Dutch online gambling operators can expect to generate €266.5m in gross gambling yield in the first year of regulation, a figure that will rise to almost €370m in 2016, according to a new report from GamblingData.
The Netherlands is on track to become Europe’s next major online gambling market to open for business following the publication by the Dutch government in May of a draft bill that seeks to fully regulate the sector for the first time.
If implemented as it stands, the draft law would impose a 20 percent tax on gross gambling yield (GGY) and would not limit the number of licences issued or restrict the types of online gambling which could be offered to consumers, with the exception of a ban on spread betting.
Pending a vote in the lower house, the bill is expected to take effect from January 2015.
In the wake of the publication of the draft law, GamblingData has set out to forecast quarterly and annual GGY for online sports betting, casino and poker in the Netherlands over the first three years of regulation.
Based on an effective market launch date of January 2015, GamblingData estimates that online gambling in the Netherlands will generate approximately €266.5m in GGY in the first full year.
Licensees can then expect to see revenues, measured as GGY, grow 38 percent year-on-year to €368.5m in 2016, as sports betting benefits from the Euro 2016 Football Championship in France and online poker ramps up rapidly on a sequential quarterly basis.
GamblingData expects that market growth will flatten somewhat in 2017, contracting by 1 percent to €365.7m as poker spend stalls and sports betting suffers from the absence of a major summer football tournament.
On the basis of a relatively liberal regulatory system and the moderate taxation levels put forward in May, GamblingData believes unlicensed operators will be constrained to around 13 percent of the market from 2015 to 2017, safely within of the maximum 25 percent share that the draft bill envisions.
In line with previous reports, GamblingData's Dutch forecasts are predicated on base data from an established European regulated market, in this case Italy, and are calculated using GamblingData’s proprietary forecasting model, incorporating a quantitative and qualitative comparison of the two countries under observation.
An adult population just over a quarter of the size of Italy’s will inevitably limit the scale of theDutch market, but, adjusting for this differential, GamblingData’s analysis of operating conditions in the two countries foresees a Dutch regulated market more favourable towards operators than its Italian predecessor.
Some political risk remains however, with the operator-friendly provisions yet to be cemented into law. Currently the draft bill is expected to reach parliament around the turn of the year, with votes in the lower and upper house to follow.
September 03, 2013
Bwin.Party’s plan for revival
The middle of this month will see the launch of the much awaited new look poker offering from Bwin.Party said Chief Executive Officer Norbert Teufelberger. The new style poker platform will also aim at casual poker players along with a new ratings league for more regular players.
Elements that the company hope will bring success to the poker platform that has struggled against fierce competition is the social communication element offered and the rewards that climbing the ratings ladder will bring to more regular loyal players.
After recent poor results announced by the online gaming giant the company is also releasing a brand new mobile sports betting app which the company hope will improve its lowly 9% of revenues gained by the mobile sector, which many other gaming operators has seen increase their bottom line over the last couple of years.
PokerScout the online poker ranking site places PartyPoker in 5th place in the popular league which is a blow to the online company that actually launched online poker to the world.
Much of Bwin.party’s future is banked on the emergence of the US online gambling industry which the company thrived in prior to the 2006 UIGEA enforcement. The company has a deal in New Jersey when it opens up for online gambling in November with Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, along with their plan to soon apply for a license in Nevada to offer online gambling software.
Elements that the company hope will bring success to the poker platform that has struggled against fierce competition is the social communication element offered and the rewards that climbing the ratings ladder will bring to more regular loyal players.
After recent poor results announced by the online gaming giant the company is also releasing a brand new mobile sports betting app which the company hope will improve its lowly 9% of revenues gained by the mobile sector, which many other gaming operators has seen increase their bottom line over the last couple of years.
PokerScout the online poker ranking site places PartyPoker in 5th place in the popular league which is a blow to the online company that actually launched online poker to the world.
Much of Bwin.party’s future is banked on the emergence of the US online gambling industry which the company thrived in prior to the 2006 UIGEA enforcement. The company has a deal in New Jersey when it opens up for online gambling in November with Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, along with their plan to soon apply for a license in Nevada to offer online gambling software.
Head of PFA is alleged serial gambler
The Head of the English Professional Footballers Association, Graham Taylor is alleged by two main newspapers in the UK to be a “serial gambler,” even though he has on many occasions warning his members against the dangers of gambling.
The newspapers are alleging Taylor has run up debts of over £100,000 and in a 30 month period gambled £4 million on some 2,000 individual bets, with one it is said to have been on an England versus Switzerland match in 2011, which he lost according to the reports.
According to the newspaper reports most of the bets were on horseracing however some are also on the premier league football matches. Ironically Taylor has said in the past that there should be a “zero tolerance” towards footballers gambling.
Taylor is the highest paid union official in the UK which represents the interests of professional footballers and earns over £1 million a year in his role as Chief Executive, which he has been for over 30 years.
Both reports on Taylor in the UK national press have failed to get any comment from Mr Taylor confirming or denying the stories.
The newspapers are alleging Taylor has run up debts of over £100,000 and in a 30 month period gambled £4 million on some 2,000 individual bets, with one it is said to have been on an England versus Switzerland match in 2011, which he lost according to the reports.
According to the newspaper reports most of the bets were on horseracing however some are also on the premier league football matches. Ironically Taylor has said in the past that there should be a “zero tolerance” towards footballers gambling.
Taylor is the highest paid union official in the UK which represents the interests of professional footballers and earns over £1 million a year in his role as Chief Executive, which he has been for over 30 years.
Both reports on Taylor in the UK national press have failed to get any comment from Mr Taylor confirming or denying the stories.
Playtech show strong first half results
Playtech have announced their half yearly results with a 15% increase from the same time last year, the gambling software giant saw revenues rise to €176.8 million for the first half of 2013, compared to €153.8 million for the same period in 2012 .
Announcing its interim figures for the six months ending in June 2013 the company said that gross income had shifted up by 10% to €194.9 million to generate an adjusted net profit of €84.9 million, up 0.5% on the corresponding period of last year. Playtech also showed a strong cash reserve of €576.2 million allowing to offer shareholders a dividend of 7.8 cents on a share.
While announcing the interim results it was also disclosed that Mr Withers will be stepping down from his current role on the 9th October, but will remain as an advisor to the company.
Alan Jackson, who is currently the senior non-executive director, will assume the role as non-executive chairman from Mr Withers.
Announcing its interim figures for the six months ending in June 2013 the company said that gross income had shifted up by 10% to €194.9 million to generate an adjusted net profit of €84.9 million, up 0.5% on the corresponding period of last year. Playtech also showed a strong cash reserve of €576.2 million allowing to offer shareholders a dividend of 7.8 cents on a share.
“Once again Playtech’s tenacity and drive have been demonstrated in these results as it has focused on deepening its licensee relationships; creating innovative new content; and providing its customers with cutting edge products and services,” non-executive chairman Roger Withers said.
“As online gaming continues to focus on mobile, it is pleasing to see our investment in this increasingly important market paying-off across many product areas.
“The company continues to capitalise on its customer-focused strategy and strong balance sheet: Playtech remains the world’s leading supplier of technology and services for the online gaming industry and can look to the future with confidence and optimism.”
While announcing the interim results it was also disclosed that Mr Withers will be stepping down from his current role on the 9th October, but will remain as an advisor to the company.
Alan Jackson, who is currently the senior non-executive director, will assume the role as non-executive chairman from Mr Withers.
September 02, 2013
ATR agrees new media rights deal with Irish racing bodies
UK and Irish horse racing broadcaster At the Races (ATR) has agreed a deal with Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and the Association of Irish Racecourses (AIR) to gain exclusive cross-platform media rights to all Irish fixtures.
The two-year agreement, which begins in January 2014, is described as including “significantly improved terms” for multiple media rights with ATR expecting returns to racecourses to more than double next year. Revenue is also expected to be positively impacted by the option to offer domestic and international distribution through online and new media.
ATR’s partner, broadcaster and data supplier SIS will retain all domestic and international betting shop rights under its existing contract with HRI.
As part of the agreement ATR will offer HRI and AIR a seat on its board of directors, described as “a significant and important new development that will help further the effort to coordinate and align strategies and keep the Irish racing industry integrally involved in the management and direction of its rights exploitation.”
The company’s chief executive Matthew Imi said he was “delighted” that the relationship with the two associations would continue, describing Irish racing as “a significant part of [ATR’s] business.”
“HRI and AIR made it very clear that not only did they feel ATR had done a great job monetising their rights across our current distribution platforms but that they were also excited about the long term potential of the business and we look forward to welcoming their representative onto the ATR Board as we start to roll out our growth strategy,” he explained.
AIR CEO Paddy Walsh added that he was “very pleased” to have agreed the new deal with ATR and SIS, saying that he looked forward to “all parties benefiting from the partnership approach that we have always adopted in the past.”
The two-year agreement, which begins in January 2014, is described as including “significantly improved terms” for multiple media rights with ATR expecting returns to racecourses to more than double next year. Revenue is also expected to be positively impacted by the option to offer domestic and international distribution through online and new media.
ATR’s partner, broadcaster and data supplier SIS will retain all domestic and international betting shop rights under its existing contract with HRI.
As part of the agreement ATR will offer HRI and AIR a seat on its board of directors, described as “a significant and important new development that will help further the effort to coordinate and align strategies and keep the Irish racing industry integrally involved in the management and direction of its rights exploitation.”
The company’s chief executive Matthew Imi said he was “delighted” that the relationship with the two associations would continue, describing Irish racing as “a significant part of [ATR’s] business.”
“HRI and AIR made it very clear that not only did they feel ATR had done a great job monetising their rights across our current distribution platforms but that they were also excited about the long term potential of the business and we look forward to welcoming their representative onto the ATR Board as we start to roll out our growth strategy,” he explained.
AIR CEO Paddy Walsh added that he was “very pleased” to have agreed the new deal with ATR and SIS, saying that he looked forward to “all parties benefiting from the partnership approach that we have always adopted in the past.”
August 21, 2013
CVC buys Skrill (Moneybookers) for 600 millions euros
It is CVC’s third major move in a week following its £750m acquisition of the white goods insurer Domestic & General and the announcement of exclusive talks to buy parts of the European business of Campbell Soup.
Skrill was formerly known as Moneybookers and processes payments for online retailers, gambling websites and media companies. Investcorp said it reported revenues of more than €200m last year and EBITDA of €50m.
CVC’s acquisition of a 75 percent stake in Skrill will be funded with around €250m of equity as well as debt financing provided by Credit Suisse, RBS and Jefferies. Investcorp, which invested €105m for a controlling stake in Skrill in 2007, will retain a “substantial minority position” and a seat on the board.
The Bahraini Group put Skrill up for sale by Barclays earlier this year following rapid growth and the acquisition last year of Paysafecard.com from Wertkarten, an Austrian provider of prepaid vouchers that enable consumers to shop online with a lower fraud risk, for €140m. The company now employs some 700 staff and boasts 35 million account holders, and 150,000 merchants. It competes with the eBay-owned digital wallet provider PayPal and Google Checkout, among others.
The company’s management team will remain in place folowing completion of the deal, which is subject to approval by regulators.
Skrill chief executive Siegfried Heimgaertner said: “We are delighted to have CVC on-board whilst retaining Investcorp as a significant investor.
“CVC’s global reach and experience will support our goal to become the first choice in payments on a global basis. The value-based transformation we began in 2012 will continue unabated through this year and into 2014.”
CVC senior managing director Peter Rutland said it would support Skrill’s international expansion plans. The company had planned to raise funding in a flotation but abandoned the idea in 2011 amid concern about the weak IPO market.
Skrill was formerly known as Moneybookers and processes payments for online retailers, gambling websites and media companies. Investcorp said it reported revenues of more than €200m last year and EBITDA of €50m.
CVC’s acquisition of a 75 percent stake in Skrill will be funded with around €250m of equity as well as debt financing provided by Credit Suisse, RBS and Jefferies. Investcorp, which invested €105m for a controlling stake in Skrill in 2007, will retain a “substantial minority position” and a seat on the board.
The Bahraini Group put Skrill up for sale by Barclays earlier this year following rapid growth and the acquisition last year of Paysafecard.com from Wertkarten, an Austrian provider of prepaid vouchers that enable consumers to shop online with a lower fraud risk, for €140m. The company now employs some 700 staff and boasts 35 million account holders, and 150,000 merchants. It competes with the eBay-owned digital wallet provider PayPal and Google Checkout, among others.
The company’s management team will remain in place folowing completion of the deal, which is subject to approval by regulators.
Skrill chief executive Siegfried Heimgaertner said: “We are delighted to have CVC on-board whilst retaining Investcorp as a significant investor.
“CVC’s global reach and experience will support our goal to become the first choice in payments on a global basis. The value-based transformation we began in 2012 will continue unabated through this year and into 2014.”
CVC senior managing director Peter Rutland said it would support Skrill’s international expansion plans. The company had planned to raise funding in a flotation but abandoned the idea in 2011 amid concern about the weak IPO market.
August 15, 2013
Zynga cuts senior roles in company
EO of Zynga Don Mattrick has announced the company are reducing layers of senior management by removing Chief Operations Officer David Ko, The Head of Human Resources Colleen McCreary and Chief Technology Officer Cadir Lee, in a major reshuffle of senior heads.
Mattrick who was appointed new CEO last month, replacing founder of Zynga Mark Pincus as the new boss and charged with helping to turn around the fortunes of the once great online social gaming company.
He has a giant task ahead of him with shares in Zynga sliding 71% since the company went public back in 2011.
Mattrick said in a statement “We are taking layers out of the executive rank to get senior leaders closer to important product initiatives.”
Mattrick who was appointed new CEO last month, replacing founder of Zynga Mark Pincus as the new boss and charged with helping to turn around the fortunes of the once great online social gaming company.
He has a giant task ahead of him with shares in Zynga sliding 71% since the company went public back in 2011.
Mattrick said in a statement “We are taking layers out of the executive rank to get senior leaders closer to important product initiatives.”
Vietnam discuss legal gambling proposals
The Vietnam’s National Assembly discussed options to legalise gambling in the country for its ninety million nationals this week. Currently it is illegal for Vietnamese to gamble even thou there are seven casinos serving overseas visitors.
What was interesting is the point of view from Assembly members to limit the amount wagered by nationals and the frequency of gambling.
The draft proposal by the Ministry of Finance will allow Vietnamese gamblers three kinds of money betting on horse racing, dog racing and sports betting.
But the most controversial is the amount they are allowed to gamble and the maximum frequency of betting on horse and dog racing cannot exceed three days a week at each racecourse. For football betting, the betting frequency depends on the timetable of the matches.
The minimum amount of betting money is set at 10,000 Vietnamese dong ($0.50 cents) per time and not exceed 1 million Vietnamese dong ($50) per day.
How this should be enforced has not been made clear at present, with an official from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) said there would be underground gambling still if they are regulated in this manner.
The gambling proposal also makes clear that people taking part in any gambling must be over 18 years old. The new proposals still make it illegal for any national to visit and gamble in the seven licensed casinos in the country, with a $10,000 fine in place for any violations.
However it is widely known that many Vietnamese visit and gamble in the casinos, with once casino manager quoted as saying that overseas players only make up one percent of their business.
Currently wealthy Vietnamese travel to neighbouring countries to gamble and play in casinos and the new proposal is aimed at stopping the flow of taxable dollars outside the country, however with the small maximums proposed it is unlikely this will prevent that from happening.
What was interesting is the point of view from Assembly members to limit the amount wagered by nationals and the frequency of gambling.
The draft proposal by the Ministry of Finance will allow Vietnamese gamblers three kinds of money betting on horse racing, dog racing and sports betting.
But the most controversial is the amount they are allowed to gamble and the maximum frequency of betting on horse and dog racing cannot exceed three days a week at each racecourse. For football betting, the betting frequency depends on the timetable of the matches.
The minimum amount of betting money is set at 10,000 Vietnamese dong ($0.50 cents) per time and not exceed 1 million Vietnamese dong ($50) per day.
How this should be enforced has not been made clear at present, with an official from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) said there would be underground gambling still if they are regulated in this manner.
The gambling proposal also makes clear that people taking part in any gambling must be over 18 years old. The new proposals still make it illegal for any national to visit and gamble in the seven licensed casinos in the country, with a $10,000 fine in place for any violations.
However it is widely known that many Vietnamese visit and gamble in the casinos, with once casino manager quoted as saying that overseas players only make up one percent of their business.
Currently wealthy Vietnamese travel to neighbouring countries to gamble and play in casinos and the new proposal is aimed at stopping the flow of taxable dollars outside the country, however with the small maximums proposed it is unlikely this will prevent that from happening.
Manchester City Back 188Bet For Success In New Club Partnership
On the eve of a new Premier League campaign, Manchester City Football Club has teamed up with 188BET in a new club partnership.
The two year deal will see the global online gaming company become the club’s Official International Betting Partner.
As part of the deal, 188BET will be activating its partnership using City’s crest and player imagery throughout key regions and markets in addition to having a strong presence on the club’s Malay, Thai, Chinese and Indonesian websites.
Commenting on the partnership, Chief Commercial & Operating Officer for Manchester City Football Club, Tom Glick, said, “188BET’s experience within the Premier League has made them one of the most popular bookmakers among football fans, making them the perfect fit for the Club.
“Having built a strong reputation by providing customers with an extensive variety of products across multiple markets, we feel 188BET has the opportunity to become one of the biggest online gaming companies in the world. We look forward to working together to help them expand their operations, particularly throughout South East Asia.”
The club’s sentiment is also shared by Nigel Singer, Managing Director of 188BET, who added, “Manchester City is a fantastic addition to our global partnerships with Premier League football clubs.
“We are delighted to be associated with a club with such strong heritage and a passionate and loyal global fan base. This will allow us to reach a broad international audience.”
“Manchester City is one of the world’s most recognised football clubs and the combination of their proud history, worldwide fan base, and exciting plans for the future, means this is a great partnership opportunity for 188BET.”
The two year deal will see the global online gaming company become the club’s Official International Betting Partner.
As part of the deal, 188BET will be activating its partnership using City’s crest and player imagery throughout key regions and markets in addition to having a strong presence on the club’s Malay, Thai, Chinese and Indonesian websites.
Commenting on the partnership, Chief Commercial & Operating Officer for Manchester City Football Club, Tom Glick, said, “188BET’s experience within the Premier League has made them one of the most popular bookmakers among football fans, making them the perfect fit for the Club.
“Having built a strong reputation by providing customers with an extensive variety of products across multiple markets, we feel 188BET has the opportunity to become one of the biggest online gaming companies in the world. We look forward to working together to help them expand their operations, particularly throughout South East Asia.”
The club’s sentiment is also shared by Nigel Singer, Managing Director of 188BET, who added, “Manchester City is a fantastic addition to our global partnerships with Premier League football clubs.
“We are delighted to be associated with a club with such strong heritage and a passionate and loyal global fan base. This will allow us to reach a broad international audience.”
“Manchester City is one of the world’s most recognised football clubs and the combination of their proud history, worldwide fan base, and exciting plans for the future, means this is a great partnership opportunity for 188BET.”
August 13, 2013
Bwin.party Agree Three-Year Deal With Marseille
With sponsorship deals tied up in England, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Spain, it only needed a significant presence in France to allow Bwin.party to smother the sponsorship cloak over the top tier of European football; and that goal has been smashed into the back of the net after Norbert Teufelberger’s troops secured a three-year deal to become the official online betting and gaming partner of Olympique de Marseille.
The sponsorship package will allow Bwin.party players to get closer to the only French club to ever win a UEFA Champions League trophy, as they plan to roll out a number of fan-based initiatives that will see online casino gamers watching the team train, traveling to fixtures and hosting events where they can meet and mingle with the players.
“We are proud to establish this partnership with Olympique de Marseille, one of the oldest and most successful clubs in France and Europe,” said Bwin.party CEO, Norbert Teufelberger. “Today’s announcement means that we are now partnered with six of the greatest clubs in European football, enabling us to offer our customers an unparalleled range of online and real world offers.”
The news comes just a fortnight after Bwin.party agreed a similar deal with the top Belgian outfit RSC Anderlecht. This means Bwin.party have sponsorship deals with Manchester United (England), Juventus (Italy), Bayern Munich (Germany) and Real Madrid (Spain) giving them an unparalleled reach over European football.
The Road to Old Trafford
If Marseille supporters are unsure as to how Bwin.party will use their ties with the French football team to continue to improve their online gambling relationships, then look no further than the recent Road to Old Trafford initiative that was rolled out over two-days this past weekend at the home of Manchester United.
Bwin.party players were invited to a unique event at Old Trafford stadium that saw United legends of past and present playing poker with them in a joint venture. Darren Fletcher, Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside, Dwight Yorke and Quinton Fortune all spent time with the Bwin.party players, and some of them even competed in fun poker tournaments, giving the players the chance to speak to their heroes.
In addition, at least a dozen free tickets were given out to watch Rio Ferdinand’s testimonial against Seville, eight lucky winners got to watch the first team training at Carrington training ground, and a whole host of prizes such as signed shirts, caps, boots and balls were also given out as prizes.
The event also saw a £250 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) tournament held over the two days and the Manchester United fan Sam Trickett took home the top prize. The most successful poker player in British history said: “I am really happy to win this event – I played for fun but I felt I really had to win at Old Trafford – I made it my mission!
Trickett won £10,000 for coming first and donated a significant portion of that prize to the Rio Ferdinand’s Live the Dream Foundation. Yours truly finished 19th for a £390 prize and donated all of my proceedings to the girlfriend’s Buy More Bags and Shoes Foundation.
The sponsorship package will allow Bwin.party players to get closer to the only French club to ever win a UEFA Champions League trophy, as they plan to roll out a number of fan-based initiatives that will see online casino gamers watching the team train, traveling to fixtures and hosting events where they can meet and mingle with the players.
“We are proud to establish this partnership with Olympique de Marseille, one of the oldest and most successful clubs in France and Europe,” said Bwin.party CEO, Norbert Teufelberger. “Today’s announcement means that we are now partnered with six of the greatest clubs in European football, enabling us to offer our customers an unparalleled range of online and real world offers.”
The news comes just a fortnight after Bwin.party agreed a similar deal with the top Belgian outfit RSC Anderlecht. This means Bwin.party have sponsorship deals with Manchester United (England), Juventus (Italy), Bayern Munich (Germany) and Real Madrid (Spain) giving them an unparalleled reach over European football.
The Road to Old Trafford
If Marseille supporters are unsure as to how Bwin.party will use their ties with the French football team to continue to improve their online gambling relationships, then look no further than the recent Road to Old Trafford initiative that was rolled out over two-days this past weekend at the home of Manchester United.
Bwin.party players were invited to a unique event at Old Trafford stadium that saw United legends of past and present playing poker with them in a joint venture. Darren Fletcher, Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside, Dwight Yorke and Quinton Fortune all spent time with the Bwin.party players, and some of them even competed in fun poker tournaments, giving the players the chance to speak to their heroes.
In addition, at least a dozen free tickets were given out to watch Rio Ferdinand’s testimonial against Seville, eight lucky winners got to watch the first team training at Carrington training ground, and a whole host of prizes such as signed shirts, caps, boots and balls were also given out as prizes.
The event also saw a £250 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) tournament held over the two days and the Manchester United fan Sam Trickett took home the top prize. The most successful poker player in British history said: “I am really happy to win this event – I played for fun but I felt I really had to win at Old Trafford – I made it my mission!
Trickett won £10,000 for coming first and donated a significant portion of that prize to the Rio Ferdinand’s Live the Dream Foundation. Yours truly finished 19th for a £390 prize and donated all of my proceedings to the girlfriend’s Buy More Bags and Shoes Foundation.
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