Strategy – Bookielink

September 11, 2024

Apuesta Total CEO: There isn’t room for everyone in Peru’s regulated market

Apuesta Total CEO Gonzalo Perez expects three or four operators will dominate the newly-regulated online market in Peru, while the remaining brands will fight for single-digit market share.
Law no 31557 came into effect in Peru on 9 February of this year as the government sought to regulate online gaming and sports betting in the country.

Operators active in Peru before the announcement had until 10 March to submit a licence application. Gambling regulator Mincetur warned those who did not comply could face a fine of up to Sol990,000 (€245,394/£212,401/$257,838) or criminal prosecution.

According to the law, Mincetur will process licence applications within 30 business days of submission. Perez said operators have a 15 November deadline to submit final certifications for their platform and content. Failing to meet that deadline could result in authorisation being revoked.

During that initial window in March, 145 licence requests were submitted. Meanwhile new entrants to Peru were g..

August 30, 2024

Does Flamengo’s Flabet set a blueprint for sports teams to become betting operators?

Brazilian football club Flamengo’s new Flabet sportsbook could set a trend for other teams to become operators, according to two lawyers from Bichara e Motta Advogados.
Udo Seckelmann and Pedro Heitor de Araújo, who work in the gambling & crypto practice of Brazilian law firm Bichara e Motta Advogados, say other clubs may adopt a similar model to grow revenue.

Earlier this month, Flamengo revealed plans to launch Flabet with Pixbet, the club’s master sponsor, managing the brand. Essentially the arm’s-length agreement allows the operator to become an active participant in Brazil’s sports betting market, rather than only generating revenue through sponsorship.

The Flabet agreement lasts until 2027, with Pixbet paying Flamengo a minimum amount of BRL82.5m (£11.1m/€13.2m/$14.7m) over that timespan. The club will receive BRL10m in 2024, BRL22.5m in 2025 and then BRL25m in both 2026 and 2027.

Additionally, the club could receive a royalty fee of 1% of gross gaming revenue (GGR) if that ..

August 29, 2024

Caixa expects to be a major player in the Brazil betting market

Caixa Loterias president Carlos Antônio Vieira Fernandes believes the company will be one of the leaders in the upcoming Brazil betting market.
Caixa, Brazil’s federal bank, submitted its licence application on 20 August, a day before the initial 90-day preference window closed. By applying during that timespan, Caixa, like other operators who filed in that window, is guaranteed its request will be processed by 1 January 2025. That is the expected launch date of the legal betting market in Brazil.

Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) received 113 applications during the priority window.

If the application is successful, Caixa, a Brazilian bank which holds a federal monopoly on lottery, will be able to offer sports betting to players in Brazil. The market is expected to be highly lucrative.

A study by the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) predicted sports betting turnover will reach $34bn (£26.8bn/€31.1bn) by 2028. Of that, onshore gross win is expected ..

August 20, 2024

KTO targeting 10% market share in Brazil’s regulated betting market

Speaking to iGB, KTO founder and CEO Andreas Bardun is aiming to capture a 10% market share of the licensed Brazilian betting market. He is confident the group's hard work and prolific localisation strategy will pay off.
KTO has been active in Brazil since 2019, when it initially launched in a single state. Prolific expansion and various regional and national sports sponsorships have helped it gain a foothold in the market.

“I believe anyone should aim to have at least 10% market share in Brazil long term and we aim to be a market leader,” Bardun explains. “To be considered among the top brands, I think you need to have at least 10%.

“To be considered among the top brands, I think you need to have at least 10% [market share],” says KTO CEO ANdreas bardun
“We know we’re probably far off that at the moment, but if you consider pound for pound what we have done in Brazil because we are coming from very humble backgrounds with very small investment into the company and to be able ..

August 14, 2024

KTO pulls out of Chile, Peru to narrow focus on Brazil betting market

KTO Group has pulled its sports betting brand from Peru and Chile to focus on the licensed Brazil market once it launches in January 2025.
KTO founder and CEO Andreas Bardun told iGB its LatAm presence had been reduced to just Brazil as the company prioritises growing its market share in the region.

KTO is one of 17 operators to have already applied for a betting licence within the initial 90-day window of preference. This means KTO will be granted a licence within the first wave, in time for the 1 January launch date.

First mover advantage will be crucial in brazil says kto ceo andreas bardun
KTO Brazil was launched in 2018 and Bardun believes the company will benefit from a first-mover advantage in the licensed betting market.

“We entered Brazil maybe four or five years ago now when there wasn’t so much attraction, people couldn’t really see the potential,” Bardun told iGB. “And we realised there wasn’t any kind of localisation of the product.

“We thought this is a good oppor..

August 8, 2024

Penn CEO Snowden: “Don’t believe everything you read” on M&A, points to late August NY launch

Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden refused to comment on speculation of competitors teaming up to acquire the operator during Thursday's quarterly earnings call. Instead, he talked up deeper and deeper integrations with partner ESPN.
On Thursday’s (8 August) earnings call, Snowden said the company will be live in the biggest legal market in the US – New York – by the start of the college football season. He also addressed the controversial winners’ surcharge that DraftKings is floating. But his main focus was acquisition rumours.

The ESPN Bet launch last November brought the premier sports media brand into the betting sector. Snowden said it was a milestone moment. But it hasn’t yet translated into a podium position for Penn Entertainment.

Blended market share across six states averaged 6% for March, and investors have started to question Penn’s digital strategy. This led to rumours of a sale, suggesting Boyd Gaming would bite. Those rumours evolved into a joint approach with ..

August 5, 2024

Rush Street Interactive won’t join DraftKings in introducing surcharge

Rush Street Interactive has no plans to introduce a surcharge for its players after DraftKings announced its plans to implement a gaming surcharge last Thursday (1 August).
Rush Street Interactive’s commitment to customer-centric policies in a Monday (5 August) press release follows DraftKings’ Q2 business update. DraftKings said its plans to “address high tax rates” involved introducing surcharge on winning bets in states with a tax rate exceeding 20% starting from 1 January 2025.

Rush Street Interactive and its brands, which include BetRivers and RushBet, says it is reaffirming its “dedication to providing exceptional value” for players by not following in DraftKings’ footsteps.

It was an “easy decision” for Rush Street Interactive CEO Richard Schwartz.

“RSI remains committed to maintaining its leadership position in the industry by continuously prioritising the needs and preferences of its players,” Schwartz explained.

“We believe that RSI’s focus on customer satisfaction, coupl..

August 2, 2024

Bettors, analysts say “no thanks” to DraftKings’ surcharge idea

US sports betting operators have long been grappling with ways to navigate increasingly high tax rates. But DraftKings' new idea isn't sitting well with bettors or analysts.
DraftKings spurred debated among the wagering community on Thursday (1 August) when it announced plans to implement a gaming surcharge for players in high tax states.

In its Q2 business update, the company said it has “plan to address high tax states”. That is to “roll out a gaming tax surcharge” starting 1 January 2025. This will be applied to winning bets “in any state with a tax rate above 20% that has multiple sports betting operators”. Those criteria currently apply to New York, Illinois, Vermont and Pennsylvania.

New York’s tax rate is 51%, Pennsylvania is 36% and Vermont is 20%. Illinois recently implemented a sliding scale that caps out at 40% for the highest-earning operators. The bottom of the scale is 20%.

DraftKings asserted the surcharge will be “fairly nominal to the customer”. The only ..

August 2, 2024

Waterhouse VC: The rise and rise of Bet365

How has Bet365 maintained a consistent top position in online gambling? Tom Waterhouse reviews its tactics for success.
Becoming the dominant force early in an industry can lead to significant competitive advantages, brand recognition, and customer loyalty. Amazon in ecommerce and Coca-Cola in soft drinks, are examples where early and effective market entry cemented dominant lasting positions. Dominance is maintained through established distribution, economies of scale and a sticky customer base.

In gambling, aside from countries where a pari-mutuel (tote) operator has a monopoly on betting, there is a variety of choice. For example, in Australia, there are around 100 wagering operators and in the UK there are 175 online operators. Before the internet, bookmakers would typically earn and retain market share through physical high street betting shops, which gave the industry a natural barrier to entry.

In the UK, Ladbrokes and William Hill emerged as the initial market leaders among a..

August 2, 2024

Betsson bolsters betting tech with Sporting Solutions acquisition

Betsson Group has agreed a deal to acquire Sporting Solutions’ trading, pricing and sports betting risk-management offerings from FDJ Group.
Announcing the deal, Betsson said it would integrate Sporting Solutions’ advanced pricing feeds for both pre-match and live betting, strengthening both its B2C and B2B sportsbook offerings.

Established in 2007, Sporting Solutions is a UK-facing business but also operates in Canada and South Africa, working with several major operators and lotteries including 888Sport, Ladbrokes Coral, SkyBet, William Hill and Norsk Tipping and Betsson, who have partnered with the platform for over 10 years.

Sporting Solutions will continue to provide services to its B2B betting partners, it said in a statement on LinkedIn.

The acquisition remains subject to regulatory approvals and certain other conditions. Once the deal gains the necessary clearance, as expected by both parties, the acquisition will close. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed..

July 15, 2024

Weekend Report: DraftKings to divest VSiN, Bermuda’s banks slow casino launch and more

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB covers the news you may have missed over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week we’ve got news of DraftKings cashing out of its big media bet, Bermuda’s casinos struggling for acceptance in the banking sector and more.

DraftKings turns off VSiN?

DraftKings could be preparing to sell off its sports betting media specialist Vegas Sports Information Network (VSiN), according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming.

Original owner Brent Musburger is allegedly set to take back control of the TV and radio network, which was acquired by DraftKings for $70m back in 2021. Active since 2017, VSiN broadcasts 18 hours of content a day, across multiple markets and streaming platforms, at one time showing Betting Across America, a BetMGM-backed sports betting programme.

While the sale is not confirmed it would take a significant media asset out of DraftKings’ stable, although it still maintains a distribution deal with Meadowlark Media, as well as its own streaming..

July 1, 2024

Weekend Report: PH senator pushes POGO ban, FanDuel’s strong week in NY and more

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB updates you with the stories you may have missed over the last few days. This week we cover POGOs in the Philippines, as well as stopping off in New York, New Hampshire, Thailand and Brazil.

Philippine senator renews call for online gambling ban

Philippines Senator Joel Villanueva is pushing for his 2022 legislation banning Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and all forms of online gambling to progress through the country’s legislature.

First filed in September 2022, Villanueva’s Senate Bill 1281 aims to repeal all legislation granting the power to regulate online gambling and criminalise the vertical. Those found to have placed, received or otherwise unknowingly transmitted a bet or wager online would face either a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine of PHP500,000 (£6,736.74/€7,943.75/8,524.33).

Villanueva urges PAGCOR to intensify investigation on POGOs and other forms of online gamblinghttps://t.co/dDChQ5jZSZ
— DZRH..

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Tag: Strategy