If Spanish operator Codere had its way, all international online gambling operators would follow Microgaming’s lead and get the hell out of Dodge. Codere launched legal action against Bwin last April, asserting that the Austrian outfit’s online presence in the unlicensed market amounted to “unfair competition” since land-based operators like Codere had no choice but to observe the local laws and stay offline. Codere believes that any operator that established an online presence pre-regulation will hold an unfair market advantage over newcomers like themselves. The remedy? The scallywags should be forced to ditch their brands and customer databases and pay back taxes dating from, say, the dawn of the internet.

In December, Codere made similar allegations against Sportingbet and PokerStars, seeking injunctions to block the sites’ access to Spanish punters. (Gambling Compliance reports that Codere has “copy and pasted” similar injunctions against other companies serving the Spanish market.) A commercial court in Madrid subsequently granted an interim injunction against Sportingbet’s Spanish-facing site Miapuesta, which was then blocked by Spanish internet service providers and payment processors. Sportingbet was compelled to put up a €2m deposit to lift the injunction while the case is before the courts.

But Codere’s victory wasn’t a clean sweep. On Jan. 16, a Barcelona mercantile court rejected imposing an injunction against PokerStars, noting that Stars held another EU-based license and had formally applied for a Spanish license once the government decided to offer them. In the meantime, Judge D. Luis Rodriguez Vega ruled that Stars “cannot be liable for not having obtained the authorization, given that they did not have the chance to do it.” Codere must decide this coming week if it will appeal the decision.

The only market where Codere maintains an active online presence is Italy, but here, too, Stars is drinking their milkshake. Following the launch of their real-money iOS app in Italy, Stars has now released a similar version for Android. Unlike the iOS version, which was only available via iTunes, Stars is making the Android app available directly from its own site. That is, unless Codere objects…

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This competitor came in the form of online bookmakers, fuelled by the .com boom and the need for innovation in the industry pureplay operators such as Betfair, Sportingbet and bet365 became overnight successes – although they would undoubtedly say it wasn’t quite that simple.

While the retail division of many bookmakers still remains their largest sector, the gap is narrowing. Figures from H2 Gambling Capital show that while the percentage of the UK sports betting market online was just 9.7% in 2003, it stood at 24.3% for 2011. Furthermore this figure is expected to continue to rise for some time yet.

As the times are changing so are the people, even into the betting shops themselves the scene is changing dramatically. Where old men with roll up cigarettes and the daily newspaper once sat are younger and more technologically savvy punters with touch screen phones and nicotine patches.

Now that most bookmakers have finally taken the hint and embraced the digital age outside of betting shop, the next step is surely to do the same inside.

This is a step that some within the sports betting industry are now looking to take – a step which has been addressed by a number of companies, of whom the Racing Post will be among the most recognized.

Richard Thorp, B2B operations manager at the Racing Post, explains that modernising is certainly something that bookmakers are now looking to do.

He says: “Bookmakers will have to adapt with the times to attract a new audience and quite a few of them already are doing so.

“The spaces are more comfortable and brighter, the screens tend to be in HD and there is a better focus on customer service.”

Digital Screens

Thorp is behind the Racing Post’s attempts to further the adaptation that he speaks about and has done so with the Racing Post Digital Screens. The screens, which were on show at the International Casino Exhibition last month, are touch screen and provide a number of services for horse racing, football and greyhound punters.

Once connected to the wall and the internet they allow the user to view statistics, form and even ritual horse races of future races with the results based on predictions.

So far Thorp says that the response from bookmakers has been very positive. He explains: “There has been a lot of interest and two of the major bookmakers have already put in orders.”

But the Racing Post aren’t the only company trying to modernise the bookmaking world, MRG Systems have also created a digital touch screen product for stores. Theirs is named the Dailyform screen and makes use of content provided by the Press Association and offers users news concerning a wide variety of sports.

Darren MacDonald developed the Dailyform touch screens at MRG and he agrees that the modernization of retail bookmakers is something that needed to happen.

He explains: “Betting shops need to take full advantage of improvements in technology both with added functionality (touchscreens, HD displays etc) and with reduced costs.

“Information currently available online needs to be available in shop. A lot of independent bookmakers use Oddschecker for example to ensure customers get the best available price.”

In-Play in Store

Looking forward, online sports betting may have inadvertently given the retail sector a boost with the development of in-play products.

The line between retail and online betting continues to be blurred with Buzz Sports taking an interesting approach to combining the retail and in-play worlds.

Their zone play betting products, while originally intended for online and tablet use have now been placed in small portable handsets. Handsets that could easily fit into a bookmakers store and provide retail customers with a level of in-play betting that has never been possible before.

Simon Oaten is a director at Deloitte and Betting and Gaming sector leader. He boldly predicts that mobile and retail betting will become ever closer in terms of working together and competing against each other.

He explains: “In five years time operators are going to know exactly where you are so if you walk into a betting shop in the UK and you’ve got some sort of app then it’s going to be beeping in your pocket.

“Then by looking at the sporting events currently taking place it will tell you that you that the bet you could be about to place at whatever odds in the shop could be placed with another operator at a better price on your mobile.”

Situations such as this may actually not be so far off. They will create even more competition for the retail bookmakers who now certainly can’t afford to rest on their laurels. Fortunately, if MRG and the Racing Post are anything to go by then this won’t be the case.

Thorp admits that there’s much to be done: “In-play products will drive customer retention and these plus betting are the features we will be focusing on this year.”

“We believe that the digital age enables bookmakers to provide more information to their customers in a cost-effective manner,” says MacDonald.

For the first time in more than 50 years there are big changes taking place inside bookmakers’ stores. These changes have been forced by the rise of the internet and a need to compete. However, should retail bookmakers embrace the digital age then it may be more about complimenting than competition – a situation that’s bound to benefit many more betting professionals.

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Sportingbet has confirmed the acquisition of two Danish sportsbooks. The international gaming firm signed a deal to take on Danbook and Scandic back in October and the deal hinged on them both being awarded Danish gaming industry licences. The deal, which is worth up to £8.5million, is performance related and is worth £4m cash and £500k in shares up front. It means they have a sizeable presence in Denmark with Sportingbet and Centrebet also owning licences in the newly regulated market.

Microgaming is launching a “Diamond Edition” of its live dealer games that promises to make the online experience even more like a real casino. The new edition adds to the high definition video streaming with redefined graphics and a lot more statistics than ever before. Multi-player roulette joins Microgaming’s live dealer offering with participants now able to see other player’s bets on the table. A spokesperson for Microgaming Live Games said: “The Diamond Edition was partly conceived because of the trend we have noticed towards playing multi-player games, and we were keen to ensure that players have even greater opportunity to take advantage of this function, this time through Roulette. Already, 16 Microgaming customers are using the Live Games product after just one year in the market, meaning that our first-rate technology and comprehensive live experience is being used by thousands of gamers worldwide.”

When can we expect the “walk in and leer over the hot dealers edition” then?

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Sportingbet

Scientific Games owned MDI Entertainment has extended a licensing deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA). The deal, which has been signed for a further six years, allows the firm to offer branded content to lotteries featuring any number of NBA teams. Steve Saferin, president, properties group and chief creative officer for Scientific Games, told eGR: “There is an enormous demand for the NBA, and we are pleased to be able to offer a great assortment of NBA merchandise packages and licensed games featuring the team logos and player images for fans nationwide.”

Over the pond, Unibet has finally opened up its site for French customers at their dot.fr domain. Customers were able to use the site for the first time since the firm acquired Solfive, the owner of EurosportBet.

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Sportingbet

Betfred has revamped its mobile product and at the same time launched a mobile casino. It will benefit from IGT’s mobile casino games such as Rainbow Riches, Cleopatra and Monopoly Multiplier. This is in addition to the sportsbook that will offer easier navigation and quicker access to markets.

Software provider Playtech has gobbled up another gaming industry company after reaching a deal for casino game developer Ash Gaming. The deal will be for an initial £15.5million with a deferred contingent consideration of up to £7.5m. £6m of this will be paid on the yearly anniversaries of the deal with £1.5m contingent on the company producing an agreed number of games over the three years. Playtech believed there are “significant combined benefits to be gained from this purchase, including greater revenue opportunities and enhanced economics across the value chain.”

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Bet365

OpenBet has appointed Amanda Bicknell as their new sales director. The former Microsoft employee of 13 years will be responsible for existing sports betting and casino business. At the same time she takes on the  responsibility for managing, strengthening and developing existing key partner relationships.

Jeremy Thompson-Hill, Chief Operating Officer of OpenBet, said: “This is another key hire for OpenBet and adds further expertise from another leading global software company. Amanda’s experience will enable us to further improve our market-leading offering to bookmakers and national lotteries worldwide. We are pleased to welcome someone of her calibre to our team at OpenBet.”

Sportingbet has replaced Betfair as sponsor of the Melbourne Racing Club. The deal sees Sandown Racecourse renamed Sportingbet Park with the company also undertaking race sponsorships at the club’s flagship track, Caulfield. Sportingbet also lends its name to the Sandown Cup and a number of races at Caulfield. Betfair’s deal had run for three years and the new deal with Sportingbet encompasses additional race commitments such as naming rights and a strong signage presence at all MRC sponsored courses. Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan commented: “Sportingbet Australia has had a brilliant relationship with the Melbourne Racing Club and this new deal firmly establishes Sportingbet Australia as the leading bookmaker supporting racing in Victoria,” said Sullivan. “We already pay a product fee to bet on racing in Victoria and contribute through various other sponsorships and this deal further shows how committed we are to supporting the industry.”

The deal runs from 1^st January 2012 and sees Sportingbet contribute over $5m in the next year in product fees and sponsorship. Betfair’s loss comes off the back of another deal that they surrendered with the Melbourne Cricket Ground back in the summer

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Is this refinancing?

Ladbrokes has agreed to a deal that will refinance its debt to a more manageable level. The new five-deal deal is worth £540million and replaces the £560million facility that was set to mature in 2013. The new blended rate of interest for the group will be 7.5% in 2012 and chief financial officer Ian Bull commented: “We are pleased to have extended the maturity profile of our debt with these new facilities and welcome the support our lenders have shown in the business. The new arrangements, together with our proven track record for strong cash generation, mean the business is on a strong footing as we continue to invest in our plan to reinvigorate Ladbrokes.”

Sportingbet has announced that both three non-executive directors will stand down from their positions. eGR reports that former CEO Nigel Payne and Sean O’Connor will both stand down at the December 16 AGM with Brian Harris to stand down next year. Payne guided the company as CEO from 2001 to 2006 before handing over the role to Andy McIver after helping to put the firm up on London’s Stock Exchange. Marketing man Chris Moss and former investment banker Rory Macnamara will replace Payne and O’Connor.

Betclic Everest is set to release a woeful set of figures for the past six months. The losses, which, according iGaming France, could be up to €66.2m, are down to the treacherous conditions that the French market presents to anyone that relies on it. The news came after La Societe des Bains de Mer, which owns 50% of the group, saw losses increase to €33.1, in the first half of the current financial year. Former Betclic chairman Stephane Courbit, who loudly heckled France’s iGaming market last year, is being proved right and it shows the country’s market is in dire need of a change.

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Following the disposal of the Turkish arm the group now accrues 40% of NGR from regulated markets with the figure set to rise 18% in territories where tax is being paid ahead of regulation. Over in Europe the firm saw wagers decrease by 4.8%, with challenging conditions in both Spain and Greece to blame. That blip on the radar was remedied by its “industry leading” in-play margin of 10.1% and it now accounts for 67% of wagers in Europe. The company’s mobile actives increased by 108% year-on-year reflect the industry-wide trend of growth in this area. Poker didn’t enjoy the best of quarters as revenue decreased by 29.6% to £2.5million, “despite the recent closure of the US facing businesses of some of our competitors.”

Online casino business 32Red has moved to limit unexpected downtime by signing a deal with Spook Ltd. 32Red will be given an early warning when environmental conditions at its data centre change and ultimately cause IT failure. “Given the nature of our business and the service we provide, the reliance on our IT infrastructure is extremely high”, Graham Campbell, 32Red IT Director, said.

Technology is of utmost importance in the iGaming industry and if you have a product that fails it’s likely customers will go by the wayside as a result. The deal with Spook will see round-the-clock monitoring of various factors such as air conditioning outages, power failures and any water ingress. Campbell added: “Our server room contains over 100 servers, and is sensitive to any variation in temperature.”

This latest tidbit from 32Red follows the firm hooking up with age verification firm GB Group and goes to show that ensuring the customer and product are safe are both pivotal.

Canadian-based Amaya Gaming Group saw revenues for the third quarter skyrocket as their acquisition of Chartwell Games came to fruition. Revenue for the quarter was up 171% to CA$3.97million with the figure for the first nine months of the year up to CA$8.89m, an increase of 125%. These impressive figures were offset by net earnings coming to a loss of CA$1.8m, thanks to the costs attributed to start-ups in a number of different territories. The next set of results will be a better measure of any success they’ve so far enjoyed in Moldova, Kenya and Uganda.

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GameAccount Network

Sportingbet will offer “social games” as well as blackjack, roulette and anything else that is regulated in due course. It will be delivered via Miapuesta with the site moving from dot.com to dot.es when Sportingbet decides they’re ready. In addition to these two, according to eGR, Probability won’t be applying for licenses in either Spain or Denmark with the same decision taken by 32Red. Both companies are instead choosing to focus on the Italian market.

Bodog88’s online casino business overhaul continued with the launch of CTXM’s XCasino. The end-to-end casino software package aims to get you closer to a real casino experience. One of the ways it does this is with a community tool that facilitates meetings, chatting and multiplayer support. Robert Gustafsson, Managing Director of Bodog88, added: “For any online operator, casino is the most important component but has not been given the same attention and investment as poker and sportsbook over recent years. We are changing that by investing both time, technology and marketing in our online casino and the addition of CTXM’s XCasino is another step in that ever evolving process.”

It follows the implementation of a new lobby and live dealer studio earlier this year by Bodog88, which operates in the world’s fastest growing gambling industry market, Asia. Live Dealer is the best thing to hit online casino in years, maybe ever. Don’t believe us? Check out the live dealers…live below…

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Sportingbet

The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has appointed its first female president in the shape of Susan Hensel. The director of licensing at the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board succeeds Serobi Maja as president and the outgoing figure commented: “I know that Susan is the ideal person to continue IAGR’s growth as an independent association.”

The organization has been around since the 80s and is in place to promote cooperation between the gaming industry regulators around the world and provides a place for them to meet to discuss issues.

Hot off the heels of the SAGSE expo and congress, SAGSE Gaming Panama has announced the dates for next year’s get-together. From June 27 to 28, Panama City’s ATLAPA Convention Centre will play host to the biggest players in the country’s gaming industry with opportunities for new companies likely to be at the forefront. Organizers Monografie has the support of the American Gaming Association (AGA) and American Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) as sponsors for what will be the latest opportunity for the country’s gaming industry to showcase its talents. In addition it represents the chance to visit one of the globe’s most beautiful countries, something that you can see for yourself in the following video…

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Richard Glynn (Ladbrokes) 4/1 favorite

It hasn’t been the best of year’s for head Lad Richard Glynn. After the 8pm.com (888.com) and SportingLads mergers both fell by the wayside, his position is precarious. He could have bitten the bullet over the failed takeover deals and will be at the mercy of the shareholders when they contemplate where exactly the company is going.

Andy McIver (Sportingbet) 6/1

On the other side of one of Glynn’s failed mergers is the head of a company that is aiming to become part of the regulation club. They still only derive 50% of net gaming revenue from regulated markets and while they are public and continue to operate in unregulated territories, his position will remain on the wrong side of uncertain.

Henrik Tjärnström (Unibet) 6/1

There’s an ongoing theme here. If you’ve been involved in a merger during your lifetime as boss then you’ll be right up there. Henrik is no exception. With 18 months under his belt the Swede has overseen a failed merger that would have created Sporting…Sportingbet. Henrik isn’t one to beat around the bush on results’ calls and said he’s seen “little sign yet of any significant impact from the closure of some US-facing competitors.”

Andy Hornby (Gala Coral) 8/1

The man that shares the name with the inventor of model train-sets might be rather perturbed at finding himself in fourth. Hornby only joined the firm back in July, many believing his sole intention in being here is to engineer the smooth transition of a management buyout. The low-lying position of the newest man on the list may have something to do with Gala having a ten-year-deal in place with Playtech. Now we all know what happens when Playtech doesn’t think it’s getting it’s own way don’t we!

Jim Ryan and Norbert Teufelberger (Pwin) 8/1

This time we can really say we’ve saved the best for last. Apart from being by far the most entertaining Punch and Judy combination around these two are always likely to find themselves near the CEO trapdoor thanks to the fact their share price drops more often than a whore’s panties. The past year has seen the PartyGaming and Bwin merger create the “super-mega-fantastic-ginormous-gambling-behemoth” that stands before you. Norb has spent much of the year giving the finger when it comes to anything from being arrested in France to flouting similar laws in Germany. He does, however, like the sound of an American threeway.

The remaining CEOs in the betting are as follows

16/1 – Patrick Kennedy – Paddy Power

20/1 – Patrik Selin – Bodog UK

20/1 – Richard Kilsby – 888

33/1 – Fred Done – BetFred

33/1 – Ralph Topping – William Hill

33/1 – Victor Chandler

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Turkish authorities apparently shut the site down as “it was operating illegally,” and we’re presuming it’s been acting a little bit naughty since rules for Turkish gambling industry firms were changed midway through the past decade. When this happens how do you go about letting the users know?

TEXTING NOT SEXTING

You have their mobile phone numbers and you send them a cheeky text informing them of the new site address. Seeing as the Turkish side of the business represented 10% of the whole firm’s revenues then that must have been a lot of texts. They’d better hope they’ve got free texts for that one.

As the mood of rising discontent grew, Sportingbet assured customers, “The new website was up and running within the same day of the block being introduced. The block had no material financial or operational impact on the business.”

WE KNOW WE’RE BEING BAD BUT WE LIKE IT.

Earlier this year Sportingbet recognized that they probably weren’t being the best behaved of lads. They published a prospective, stating, “The law… explicitly bans online gambling conducted without a local authorisation, whether the gambling service is based in or outside Turkey… The activities of Sportingbet Group, in taking online gambling custom from Turkey, are considered illegal under Turkish law.”

This news just goes to show that publicly-traded gaming industry firms are always going to be at risk in country’s that have unclear or strict regulatory regimes. Sportingbet is currently trying to secure having all their revenues from regulated markets and are well on the way to doing so. Unfortunately, they won’t be able to enter the gaming industry’s most lucrative market Asia and it just goes to show why privately held gaming firms are always going to have a leg up in this market.

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OOO BABY, DO THE REGULATION!

With that Sportingbet has eroded yet more of the business that relies on unregulated revenues. Visibly excited to the extent that he was reaching for the champagne at this ungodly hour, chief executive Andrew McIver said, “Following this disposal, Sportingbet will derive the large majority of its earnings from regulated territories. The proceeds from the sale of this unregulated income stream will be used to drive forward the rest of the group.”

It’s all part of Sportingbet’s wider strategy to become one of the good kids in the playground. Operation Behave has so far seen them acquire Centrebet, move into the Danish market and now get rid of that pesky Turkish side of the business. It’s just too bad that Ladbrokes likes a naughty girl in between them sheets. Otherwise, Sportingbet would have been in luck. We could sit here for hours and speculate as to what Richard Glynn likes in a partner though. We’re all for being fussy Rich but this takes the biscuit.

GLASS HALF EMPTY?

The company now “estimates that approximately 50% of its net gaming revenues will be derived from regulated markets,” and that it will increase to 70% when the Greek, Danish and Spanish markets are regulated. Losing their Turkish revenue will be a blow. Like one similar to you getting kicked in the balls really hard. The country generated net gaming revenues of £49m in the 2010/11 fiscal year from Turkey and will be a big miss from the balance sheet. They’ve attempted to offset this slightly by taking a profit share percentage for three year. This will only scratch the surface though.

After weeks of stock market woes saw the group’s price dip below 40 pence it was today up slightly to 39.50p. It’s still perilously close to the yearly low point of 37p but…it’ll ding-dang-do for them. One thing is for sure: we can now safely speculate that this year’s Sportingbet Christmas dinner will be goose. Goose and nothing else. Shibby?

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In Greece, the war of words that has broken out over the country’s gambling industry monopoly OPAP is continuing to play itself out in the media. OPAP argues that the State Aid complaint made by the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) is, “unfounded,” adding that, “Its announcement is misleading and exclusively aimed at creating impressions.”

It comes back to the RGA’s reasoning that the new tax regime being introduced by Greece constitutes State Aid as OPAP pays no tax on offline transactions. OPAP denies this and argues that the amounts being paid by each side are fair. The statement concludes by stating, “Following all this, it is obvious that by its complaint to the EC the RGA tries to create impressions, invoking arguments that are not founded on real facts, but on the contrary it is exposing its members who – despite the new law – continue to illegally operate in Greece.”

Many may question the claim...

RGA chief executive Clive Hawkswood issued a further reply to the claims, explaining that the “opportunity to obtain a Greek license has never been open to these operators prior to the recent legislation passed in Greece, with no regulatory system having previously existed for online gambling.”

He again argued recent EC judgments should be looked at when deciding on a system to tax various gaming industry sectors and that, “It is in fact the norm for online gambling operators to be taxed at a lower rate than land-based operators due to the internationally competitive nature of that business.”

He concluded, “It is [therefore] the RGA’s opinion that the current proposals do not satisfy fundamental EU internal market principals and therefore a State aid complaint has been launched.

“The RGA believes that there are strong grounds for this State aid challenge; the taxation framework poses a serious economic disadvantage for private remote operators licensed in Greece, which requires justification and investigation by the European Commission.”

The EU has thrown out the Greek gambling regulation plans once before and would be no surprise were they to reject their new system of taxation again.

At the same time, OPAP has received two bids in a tender for the company’s new information technology provider. Their current contract with Intralot expires in mid-2012 with a new one sought in order to facilitate growth into online sectors. Intralot and GTECH are the two firms that have submitted financial and technical offers with OPAP having two months to pick who win the tender.

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The news follows press speculation that Ladbrokes had doubts over the legacy risk that Sportingbet carries. It’s also believed that Ladbrokes CEO Richard Glynn was reluctant to take such a risk at such an early stage in the job.

Sportingbet Chief Executive Andrew McIver commented, “As stated in the Company’s final results announcement last week, the Board of Sportingbet remains focussed on its overall strategy of providing a first class sports betting product and of increasing its exposure to regulated markets. The Board remains highly confident of Sportingbet’s prospects as an independent company.”

The company did confirm, “Discussions are progressing with GVC Holdings plc regarding a possible disposal of the Group’s Turkish language website.”

STOCKS CRASHING

The news sent stocks tumbling as shareholders in Sportingbet clearly lost whatever confidence they had left for the firm. Immediately following the news their price was down 20% to 36.75p. Ladbrokes also saw a drop in value with a plummet of 2.5% to 117.60p as rumors surfaced that the annual Lads on Tour sojourn in the sun may now take place in Scarborough instead of Shagaluf.

Both companies now find themselves in somewhat of a dilemma as they try to work out what they do next. Shareholders in Ladbrokes have long worried about the firm’s future growth and they could be left behind in the ultra competitive sportsbook market if they’re not careful. Being public means that the amount of markets they can operate in is a lot smaller and the takeover of Sportingbet would have given them a lot more to bargain with. It’s a lot clearer as to why they refused to comment when we contacted them earlier today. You could have scooped Sportingbet, lads.

Sportingbet will again be crying into their single bed at the failure to get a piece of someone ANYONE. At least they’re getting rid of the bird they only used to see at Christmas. Using the word “disposal” really does make you wonder whether they ever truly loved Turkey.

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The latest reports point to the Lads’ lawyers’ apprehensive attitude towards the legacy risk that exists in relation to the prospective ownership of Sportingbet. One sticking point seems to be that the firm derives around 20% of its net gaming revenues from the Turkish market. It’s a smart move by the firm to move out of the Turkish market but it still doesn’t sound like a risk that king of the Lads, Richard Glynn, is willing to take. Those close to the situation commented that Ladbrokes are looking to avoid liability in all the unregulated territories that Sportingbet operates and not simply Turkey.

Not happening...

We contacted Ladbrokes to see if they had anything to say on the stories and they refused to comment on press speculation. They added that anything to do with Sportingbet would be communicated in due course – we’re assuming that will be when their next tour of Shagaluf is announced. Don’t tell them it was us that told you that though.

This again goes to show the restrictions that are placed on publicly traded gaming industry firms. Being at the mercy of your shareholders means that any operations in an unregulated market look bad and the most lucrative gambling industry markets are often off limits – namely Asia.

The move will be a bitter blow to Sportingbet if true. They’ve been seeking a partner for some after-hours action for some time and were palmed off by the voluptuous Swedish blonde they pined after for a number of months, Unibet. A vow of celibacy might be a good call while they wait to see if they can get their fill on tour in 2012.

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Harald, commented: “Bodog is a brand that never likes to sit still and this is what attracted me. In igaming it is crucial to keep moving and to never rest on your laurels. There is always a new product or a new platform that can change the landscape of a business or even the whole industry and you need to move fast to capitalise on these opportunities. Bodog Europe has created this role so we can do just that.”

Harald’s last job was at Novomatic where he held a similar role meaning that he has considerable experience in this area of the global gaming industry.

Patrik Selin, CEO of Bodog Europe, commented: “Harald is a great addition to the team here in London and the role is one I believe to be vital in this industry where a new poker or mobile explosion can happen so quickly. We need to put ourselves at the front of those curves and Harald will help us in that pursuit.”

Sportingbet saw a rise in the amounts wagered but a fall in net gaming revenue as they released result for the 2010/11 financial year earlier. NGR was down 1.7% from £207.5m to £204m as one of their core markets, Europe, showed signs that it was slowing slightly. There was a 4% increase in the amount wagered as the figure hit £2,054m. Much of their business comes from sports betting and this side of the company is slowly being taken over by “in:play” wagering. It continued its growth of 24% per year and now accounts for over 67% of bets placed in the European market.

They reported that discussions are continuing with both Ladbrokes and Gaming VC Holdings over separate deals. A deal for GVC to take over Sportingbet’s Turkish business would mean that their revenue from regulated markets would rise to 67%. Being public means that regulated markets are their lifeblood and any move into the lucrative Asian online gaming market would be problematic.

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William Hill has confirmed that they are in discussions with mobile gambling industry specialists Probability. Hills today corroborated earlier stories by stating that any offer for the Gibraltar-licensed firm will be cash. It comes after Probability had already confirmed that a preliminary approach had been made. The Hills’ statement said that the company “reserves the right to reconsider and, if appropriate, amend this position as discussions progress.”

It’s hardly a surprise that Hills are considering their options in terms of the mobile gambling industry. Apart from Asia, where their status as a public company restricts them, mobile is one of the fastest growing areas in the entire gaming industry. Couple this with their Nevada acquisitions, which included the Leroy’s App business as part of American Wagering Inc, and this deal has legs.

Ladbrokes’ takeover of Sportingbet is another that has been affected by changes to government legislation with yesterday’s news that they must announce their intentions by October 17. Further to this, a Times article today reports that getting an extension from the Takeover Panel shouldn’t present a problem. The deal hinges on Sportingbet getting rid of their Turkish operations with a deal thought to be in the pipeline with GVC Holdings.

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Sportingbet has already made preparations for the new partnership by selling off its Turkish operations due to the fact that sports’ betting was effectively outlawed in 2007. When or if a sale of the Turkish operations goes through, it could trigger the Ladbrokes offer that many predict would help both sides. That could be sooner rather than later with GVC Holdings already thought to be considering a bid for the Turkish side of the business.

Peel Hunt analyst Nick Baltram commented, “We continue to believe that a deal holds attractions for both sides.”

“Ladbrokes needs to inject some pace into its online operations, while Sportingbet recognises that life as a relatively small independent might not be that comfortable.”

An acquisition by Ladbrokes would come after a year in which they’ve restructured much of the company and we will know something by October 17.

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