UK betting operator Ladbrokes turned in a boffo Q1 trading update despite a seriously lousy experience at this year’s Cheltenham festival.

On Thursday, Ladbrokes issued a trading update covering the three months ending March 31, during which overall revenue rose 10.6%, led by a 36.5% rise in digital revenue (it should be noted that Q1 2015 was particularly crappy). The digital gains would have been even higher (57.2%) if the unpredictable impact of high-value customers (HVC) was included.

Excluding those HVC contributions, Lads’ online sportsbook revenue – including its exchange wagering operations – was up 59% as margins improved 1.6 points to 7.9%. Digital sports stakes rose 35.2%, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of staking growth. Mobile stakes were up 57.6% and now represent 77.1% of digital sportsbook wagers.

Online gaming revenue was up 27.3%. Online gaming active customer ranks improved 43.8% while sportsbook actives rose 27.8%.

UK betting operator Ladbrokes turned in a boffo Q1 trading update despite a seriously lousy experience at this year’s Cheltenham festival.

On Thursday, Ladbrokes issued a trading update covering the three months ending March 31, during which overall revenue rose 10.6%, led by a 36.5% rise in digital revenue (it should be noted that Q1 2015 was particularly crappy). The digital gains would have been even higher (57.2%) if the unpredictable impact of high-value customers (HVC) was included.

Excluding those HVC contributions, Lads’ online sportsbook revenue – including its exchange wagering operations – was up 59% as margins improved 1.6 points to 7.9%. Digital sports stakes rose 35.2%, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of staking growth. Mobile stakes were up 57.6% and now represent 77.1% of digital sportsbook wagers.

Online gaming revenue was up 27.3%. Online gaming active customer ranks improved 43.8% while sportsbook actives rose 27.8%.

Alibaba Group Holdings is venturing into sports.

The Chinese e-commerce giant recently announced that it has teamed up with Handnice Group to invest $1.5 million in a China-based digital sports data company, GGRAsia reported

The company is called LeidaSports, and it provides information—mainly sports data—as well as betting services. LeidaSports plans to merge with digital application operator, Sports Craze, a Chinese company that claims to have more than five million active users, according to the report, which quoted a press release.

Under the partnership, LeidaSports and Sports Craze will supply “sports data and various content to sports content providers” across China, using data from sports and betting-related data company Sportradar AG, which has an existing partnership with LeidaSports.

Alibaba Group Holdings is venturing into sports.

The Chinese e-commerce giant recently announced that it has teamed up with Handnice Group to invest $1.5 million in a China-based digital sports data company, GGRAsia reported

The company is called LeidaSports, and it provides information—mainly sports data—as well as betting services. LeidaSports plans to merge with digital application operator, Sports Craze, a Chinese company that claims to have more than five million active users, according to the report, which quoted a press release.

Under the partnership, LeidaSports and Sports Craze will supply “sports data and various content to sports content providers” across China, using data from sports and betting-related data company Sportradar AG, which has an existing partnership with LeidaSports.

GiGse is an established event specifically addressing the online gaming industry in the regulated US market.  Each year Clarion does extensive research and adjusts their agenda to meet the needs of all professionals interested in this slow moving, yet promising market.

This year delegates will notice a number a changes to the conference program, including the addition of the Millennial Summit, the GiGse Launch Pad moving from Day 3 to Day 1, a “dress down” policy and a focus on young talent in the industry.

Rest assured, alongside of these changes comes the consistent quality of fresh content delivered throughout GiGse sessions.

“Adoption of iGaming is perhaps on hold in the USA now, but that doesn’t mean that digital transformation, adoption of technologies and innovation are on hold too.  With our Millennial Summit and the speaker choice that goes way beyond iGaming, GiGse is making that statement this year”, Ewa Bakun of Clarion shared with me.

GiGse is an established event specifically addressing the online gaming industry in the regulated US market.  Each year Clarion does extensive research and adjusts their agenda to meet the needs of all professionals interested in this slow moving, yet promising market.

This year delegates will notice a number a changes to the conference program, including the addition of the Millennial Summit, the GiGse Launch Pad moving from Day 3 to Day 1, a “dress down” policy and a focus on young talent in the industry.

Rest assured, alongside of these changes comes the consistent quality of fresh content delivered throughout GiGse sessions.

“Adoption of iGaming is perhaps on hold in the USA now, but that doesn’t mean that digital transformation, adoption of technologies and innovation are on hold too.  With our Millennial Summit and the speaker choice that goes way beyond iGaming, GiGse is making that statement this year”, Ewa Bakun of Clarion shared with me.

3-Barrels of pure value for you including an update on the Phil Ivey v Crockford’s court battle, an NFL star skipping work to play some poker, and Tom Dwan needs your help.

Phil Ivey will have to draw on more reserves of patience if he is going to be £7.8m richer after a UK Court of Appeal Judge ‘reserved judgment’ in his court battle with the Genting-owned Crockford’s Casino in Mayfair, London last week.

Ivey took the upmarket Crockford’s Casino to the cleaners in August 2012 when accompanied by his partner Cheung Yin Sun, the pair used ‘edge sorting’ techniques to win the obscene amount of money, gambling up to £50,000 per hand in Punto Banco.

The Casino employee’s smelled something fishy and after promising to wire the winnings to Mr. Ivey, eventually decided only to return his £1m outlay, and keep the rest, resulting in a long drawn out court case.

3-Barrels of pure value for you including an update on the Phil Ivey v Crockford’s court battle, an NFL star skipping work to play some poker, and Tom Dwan needs your help.

Phil Ivey will have to draw on more reserves of patience if he is going to be £7.8m richer after a UK Court of Appeal Judge ‘reserved judgment’ in his court battle with the Genting-owned Crockford’s Casino in Mayfair, London last week.

Ivey took the upmarket Crockford’s Casino to the cleaners in August 2012 when accompanied by his partner Cheung Yin Sun, the pair used ‘edge sorting’ techniques to win the obscene amount of money, gambling up to £50,000 per hand in Punto Banco.

The Casino employee’s smelled something fishy and after promising to wire the winnings to Mr. Ivey, eventually decided only to return his £1m outlay, and keep the rest, resulting in a long drawn out court case.

French online gambling operator Betclic Everest Group has decided the country’s regulated online poker market cannot afford to support two poker sites.

This week, Betclic Everest informed players of its EverestPoker.fr site that the site would be closing as of May 31. However, the site’s players will be migrated to the company’s other French-facing poker site, Betclic.fr, which operates on the same platform, starting April 28.

According to emails sent to players by Betclic Everest CEO Isabelle Andres, there was “no logic” in one company maintaining two poker sites in a market that has demonstrated such disdain for operator profits.

Besides, Andres suggested the Everest Poker players would enjoy the Betclic site’s additional options of horseracing and sports wagering, particularly given the UEFA Euro 2016 football marathon that kicks off June 10.

French online gambling operator Betclic Everest Group has decided the country’s regulated online poker market cannot afford to support two poker sites.

This week, Betclic Everest informed players of its EverestPoker.fr site that the site would be closing as of May 31. However, the site’s players will be migrated to the company’s other French-facing poker site, Betclic.fr, which operates on the same platform, starting April 28.

According to emails sent to players by Betclic Everest CEO Isabelle Andres, there was “no logic” in one company maintaining two poker sites in a market that has demonstrated such disdain for operator profits.

Besides, Andres suggested the Everest Poker players would enjoy the Betclic site’s additional options of horseracing and sports wagering, particularly given the UEFA Euro 2016 football marathon that kicks off June 10.

Casino operator Las Vegas Sands took a tumble in its Q1 earnings report, dragged down by Macau’s inability to reverse its 22-month long decline.

For the three months ending March 31, Sands’ revenue fell 9.2% to $2.72b, while earnings were off 12.7% to $917.6m and net income plunged 37.5% to $320.2m. The decline was pinned on general Macau sluggishness, VIPs getting lucky in Singapore and $35.8m in unfavorable currency fluctuations.

Sands China remains firmly stuck in reverse gear, with revenue down 7.9% to $1.63b, earnings down 2.5% to $518m and profit falling 9.6% to $311.6m.

In keeping with market trends, VIP turnover was down across the board at all four Macau properties, although the Venetian Macao’s VIP turnover was down only 3.4%, far better than the double-digit declines at the other three properties, led by Sands Cotai Central’s near 41% turnover decline.