Category: Industry news
Judicial Review rules in favour of Betfair
Full press release here: –
https://corporate.betfair.com/media/press-releases/2012.aspx
Basically William Hill have lost their case, which was arguing that an undefined group of Betfair customers should paying levy on profits. This premise carefully ignored the fact that Betfair customers already pay levy via Betfair by proxy and brushed over a number of other contradictory issues. From my view point and that of the friend of mine who is in the legal profession, it looked more like a competitive action than a legal …
Cyprus legislates against Betfair
The Cypriot government announced on Friday legislation that aims to restricts products that gambling operators can offer in the country. Product restrictions included processes that are “designed to facilitate the receipt or acceptance of bets between players”.
Betfair announced this morning that they intended to challenge the decision as “the company believes that the legislation contains serious flaws and, in certain areas, is inconsistent with European Union law. “
Betfair also announced that Cyprus “generated approximately 4% of revenue from …
Betfair fixed odds sportsbook launched
I’ve just seen a promo banner appear on Betfair which gave details on how the sportsbook will look and work. You can find out more details here: –
https://promotions.betfair.com/fixed-odds-uk
It looks like we finally have the launch of the sportsbook. Clicking into Euro 2012 football market provides the option to view both fixed odds and exchange odds. Exchanges odds are way better than the fixed odds. I can’t see any value add to a customer on placing a fixed odds …
Now Spain says yes and no to Betfair
Betfair confirmed today that thier exchange will be unavailable in Spain from early June upon receipt of a new gaming license.
It seems Betfair have been granted a licence for a sportsbook and will ‘transfer’ exchange customers to the sportsbook. But the exchange will be shut down while, “Betfair continues its constructive dialogue with the Spanish regulatory authorities and looks forward to working with them in the near future on the licensing of betting exchanges.”
Full details here: –
https://corporate.betfair.com/media/press-releases/2012/23-05-2012.aspx…
Goldman Sachs sells off entire Betfair LMAX stake
Missed this the first time around but thought it was of interest.
INVESTMENT bank Goldman Sachs has sold out its investment in LMAX, the online trading platform owned by Betfair. The bank’s exit comes as the platform struggles to live up to its earlier expectations. Its chief executive left last year as trading volumes failed to live up to hopes. Betfair said that its decision to invest a further £10m in LMAX diluted Goldman’s 12.5 per cent shareholding to less …
Betfair awarded licence in Germany
Hot off the news wires, the man from Schleswig Holstein says Jawohl: –
BETFAIR GROUP (“Betfair”) has today been awarded a licence to operate its betting exchange in the German state of Schleswig Holstein.
Following the receipt of the licence for sports betting, Betfair intends to pay 20% of Gross Gaming Revenue derived from Germany to Schleswig Holstein. Based on current revenue run-rates it is envisaged that this payment will reduce Core Betfair’s gross margin by approximately one percentage point.…
Betfair to continue with Racing in Australia
Reports coming in that despite their loss in the recent high profile court case, Betfair appear to have made the decision to continue to offer racing to Australian customers. Here is a copy of the correspondence.
Dear *****,
Many of you will be aware of a recent decision by the High Court of Australia which upheld Racing NSW’s decision to impose a turnover based fee on wagering operators.
Due to the additional cost to Betfair associated with this decision …
Short Betfair!
Page seven of the business section in the Evening Standard today. Thought you may want to see it.
Basically they are saying short because of the GC stuff, which we know is not an issue anyhow, so a poor piece of journalism there. But also because the share buyback has supported the price and that is about to end. I’d say that was a better piece of insight.
Overall, It is going to be a big sporting year so I …
Betfair loses key Australian court case
Racing officials in New South Wales are rejoicing after a years-long challenge to their race fields legislation was this morning thrown out by the High Court.
Read more here – https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-30/racing-nsw-wins-court-battle/3922762/?site=melbourne
Betfair Australasia chief executive Giles Thompson says he respects the court’s decision but says it will reduce the competitiveness of wagering on racing in NSW. “A turnover fee will place extreme pressure on our ability to continue to offer our customers what we believe is the best product in …
UK Government changes remote gambling tax
During his budget speech today George Osbourne has announced plans to change the tax treatment of gambling tax so that it is generated at the point of consumption.
Depending on how it is implemented, this effectively stomps on offshore operators offering services to the UK while avoiding paying UK tax on those profits.
We have yet to see the detail yet, but that’s the breaking news.
Fraud on client funds again?
WorldSpreads recently entered special administration after the company said in a statement that as at close of business on Friday 16 March, the board of directors believed there was a shortfall of some £13m in clients’ money. I offer my sympathy if you have been affected.
Basically it looks like they have been trading using clients funds, though official information is always a big foggy in these cases. If so, it would not the first time a company has done …
(N)Ice
Spent a lot of last week doing the industry rounds at a couple of trade shows, one of them was ‘ICE’.
I mentioned last year that my interest was raised when speaking to the non betting exchange part of the industry. It seems that the knowledge, research and ability I have acquired over the many years I have been doing this, is in demand from other parts of the industry; so last week was a check point on that progress.…
Betfair profits up on flat growth
See the full press announcement here: –
At first glance revenue (comissions) have declined, but so has the cost of sales, producing an increase in the bottom line. Admin expenses have also fallen adding to the bottom line.
I’ll have a proper read of the full statement when I get into the office. Betfair shares are up a bit in early trading this morning.
If you want an update of content of the conference call, I’ll be tweeting updates: …
Betfair results due out tomorrow
If you can get up early tomorrow morning you will be able to see Betfair’s H1-12 results. The first since the introduction of the most recent premium charge announcement and various other factors. It will be interesting to see what impact all the news coming out of Hammersmith this year has had on the underlying business. It feels to me like growth has slowed, but that they will be able to boost the bottom line thanks to their very aggressive …
Online betting tax imposed
Stark headline for a lot in this sector, but in the latest austerity budget in Ireland there were proposals to level out the playing field by introducing a new tax on phone and Internet gambling. As always, details are a bit sketchy at the moment but shops have been taxed for sometime but other channels not, so this is addressing that discrepancy.
Quite how it will work and be enforced is difficult to see at the moment, but it will …
Set back for Betfair Australia
Scott reports on his blog that Racing NSW has won an appeal on what is clearly a discriminatory tactic against Betfair. Unless Betfair can overturn the ruling it’s a game changer in this territory for exchanges.
https://www.sportismadeforbetting.com/2010/11/racing-nsw-wins-racefields-legislation.html
Man Utd to refinance
News story this morning about how the Glazer’s have given notice on their money borrowed from hedge funds.
Read more about the story here: –
https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/9192771.stm
It’s interesting because the interest payments on the debt have been putting a huge strain on Man Utd’s ability to spend money. A case in point in the following sentence: –
“Earlier this year the rate rose to 16.25%”
I’m aware that raising finance in the current market is tough and rates can be …
Posthumous Paul
I am sure you have heard of Paul the Octopus by now and his recent death. I think along with the Vuvuzela this was one of the things the World Cup will be remembered for. More than the football. But, putting aside the well acceptable cognitive and predictive abilities of Octopus vulgaris, just how clever is Paul?
Here is an excellent post that I missed first time around but found in my recent google search of our departed deity.…
No false start for Betfair float
Betfair shares got off to a good start last Friday on the London stock exchange. I am sure there will be plenty of excitement and speculation around the shares for some time. Betfair is a ‘new’ business, has good competitive aspects and is one that has seen rapid growth. Surely a ‘hot’ stock.
As you may be aware, I have been brought up on a diet of long term investing on the stock market and not speculation. My focus has …
Is £113m too much?
I see this enormous lottery jackpot has now been claimed.
I do wonder what is the point of gifting somebody so much money, especially in times of such austerity? I find it a little crass. I am sure the money could be put to excellent use in a number of ways, but gifting it to one person?!? I know there has to be an incentive to do the lottery, but I am sure most people would be very happy with …
European Court rejects gambling restrictions
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11234128
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) said German laws that protect state monopolies for gambling were “unjustifiable”.
The ruling could open the way for foreign betting companies to establish a presence in Germany.
John Higgins cleared of match-fixing
https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/8973869.stm
It increasingly looks to me like newspapers are trying to get stories out of sportsmen by setting them up to talk about match fixing. Despite the fact Higgins never did fix anything, it did a lot of damage to him and snooker. His guilt it appears, is not to report the incident.
I suppose the decent thing to come out of this is that sports men and women will be very nervous about meeting strangers or even contemplating meeting …
Connect
Connect with us on the following social media platforms.