Monthly Archives: February 2016

Hong Kong Jockey Club urges Australia to target Asian online betting giants

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has waded into the Australian government’s contentious review of its online betting regime.

Last week, The Australian reported that the HKJC had made a secret submission to the Australian government, which is due to release a report this month on how best to deal with competition from international gambling sites not holding Australian licenses, as well as whether to lift the longstanding prohibition of online in-play sports betting.

The HKJC’s submission, not so subtly titled Illegal Betting Markets and Links with Organized Crime, claimed that the integrity of Aussie sports and racing was under threat by Asian-licensed online bookmakers and their alleged “links with transnational crime syndicates.”

The HKJC submission singles out several Asian betting giants by name, including SBOBET, IBCBET (since rebranded as Maxbet) and the CITIbet betting exchange. The HKJC’s filing claims SBOBET and CITIbet received 40k visits from Australian IP addresses in the six months to September 2015, and that CITIbet’s Australian racing turnover is around 8% of the sum wagered with Australian-licensed tote operators.

Hong Kong Jockey Club urges Australia to target Asian online betting giants

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has waded into the Australian government’s contentious review of its online betting regime.

Last week, The Australian reported that the HKJC had made a secret submission to the Australian government, which is due to release a report this month on how best to deal with competition from international gambling sites not holding Australian licenses, as well as whether to lift the longstanding prohibition of online in-play sports betting.

The HKJC’s submission, not so subtly titled Illegal Betting Markets and Links with Organized Crime, claimed that the integrity of Aussie sports and racing was under threat by Asian-licensed online bookmakers and their alleged “links with transnational crime syndicates.”

The HKJC submission singles out several Asian betting giants by name, including SBOBET, IBCBET (since rebranded as Maxbet) and the CITIbet betting exchange. The HKJC’s filing claims SBOBET and CITIbet received 40k visits from Australian IP addresses in the six months to September 2015, and that CITIbet’s Australian racing turnover is around 8% of the sum wagered with Australian-licensed tote operators.

Dafabet’s Celtic deal could be biggest in Scottish sports sponsorship history

UK-licensed Asian-facing online gambling operator Dafabet is reportedly close to inking a major sponsorship deal with Scottish football icons Celtic.

On Saturday, the Scotsman reported that Dafabet were in talks to become Celtic’s new shirt sponsor. Dafabet struck a five-year international betting partnership with Celtic last year but the betting operator wants to take the relationship to the next level when current shirt sponsor Magners’ three-year deal expires at the end of this season.

The Daily Record claimed Dafabet was seeking a shirt deal as long as five years, which the paper claimed could represent the priciest sponsorship in Scottish sports history. Dafabet has been on a sponsorship tear over the past couple years, inking deals with Premier Leaguers Sunderland AFC and Football League Championship side Blackburn Rovers. The company also has deep ties to Welsh football and recently branched out into eSports team sponsorship.

Over on the continent, gambling operator Codere recently announced a sponsorship tie-up with Spanish La Liga side Valencia CF. The deal, which will run through the end of the current season, will see the Codere Apuestas sports betting brand’s logo appear on the team’s shirt sleeve, as well as prime branding opportunities in Valencia’s stadium and via the club’s official website.

Dafabet’s Celtic deal could be biggest in Scottish sports sponsorship history

UK-licensed Asian-facing online gambling operator Dafabet is reportedly close to inking a major sponsorship deal with Scottish football icons Celtic.

On Saturday, the Scotsman reported that Dafabet were in talks to become Celtic’s new shirt sponsor. Dafabet struck a five-year international betting partnership with Celtic last year but the betting operator wants to take the relationship to the next level when current shirt sponsor Magners’ three-year deal expires at the end of this season.

The Daily Record claimed Dafabet was seeking a shirt deal as long as five years, which the paper claimed could represent the priciest sponsorship in Scottish sports history. Dafabet has been on a sponsorship tear over the past couple years, inking deals with Premier Leaguers Sunderland AFC and Football League Championship side Blackburn Rovers. The company also has deep ties to Welsh football and recently branched out into eSports team sponsorship.

Over on the continent, gambling operator Codere recently announced a sponsorship tie-up with Spanish La Liga side Valencia CF. The deal, which will run through the end of the current season, will see the Codere Apuestas sports betting brand’s logo appear on the team’s shirt sleeve, as well as prime branding opportunities in Valencia’s stadium and via the club’s official website.

Svenska Spel digital revenue rises but market share falls due to limited offering

Sweden’s state-owned betting monopoly Svenska Spel says it returned to growth last year thanks to a surge in gambling activity during the final quarter.

Svenska Spel’s net gaming revenue was largely flat (+0.2%) at SEK 8.96b (US $1.05b) in 2015 but net income posted a slightly larger gain (+0.9%) to SEK 4.8b as margins improved 0.4 points to 22.2%, above the target the company set for the year.

The numbers were boosted by a stronger performance in Q4, which saw revenue rise 1.6% to SEK 2.43b. However, SEK 45m in development costs resulted in Q4 margins falling nearly one full point to 21.3%.

Digital revenue improved 11% to SEK 1.7b last year thanks to a 59% rise in mobile and tablet revenue. However, the company says it lost mobile market share to other Swedish-facing operators, and cited this decline as further justification for its call to expand its limited digital offering via the addition of a casino product.

Svenska Spel digital revenue rises but market share falls due to limited offering

Sweden’s state-owned betting monopoly Svenska Spel says it returned to growth last year thanks to a surge in gambling activity during the final quarter.

Svenska Spel’s net gaming revenue was largely flat (+0.2%) at SEK 8.96b (US $1.05b) in 2015 but net income posted a slightly larger gain (+0.9%) to SEK 4.8b as margins improved 0.4 points to 22.2%, above the target the company set for the year.

The numbers were boosted by a stronger performance in Q4, which saw revenue rise 1.6% to SEK 2.43b. However, SEK 45m in development costs resulted in Q4 margins falling nearly one full point to 21.3%.

Digital revenue improved 11% to SEK 1.7b last year thanks to a 59% rise in mobile and tablet revenue. However, the company says it lost mobile market share to other Swedish-facing operators, and cited this decline as further justification for its call to expand its limited digital offering via the addition of a casino product.