Tatts FY15 profit rises thanks to “great traction” in digital operations

Australian betting and lottery operator Tatts Group saw profit rise 13% in its most recent fiscal year thanks in part to “great traction” at its online betting operations.

Revenue and earnings were each up a mere 1.8% to A$2.9b (US $1.6b) and A$507.4m respectively in the 12 months ending June 30, but profit from continuing operations rose 13% to A$255.6m. The gains came despite the “heavy lifting” associated with the April 30 rebrand of Tatts’ retail and online wagering business as UBET.

Tatts CEO Robbie Cooke said the initial response to the UBET brand had been “very pleasing” and the company was now “well positioned to start fighting back in this highly competitive space.” Cooke said the firm had for the first time embarked on “rapid prototyping.” Among the products being tested in the field is UBET Live, “an innovative in-venue in-play betting module.”

Overall wagering revenue fell 1.5% to A$633m, which Tatts blamed on decreased marketing activity prior to its rebrand. But online wagering revenue was up 12.5% and Tatts now earns 25.7% of wagering revenue via digital channels, up from 22.9% a year ago. Prior to the rebrand, the Tatts.com app more than doubled its FY14 download figure to 735k devices.