Irish bookmaker Paddy Power have continued in the same vein with its mischief making advertising ways by hiring Amsterdam’s We Are Pi as its “brand mischief” agency for the Rugby World Cup.
Paddy Power CMO Gav Thompson says: “We Are Pi are our kind of agency; creative, restless and non-conformists. We went looking for a partner in mischief and they were the stand-out choice. Their ideas were clever and naughty in equal measure, and I am very excited about our future together.”
So of course Paddy Power wanted to make a statement with controversial “trigger happy American dentist.”
If the dentist pots a country’s animal ‘icon’ (which in New Zealand’s case seems to be a sheep) then they’re predicted to lose.
September 25, 2015
September 24, 2015
Brazil considers legalizing gambling
Brazil could legalise gambling to help stop increasing taxes on residents and to bring in revenues through gambling.
Presidnet Dilma Rousseff wants to raise personal taxes but lawmakers and congress want to look at re-establishing gambling in the country as an alternative revenue stream. The presidents chief of staff, Aloizio Mercadante, put the idea to lawmakers last week after they said the government will struggle to pass a controversial tax on financial transactions.
It has been nearly 70 years since Brazil allowed casino gambling back in 1946 and 8 years since bingo halls were also outlawed amid fears from the government that they encouraged money laundering. The only forms of gambling allowed is lotteries and horse racing.
Supporters of gambling say that Brazil could generate nearly $6 billion in gambling taxes a year and could have been much larger if the country had allowed gambling before the 2014 World Cup.
“When Brazilians want to gamble, they go to Paraguay, Montevideo, Las Vegas… and they leave all the money there,” said Mauricio Quintella, leader of the small, center-right Party of the Republic in the lower house of Congress and one of the lawmakers tasked with leading consultations on the idea.
However Brazil has a long way to go before any casinos are built, the country has seen major corruption scandals over the years and many Brazilians think that casinos and corruption go hand in hand. Convincing them that this will not be the case this time around will be an uphill task, but one many lawmakers believe is worth it for the taxes they can gain from casinos.
Presidnet Dilma Rousseff wants to raise personal taxes but lawmakers and congress want to look at re-establishing gambling in the country as an alternative revenue stream. The presidents chief of staff, Aloizio Mercadante, put the idea to lawmakers last week after they said the government will struggle to pass a controversial tax on financial transactions.
It has been nearly 70 years since Brazil allowed casino gambling back in 1946 and 8 years since bingo halls were also outlawed amid fears from the government that they encouraged money laundering. The only forms of gambling allowed is lotteries and horse racing.
Supporters of gambling say that Brazil could generate nearly $6 billion in gambling taxes a year and could have been much larger if the country had allowed gambling before the 2014 World Cup.
“When Brazilians want to gamble, they go to Paraguay, Montevideo, Las Vegas… and they leave all the money there,” said Mauricio Quintella, leader of the small, center-right Party of the Republic in the lower house of Congress and one of the lawmakers tasked with leading consultations on the idea.
However Brazil has a long way to go before any casinos are built, the country has seen major corruption scandals over the years and many Brazilians think that casinos and corruption go hand in hand. Convincing them that this will not be the case this time around will be an uphill task, but one many lawmakers believe is worth it for the taxes they can gain from casinos.
New poker malware sees your cards
According to findings from ESET security research a new malware program is infecting online poker players game time on PokerStars & Full Tilt Poker and taking images of their hands and then sending them back to the user so they have a huge advantage when playing against them.
The virus called Win32/Spy.Odlanor, or just Odlanor focuses solely on poker players online and allows the author of the virus to take screenshots of the unsuspecting opposing players hands.
Many players download the virus without knowing as it can hide itself in programs such as Tournament Shark, Poker Calculator Pro, Smart Buddy, and Poker Office, which many online poker players download.
Once downloaded it will search for the PC users poker software and send a screenshot of the players ID online so allowing the author to search for them online and sit against them on the same poker tables.
ESET say that at present they only know of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker that is being infected by this new virus that was first spotted in March 2015.
Currently the virus is most active in Eastern European countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Kazahstan, Belarus, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. There are no known cases in the UK and western countries but ESET says this does not mean it is not there.
The virus called Win32/Spy.Odlanor, or just Odlanor focuses solely on poker players online and allows the author of the virus to take screenshots of the unsuspecting opposing players hands.
Many players download the virus without knowing as it can hide itself in programs such as Tournament Shark, Poker Calculator Pro, Smart Buddy, and Poker Office, which many online poker players download.
Once downloaded it will search for the PC users poker software and send a screenshot of the players ID online so allowing the author to search for them online and sit against them on the same poker tables.
ESET say that at present they only know of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker that is being infected by this new virus that was first spotted in March 2015.
Currently the virus is most active in Eastern European countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Kazahstan, Belarus, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. There are no known cases in the UK and western countries but ESET says this does not mean it is not there.
September 16, 2015
William Hill is left chasing the field as tie-ups reshape sector
William Hill began the year as Britain's biggest bookmaker but a series of mergers is pushing it down the pecking order and putting it under pressure to react.
Driven by tighter regulation and tax pressures that are taking chunks out of profits, big betting names Ladbrokes and Gala Coral are combining, as are Betfair and Ireland's Paddy Power.
Online gambling firm GVC also agreed a £1.1bn (€1.5bn) deal for larger rival Bwin.Party this month - with the same factors fuelling consolidation.
The larger companies can divert savings into higher marketing spend and potentially offer a wider array of improved products to gamblers on smart phones and tablets. Smaller rivals are then squeezed out and these new groups' lower costs, enhanced market share and larger revenues all help to soften bigger tax charges.
High street shops where gamblers can bet on horse or greyhound racing have been a feature of British and Irish towns since the 1960s. Betting "in play" on televised football matches has also attracted a younger generation of tech-savy sports fans as the gambling scene has moved online.
William Hill grasped these trends before rivals but now appears to have ground to make up.
"William Hill could benefit from a potential partnering up with another operator, now it has more credible competition coming. But it's hard to see exactly who," HSBC analysts said.
Led by CEO James Henderson, a 30-year company insider who replaced veteran Ralph Topping last year, it was William Hill who made one of the first moves of 2015, tabling a £720m bid for online gambling firm 888.
That deal collapsed but the M&A wave since has narrowed the field, including the removal of Betfair, which analysts had tipped as a fit.
For William Hill, 888 remains the obvious choice. The firm has a market capitalisation five times smaller than William Hill's and would add leading technology, strong casino and bingo positions and a lot of cost synergies to its arsenal, analysts say.
The only other big player is Bet365, it is likely too expensive and has an exposure to unregulated markets William Hill wants to avoid.
Driven by tighter regulation and tax pressures that are taking chunks out of profits, big betting names Ladbrokes and Gala Coral are combining, as are Betfair and Ireland's Paddy Power.
Online gambling firm GVC also agreed a £1.1bn (€1.5bn) deal for larger rival Bwin.Party this month - with the same factors fuelling consolidation.
The larger companies can divert savings into higher marketing spend and potentially offer a wider array of improved products to gamblers on smart phones and tablets. Smaller rivals are then squeezed out and these new groups' lower costs, enhanced market share and larger revenues all help to soften bigger tax charges.
High street shops where gamblers can bet on horse or greyhound racing have been a feature of British and Irish towns since the 1960s. Betting "in play" on televised football matches has also attracted a younger generation of tech-savy sports fans as the gambling scene has moved online.
William Hill grasped these trends before rivals but now appears to have ground to make up.
"William Hill could benefit from a potential partnering up with another operator, now it has more credible competition coming. But it's hard to see exactly who," HSBC analysts said.
Led by CEO James Henderson, a 30-year company insider who replaced veteran Ralph Topping last year, it was William Hill who made one of the first moves of 2015, tabling a £720m bid for online gambling firm 888.
That deal collapsed but the M&A wave since has narrowed the field, including the removal of Betfair, which analysts had tipped as a fit.
For William Hill, 888 remains the obvious choice. The firm has a market capitalisation five times smaller than William Hill's and would add leading technology, strong casino and bingo positions and a lot of cost synergies to its arsenal, analysts say.
The only other big player is Bet365, it is likely too expensive and has an exposure to unregulated markets William Hill wants to avoid.
September 11, 2015
Bet365 faces penalties for misleading novice punters over 'free' bets
Online gambling giant Bet365 faces heavy fines for luring new punters with a false promotion that required them to spend up to $1200 before they could recover $200 in "free bets".
Australia's consumer watchdog launched a lawsuit in the Federal Court alleging Bet365, one of the world's largest online betting providers, had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct by offering the free bets to new customers in its 10-month promotion in 2013-14.
New gamblers were falsely enticed by the advertised "free bets", but were actually required to gamble $1200 before being able to withdraw any winnings, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The Federal Court this week found in favour of the ACCC, ruling that Bet365's Australian and UK companies had misled and deceived customers.
"New customers who had not previously used such types of services were drawn into this web of deception," Justice Jonathan Beach said.
But the ACCC lost its claim against Bet365 Group Limited, the ultimate holding company of the other two businesses.
Court documents show that between March 2013 and February 2014, Bet365's opening webpage displayed the headline offer: "$200 free bets for new customers", and from February this year: "Up to $200 deposit bonus for new customers".
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the offer meant potentially vulnerable consumers, such as novice gamblers and young people, were being lured to place bets.
"This judgment makes it clear that companies cannot use the word 'free' in offers to consumers where any conditions that seek to neutralise the 'free' nature of the offer are not clearly identified. Inducements like free bets run the risk of signing up new and inexperienced gamblers based on a deceptive claim," Sims said.
Penalties will be determined at a further trial in the Federal Court.
Australia's consumer watchdog launched a lawsuit in the Federal Court alleging Bet365, one of the world's largest online betting providers, had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct by offering the free bets to new customers in its 10-month promotion in 2013-14.
New gamblers were falsely enticed by the advertised "free bets", but were actually required to gamble $1200 before being able to withdraw any winnings, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The Federal Court this week found in favour of the ACCC, ruling that Bet365's Australian and UK companies had misled and deceived customers.
"New customers who had not previously used such types of services were drawn into this web of deception," Justice Jonathan Beach said.
But the ACCC lost its claim against Bet365 Group Limited, the ultimate holding company of the other two businesses.
Court documents show that between March 2013 and February 2014, Bet365's opening webpage displayed the headline offer: "$200 free bets for new customers", and from February this year: "Up to $200 deposit bonus for new customers".
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the offer meant potentially vulnerable consumers, such as novice gamblers and young people, were being lured to place bets.
"This judgment makes it clear that companies cannot use the word 'free' in offers to consumers where any conditions that seek to neutralise the 'free' nature of the offer are not clearly identified. Inducements like free bets run the risk of signing up new and inexperienced gamblers based on a deceptive claim," Sims said.
Penalties will be determined at a further trial in the Federal Court.
September 09, 2015
PayPal back in US online gambling business
After some 13 years from stepping out of the US online gambling payments sector it looks like industry giant PayPal is moving back into online gaming. When eBay purchased PayPal in 2002 it immediately pulled its presence from the online gambling payments sector in the US but now thirteen years on it has now been introduced again on the Caesars Interactive websites in Nevada.
Now that PayPal has been given its freedom from eBay as a separate entity, PayPal wants to prove itself and has recently hired some well-known online gambling industry payments professionals to ensure the success in the online gambling business US side.
Before it pulled out of the US online gambling business PayPal was generating more than 6% of its total revenues from online gambling and it sees the US market as a huge potential for growth again says industry watchers.
Now that PayPal has been given its freedom from eBay as a separate entity, PayPal wants to prove itself and has recently hired some well-known online gambling industry payments professionals to ensure the success in the online gambling business US side.
Before it pulled out of the US online gambling business PayPal was generating more than 6% of its total revenues from online gambling and it sees the US market as a huge potential for growth again says industry watchers.
September 08, 2015
888 plans new acquisitions
Following the very bitter and failed acquisition of online gaming company bwin.party by 888 Holdings the firm has come out fighting saying it has other “strategic” acquisitions lined up.
Speaking to the Times Newspaper 888 Chairman Brian Mattingley said that they had dropped out of the battle for bwin.party because if they had raised their own offer there would not have been enough funds to ‘carry out the synergies and cost savings that it had identified ‘said Mattingley.
GVC was announced last week as the preferred choice of the bwin.party board following an increased bid which then triggered 888 to withdraw from the process. But Mattingley has stated that the failure to acquire bwin.party does not mean his own company is a target for takeover, with William Hill previously involved in purchasing 888.
“We are not a target,” Mattingley said. “We will do practical and strategic acquisitions particularly to build our sport betting.”
“It is going to be a challenge,” he said. “We will rise to it. We will not be cast aside. We are not an also-ran and we are not a one-trick pony. We have proved that we have got the critical mass.”
Speaking to the Times Newspaper 888 Chairman Brian Mattingley said that they had dropped out of the battle for bwin.party because if they had raised their own offer there would not have been enough funds to ‘carry out the synergies and cost savings that it had identified ‘said Mattingley.
GVC was announced last week as the preferred choice of the bwin.party board following an increased bid which then triggered 888 to withdraw from the process. But Mattingley has stated that the failure to acquire bwin.party does not mean his own company is a target for takeover, with William Hill previously involved in purchasing 888.
“We are not a target,” Mattingley said. “We will do practical and strategic acquisitions particularly to build our sport betting.”
“It is going to be a challenge,” he said. “We will rise to it. We will not be cast aside. We are not an also-ran and we are not a one-trick pony. We have proved that we have got the critical mass.”
Unibet looking for new startups in Israel
Newspapers in Israel are reporting that European online casino operator Unibet is flying to Israel to possibly invest in new startups in the country. Senior exectuives from Unibet are expected to fly in this week to hold an event on Thursday where they will meet local entrepreneurs and consider investing in new technologies focussing on games of chance in the online world.
The event will see some 20 young companies pitching for twenty minutes each in the hope of securing funding from the online gaming firm currently valued at $18.7 billion.
Unibet is in the market for new companies and acquisitions as they bought Stan James in July and more recently in August purchased iGame Holding for $65 million.
The event will see some 20 young companies pitching for twenty minutes each in the hope of securing funding from the online gaming firm currently valued at $18.7 billion.
Unibet is in the market for new companies and acquisitions as they bought Stan James in July and more recently in August purchased iGame Holding for $65 million.
Optimal to change name to Paysafe Group
Optimal Payments the giant online payments firm has announced it is to change its operating name to Paysafe Group PLC at an Extraordinary General Meeting later in September.
The move comes as the payment firm looks to be admitted into the London Stock Exchange main market for listed securities. Optimal Payments have been busy over the last year acquiring leading smaller payments companies with the most recent and notable being that of Skrill for 1.1 billion euros.
The move comes as the payment firm looks to be admitted into the London Stock Exchange main market for listed securities. Optimal Payments have been busy over the last year acquiring leading smaller payments companies with the most recent and notable being that of Skrill for 1.1 billion euros.
Betfair and Paddy Power agree terms for £5bn merger to create online gambling giant, but job losses on the cards
Gambling group Betfair and rival Paddy Power have agreed the terms of a £5billion merger to create a new Dublin-based online gaming giant to be called Paddy Power Betfair.
On completion of the merger, Paddy Power shareholders will own 52 per cent of the new entity, while Betfair shareholders will hold 48 per cent.
The merger will result in the creation of one of the world's biggest online gambling groups, with 7,000 staff and approximately £1.2billion in sales.
But with plans for around £50million in annual cost savings, job losses could be on the cards if the merger goes ahead, the firms warned.
The companies said that while no decisions on job losses have been taken, there is potential for cutbacks in some operational and support functions, which 'may involve some headcount reduction.'
Gerald Corbett, Betfair's chairman, said: 'The combination makes huge strategic sense by bringing together two industry leading and successful businesses and providing enlarged scale, capability and distinctive, complementary brands.
'Under the guidance of a strong and proven combined management team, this merger truly represents an attractive opportunity for both Paddy Power and Betfair to enhance their position in online betting and gaming and to deliver synergies, customer benefits and shareholder value.'
The deal - dubbed 'Betty Power' in the industry - will bring together Paddy Power's 336 shops in the UK and 252 stores in Ireland with Betfair's online betting exchange.
According to industry data, the new group would enjoy a 16 per cent share of the UK online gambling sector, surpassing that of the soon to be merged Ladbrokes Coral Group on 14 per cent, as well as current market leader William Hill and privately-owned Bet365.
Both companies will continue to run separate brands in the UK, Ireland and Italy after the merger.
Around 80 per cent of the newly merged group's annual revenues are expected to stem from online business.
Betfair boss Breon Corcoran will become the new group's chief executive and the firm will be listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Irish Stock Exchange.
The firms confirmed Paddy Power shareholders will receive a special dividend of £58million.
Shareholders are expected to vote on the deal in December, with the merger due to complete in the first quarter of 2016.
Against a backdrop of higher taxes in the UK and tighter regulation,the betting industry has seen a string of deals this year as firms bid to secure their slice of the competitive online gambling market.
Aside from the Ladbrokes and Gala Coral all-share deal agreed in July, GVC Holdings last week looked to have won a bidding war for online poker firm Bwin.party Digital Entertainment, squeezing out a rival bid from 888 Holdings.
Commentators have suggested that, as a result, a marriage of William Hill and 888 could now also be on the cards.
On completion of the merger, Paddy Power shareholders will own 52 per cent of the new entity, while Betfair shareholders will hold 48 per cent.
The merger will result in the creation of one of the world's biggest online gambling groups, with 7,000 staff and approximately £1.2billion in sales.
But with plans for around £50million in annual cost savings, job losses could be on the cards if the merger goes ahead, the firms warned.
The companies said that while no decisions on job losses have been taken, there is potential for cutbacks in some operational and support functions, which 'may involve some headcount reduction.'
Gerald Corbett, Betfair's chairman, said: 'The combination makes huge strategic sense by bringing together two industry leading and successful businesses and providing enlarged scale, capability and distinctive, complementary brands.
'Under the guidance of a strong and proven combined management team, this merger truly represents an attractive opportunity for both Paddy Power and Betfair to enhance their position in online betting and gaming and to deliver synergies, customer benefits and shareholder value.'
The deal - dubbed 'Betty Power' in the industry - will bring together Paddy Power's 336 shops in the UK and 252 stores in Ireland with Betfair's online betting exchange.
According to industry data, the new group would enjoy a 16 per cent share of the UK online gambling sector, surpassing that of the soon to be merged Ladbrokes Coral Group on 14 per cent, as well as current market leader William Hill and privately-owned Bet365.
Both companies will continue to run separate brands in the UK, Ireland and Italy after the merger.
Around 80 per cent of the newly merged group's annual revenues are expected to stem from online business.
Betfair boss Breon Corcoran will become the new group's chief executive and the firm will be listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Irish Stock Exchange.
The firms confirmed Paddy Power shareholders will receive a special dividend of £58million.
Shareholders are expected to vote on the deal in December, with the merger due to complete in the first quarter of 2016.
Against a backdrop of higher taxes in the UK and tighter regulation,the betting industry has seen a string of deals this year as firms bid to secure their slice of the competitive online gambling market.
Aside from the Ladbrokes and Gala Coral all-share deal agreed in July, GVC Holdings last week looked to have won a bidding war for online poker firm Bwin.party Digital Entertainment, squeezing out a rival bid from 888 Holdings.
Commentators have suggested that, as a result, a marriage of William Hill and 888 could now also be on the cards.
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