Ladbrokes have entered into a relationship with Engine Group to advertise their ‘doubling the odds’ product in Australia; 888 Poker complete their successful beta testing of the Mac client, and The Times believes Risk Capital Partners may be interested in the purchase of Gala Bingo.
When Ladbrokes entered the Australian market with the £13m purchase of Gaming Investments Pty Ltd back last month, people were asking the question: ‘what took you so long?”
PaddyPower, William Hill and Bet365 already had significant market share in the burgeoning Australian sports betting market before Lads got their act together; but now they are there it’s time to get a move on.
Lads have acquired the assistance of the Brisbane advertising agency Engine Group to launch a series of television commercials to support their ‘Double the Odds’ product during the spring carnival
Tim Weger, managing director at Engine Group, said: “The creative work is distinctive and designed to give Ladbrokes a unique personality and introduction to the Australian market at a time when the whole category is fighting for market share during the Spring Carnival.”
One of the commercials is shot in a fictitious ‘Online Bookmakers Ball’ where the question of the ‘double the odds offer’ is banded about between the 1950s style guests.
“But that’s absurd…no other bookie does that?”
“My dear that’s what makes Ladbrokes…Ladbrokes.”
James Burnett, general manager of marketing and communications at Ladbrokes, added: “We are delighted with the work Engine has produced and going by customer acquisition performance it is certainly engaging with the punting public.
888 Poker End Mac Beta Testing
Poker playing Mac aficionados can now rejoice after 888 Poker released its Mac client to all and sundry after a highly successful month of beta testing.
The online gambling lovers of Apple can now add the tables of 888 Poker to PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and PartyPoker on the screens of the serious grinder, leaving iPoker trailing in everybody else’s wake.
Creating Mac client options opens up more operating capacity for poker players who are forced to use Parallels or Boot Camp in order to play on poker sites that do not offer a Mac Client. It also saves the cost of a version of Windows that can now find its way into the bin.
888 Poker are currently sponsoring the 7th Annual World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Paris, and their sponsored pro Jackie Glazier won a bracelet in the opening event of the series: the €1,100 Ladies Event.
Risk Capital Partners Interested in Gala Bingo?
Following on from our reports that Gala Coral are investigating the potential sale of their bingo arm, in a move to prepare for a potential £2bn flotation, we can now bring you news of a potentially interested purchaser.
The London based private equity firm, Risk Capital Partners, have been thrown up as a potential purchaser of Gala Bingo, according to reports in the Time recently.
Risk Capital has previous form when it comes to the balls, blotters and wolf whistles after it led the acquisition of Mayfair Gaming, the owner of Riva Bingo, back in 2004 before selling it on two years later at an internal rate of return of more than 40%.
Luke Johnson, Chairman, Risk Capital Partners, wouldn’t comment on the speculation but did tell the Times, “I am looking again at the bingo industry and have been for some time.”
Luke Johnson is a savvy investor, former Chairman of both Pizza Express and Channel 4 and former part owner of the Giraffe chain of restaurants.
