Sportingbet PLC has revealed that it is in advanced discussions to acquire Australian operator Centrebet. The deal would see Sportingbet acquire all Centrebet’s outstanding ordinary shares and performance rights at, or around, AU $2 per share. Centrebet released a statement saying “no agreement has been reached and the proposal remains subject to a number of conditions, including a successful equity fundraising by Sportingbet. The directors wish to caution the market that there can be no assurance given by Centrebet that the present discussions will result in any formal proposal being made to the security holders of Centrebet.”
Clearly in a mood to mate with someone, Sportingbet attempted to couple with Unibet last year, but the fickle Swedes broke off talks after word leaked to the press, almost as if Unibet was embarrassed to have been caught kissing Sportingbet when someone switched the lights on. The proposed $2/share Sportingbet is offering Centrebet is certainly far more than the grand total of $10 Sportingbet received for selling Sportsbook.com to other Sportingbet shareholders in 2006.
Speaking of Unibet, their B2B arm Kambi Sports Solutions has inked a two-year pact to provide Maltese operator Interwetten with online pool betting products Suptertoto and SuperScore. Those two products currently pool customers from bookmakers Expekt, Nordicbet, Paf and Unibet.
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rapped 888.com’s knuckles over a Facebook pop-up ad. The ad featured a slot machine, over which type appeared reading “Addicted to slots?” The ASA felt the ad “trivialized gambling addiction and condoned and encouraged gambling behavior that could lead to financial, social or emotional harm,” ultimately concluding that the ad was “irresponsible.” Casava Enterprises, 888’s parent company, tried to claim that (a) they hadn’t even seen the ad, which was created by Online Media Solutions, and (b) that the ad wasn’t aimed at children, the young or the vulnerable. That said, 888 admitted that it did not condone the ad. Facebook had already pulled it on the grounds that it violated their advertising guidelines. Too bad all those 888 execs had already left, otherwise 888 could use this as a perfect excuse to allow somebody else to “seek other opportunities.”
