Betfair is still top dog in the sports betting market after making it six months at the summit of the Oddschecker Top 10. Summer vacation was kind to the betting exchange as their market share went from 19.8 percent in June to 20.2 percent in August and meant that bet365’s 18.8 percent wasn’t enough to put them back atop the standings. Paddy Power took third on the podium with 9.4 percent and that could grow in the coming months thanks to their new Premier League app. William Hill kept fourth place with 7.2 percent with BetVictor narrowly behind them on 6.9 percent. The remainder of the top ten was made up of Stan James (5.7 percent), Betfred (5.3 percent), Ladbrokes (4.3 percent), Boylesports (3.7 percent) and Skybet (3.5 percent).
William Hill has been given until November to decide whether to buy out Playtech’s 29 percent stake in William Hill Online. Discussions continuing between the two sides as they continue to work towards a resolution, with a William Hill spokesperson telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Our chairman and chief executive continue to meet regularly with their counterparts (at) Playtech ahead of this. Discussions have been amicable and continue.”
The publication didn’t get any comment from the firm’s UK office and Simon French, analyst at Panmure Gordon & Co., said that Hills would need to pay around $590.8million to seal the deal.