1 UK Betting Firms Gamble on United States After Sports Wager Ruling
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UK wagering companies bet on US after sports betting wager ruling

5 June 2018

By Natalie Sherman

Business press reporter, New York

It's high stakes for UK firms as sports betting wagering starts to spread out in America.
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From Tuesday, brand-new guidelines on wagering entered into result in Delaware, a small east coast state about 2 hours from Washington.

Neighbouring New Jersey could start accepting sports betting bets as early as Friday.

The changes are the first in what could end up being a wave of legalisation after the Supreme Court last month cleared the method for states to allow sports betting.

The market sees a "as soon as in a generation" chance to develop a new market in sports betting-mad America, stated Dublin-based financial expert David Jennings, who heads leisure research study at Davy.

For UK firms, which are grappling with debt consolidation, increased online competition and tougher rules from UK regulators, the timing is particularly opportune.

Why the deals with an unpredictable future

How does unlawful sports betting wagering work and what are the fears?

But the industry states counting on the US remains a dangerous bet, as UK companies deal with complex state-by-state policy and competition from established local interests.

"It's something that we're truly focusing on, however equally we don't wish to overhype it," stated James Midmer, spokesperson at Paddy Power Betfair, which recently purchased the US dream sports betting site FanDuel.

'Take time'

The US accounted for about 23% of the world's $244bn (₤ 182bn) in gaming profits in 2015, according to a report by Technavio, external published in January.

Firms are wishing to use more of that activity after last month's decision, which overruled a 1992 federal law that disallowed states beyond Nevada and a couple of others from authorising sports betting wagering.

The judgment discovered the law was an over-reach of federal power. But the court it did not really legalise sports betting, leaving that question to local legislators.
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That is expected to result in substantial variation in how firms get certified, where sports betting wagering can occur, and which events are open to speculation - with big ramifications for the size of the marketplace.

Potential earnings varieties from $4.2 bn to nearly $20bn yearly depending upon elements like the number of states move to legalise, Oxford Economics estimated in a 2017 study for the American Gaming Association.

"There was a great deal of 'this is going to be big'", stated Will Hawkley, London-based head of leisure for consultants KPMG.

Now, he stated: "I think a lot of individuals ... are looking at this as, 'it's a chance however it's not going to be $20bn and it's going to be state by state and it's going to take some time'."

'Remains to be seen"

Chris Grove, handling director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, forecasts that 32 states will legalise sports betting in some form by 2023, creating a market with about $6bn in yearly earnings.

But bookmakers face a far various landscape in America than they do in the UK, where sports betting shops are a frequent sight.

US laws restricted betting mainly to Native American lands and Nevada's Las Vegas strip till relatively just recently.

In the popular imagination, sports betting has long been connected to a 1919 baseball World Series match-fixing scandal.

States have likewise been sluggish to legalise many kinds of online sports betting, despite a 2011 Justice Department viewpoint that appeared to eliminate barriers.

While sports betting is generally viewed in its own classification, "it plainly remains to be seen whether it gets the sort of momentum individuals think it will," stated Keith Miller, law professor at Drake University and co-author of a book about sports betting regulation.
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David Carruthers is the previous president of BetonSports, who was jailed in the US in 2006 for running an overseas online sportsbook and served jail time.

Now an expert, he says UK companies should approach the marketplace thoroughly, choosing partners with caution and preventing errors that might lead to regulator backlash.

"This is a chance for the American sports betting bettor ... I'm not sure whether it is a chance for organization," he states. "It really depends on the outcome of [state] legislation and how the service operators pursue the opportunity."

'It will be partnerships'

As legalisation begins, sports betting companies are lobbying to ward off high tax rates, as well as demands by US sports betting leagues, which desire to gather a percentage of income as an "integrity cost".

International companies face the added difficulty of a powerful existing video gaming industry, with gambling establishment operators, state-run lottos and Native American people that are seeking to protect their turf.
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Analysts say UK firms will require to strike collaborations, using their expertise and technology in order to make inroads.
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They point to SBTech's recent announcement that it is supplying innovation for Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs as an example of the type of deals likely to materialise.

"It will be a win-win for everyone, but it will be collaborations and it will be driven by technology," Mr Hawkley stated.

'It will simply depend'

Joe Asher, president at William Hill US, is clear-eyed about the realities.

The business has actually been buying the US market given that 2011, when it bought three US companies to establish a presence in Nevada.

William Hill now uses about 450 individuals in the US and has actually announced collaborations with casinos in Iowa and New Jersey.

It works as risk manager for the Delaware Lottery and has invested millions alongside a regional designer in a New Jersey horse racing track.

Mr Asher stated William Hill has actually become a family name in Nevada but that's not always the objective all over.

"We certainly mean to have a very considerable brand name presence in New Jersey," he stated. "In other states, it will just depend upon regulation and potentially who our regional partner is."

"The US is going to be the biggest sports betting market worldwide," he included. "Obviously that's not going to occur on the first day."

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