austria in 2010. The sponsorship agreement includes advertising at matches, the rights to conduct promotional activities and displaying its logo on the internet web site for the actual event.
Bet-at-home has sponsored the EHF Champions League and the International Handball Federation’s World Championship before with great success. Bet-at-home.com’s CEO, Jochen Dickinger said, “As Official Partner of the EHF EURO we will be able to communicate effectively in our core markets in Eastern Europe, Germany and Spain to the strong media coverage.”
Bwin and Bet-at-home are featuring in top ten online gaming operators according to the recent EGR Power 50 report.
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Sportingbet Thinks About French Market
Sportingbet, one of biggest online bookies, announced last month that it intends to enter the French market, but it has now been made public that the plans to do so have been put on hold due to the uncertainty of the market.
The French betting market has gone through some severe changes and these have had a major impact on those operators that currently possess a large market share in France. The changes that will be voted at the beginning of 2009 would mean that operators such as Bwin and Unibet, who currently hold a considerable market share in France will no longer be able to take on French players once they are licensed five to six months later. These regulations have been enforced with the intention to help French monopolies to keep their online clients.
Nevertheless, some online sportsbooks are still going to take a chance and enter this unstable market. However, some bookmakers have decided to approach French market in a different way. Paddy Power decided to approach the market with a business to business strategy.
Andrew McIver, the chief executive of Sportingbet, explained that the plan to expand into the French market had been postponed until further clues as to how the gaming regulation will be in the beginning of 2010.
Mr. McIver also said, “We are now not sure what we’re going to do. The situation has changed so many times that we still can’t be sure what the best course for us to take is. I suspect that to offer an off-shore model into France could be seen as aggressive by the French authorities and it could end up as a case of warfare. And that could become difficult, as Petter Nylander found out in Holland.”
It seems that Sportingbet will make its decision regarding French market in the beginning of the next year.
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Top Bookmakers Might Lose Big in Poland
Several leading sportsbooks online such as Bwin, Unibet, Bet-At-Home, Betclick and Expekt are facing a ban on marketing and advertising activities in Poland.
Donald Tusk, Polish prime minister, revealed he want to regulate gambling industry in the country. If gambling advertising is banned, egaming operators woudl lose £11m’s worth of sponsorship they made to Polish sport. Moreover, any person or business in breach of the law would be fined PLN35,000 (£7,600).
Current sponsorship deals include Expekt’s sponsorship of the Polish national team; BetAtHome’s shirt sponsorship of Wisla Krakow, champions of last year’s Ekstraklasa top league in Polish football; Betclick’s shirt sponsorship of Ekstraklasa team Lech Poznan and Bwin’s role as a principal sponsor of Ekstraklasa team Legia Warszawa.
Polish National 2nd League could suffer the €4m a season setback as a result of the loss of Unibet’s title sponsorship.
Betsson country manager for Poland Maciej Poschwald said that new proposals, including raising the tax on offline operators from 10% of stakes to 50% of gross profit, also posed a threat to online bookies.
Maciej said: “It’s as if the Polish government went through every single campaign undertaken by egaming companies in the last few years and defined these in the new gambling act as forbidden.”
Owner of affiliate site Bet1×2.pl, Filip Sosnowski, mentioned that the Lech Poznan and Wisla Krakow teams have submitted official statements to the government stating how the proposed advertising ban could be financially damaging.
However, Sosnowski also argued situation with the ban for online sports wagering companies would only become clear in two weeks’ time when the Polish parliament has debated Tuesday’s proposal and released a second proposal aimed at regulating online gambling markets.
Sosnowski also mentioned: “While yesterday’s proposed law would impose a ban on advertising for Polish offline bookmakers and could affect online bookies advertising offline, we do not know if the same law would be used for the second project to regulate online markets. This second law will also need to be agreed by the EU.”
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