Hard to believe it’s been another three months already, but the end of another quarter means all manner of publicly traded gambling companies are required to measure their dicks in public, so without further ado, let’s whip out the rulers and see quien es mas macho…
Dick #1 belongs to Leeds-based, Alderney-licensed Sky Betting and Gaming, which reported an 18% revenue rise in its most recent fiscal year. For the 12 months ending June 30, the betting subsidiary of broadcaster BSkyB generated £183m in sales, thanks to a 29% increase in its ranks of mobile bettors. BSkyB CEO Jeremy Darroch credited the betting division for helping to boost the parent company’s overall FY revenue to £7.6b. Sky Betting is hoping for even better things in the rest of 2014 thanks to the recent hiring of a new creative agency and a new betting partnership with Premier League footballers Leeds United.
Dick #2 belongs to UK gambling firm NetPlay TV, which reported second quarter revenue up 5% to £7.4m despite growth slowing at the company’s flagship SuperCasino brand. The company attributed the slowed growth to decreased marketing on Channel 5 and distractions provided by the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On the plus side, mobile’s share of NetPlay’s overall revenue topped 36%, up 10 points from the same period a year earlier. Total depositing players rose 33% from Q1 while new depositing player ranks grew 38%. The quarter also marked the first time over half of new depositors came via mobile channels.
Our final dick comes from AIM-listed Webis Holdings, which released a somewhat non-specific trading update for its fiscal year ending May 31. Turnover was flat at Webis’ online sportsbook Betinternet and the company reported some “external challenges” in its fiscal H2 that led to “a lower overall full-year margin than anticipated.” Said challenges included government actions in Singapore that forced Betinternet to “curtail” some of its casino and gaming activity in that market in February. Webis’ pool-wagering operation WatchandWager reported better turnover growth thanks to increases in player activity in the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Swedish pools, justifying further investments the company hopes will translate info “enhanced profitability in the near term.” The Cal Expo racetrack operations in Sacramento “helped to bring profitability” to the Group despite reduced turnover.
So, after all that, do we have a clearer picture of who is more macho? Sadly for our dashing competitors, the answer to that question will always be Ricardo Montalban. Lo siento, muchachos…
