UK sports betting companies bet on US after sports betting wager judgment
5 June 2018
By Natalie Sherman
Business reporter, New York
It's high stakes for UK companies as sports betting starts to spread in America.
From Tuesday, brand-new rules on sports betting entered into result in Delaware, a small east coast state about 2 hours from Washington.
Neighbouring New Jersey could begin accepting sports betting bets as early as Friday.
The changes are the first in what might become a wave of legalisation after the Supreme Court last month cleared the way for states to permit sports betting.
The industry sees a "as soon as in a generation" chance to develop a brand-new market in sports betting-mad America, stated Dublin-based financial expert David Jennings, who heads leisure research at Davy.
For UK companies, which are coming to grips with consolidation, increased online competition and harder guidelines from UK regulators, the timing is particularly suitable.
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But the industry states relying on the US remains a risky bet, as UK companies face complex state-by-state policy and competition from established local interests.
"It's something that we're truly focusing on, however similarly we don't wish to overhype it," stated James Midmer, spokesperson at Paddy Power Betfair, which just recently acquired the US fantasy sports betting site FanDuel.
'Require time'
The US accounted for about 23% of the world's $244bn (₤ 182bn) in video gaming earnings last year, according to a report by Technavio, in January.
Firms are hoping to tap into more of that activity after last month's decision, which struck down a 1992 federal law that disallowed states beyond Nevada and a few others from authorising sports betting.
The judgment discovered the law was an over-reach of federal power. But the court it did not actually legalise sports betting wagering, leaving that question to local lawmakers.
That is anticipated to cause significant variation in how companies get certified, where sports betting can occur, and which events are open to speculation - with big ramifications for the size of the marketplace.
Potential earnings ranges from $4.2 bn to almost $20bn each year depending on factors like how many states move to legalise, Oxford Economics estimated in a 2017 study for the American Gaming Association.
"There was a lot of 'this is going to be huge'", stated Will Hawkley, London-based head of leisure for specialists KPMG.
Now, he said: "I think a lot of individuals ... are taking a look at this as, 'it's a chance but it's not going to be $20bn and it's going to be state by state and it's going to take time'."
'Remains to be seen"
Chris Grove, handling director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, predicts that 32 states will legalise sports betting wagering in some kind by 2023, creating a market with about $6bn in yearly profits.
But bookmakers face a far various landscape in America than they perform in the UK, where sports betting stores are a regular sight.
US laws minimal sports betting largely to Native American lands and Nevada's Las Vegas strip till reasonably just recently.
In the popular imagination, sports betting wagering has actually long been connected to a 1919 baseball World Series match-fixing scandal.
States have also been slow to legalise numerous types of online gaming, regardless of a 2011 Justice Department viewpoint that appeared to get rid of challenges.
While sports betting wagering is normally seen in its own category, "it clearly stays to be seen whether it gets the kind of momentum people believe it will," stated Keith Miller, law professor at Drake University and co-author of a book about sports betting policy.
David Carruthers is the previous primary executive of BetonSports, who was arrested in the US in 2006 for running an overseas online sportsbook and served jail time.
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Now an expert, he states UK firms must approach the marketplace carefully, picking partners with caution and preventing errors that could result in regulator reaction.
"This is a chance for the American sports betting gambler ... I'm not exactly sure whether it is an opportunity for business," he says. "It really depends on the result of [state] legislation and how the service operators pursue the opportunity."
'It will be partnerships'
As legalisation begins, sports betting wagering companies are lobbying to fend off high tax rates, as well as requests by US sports betting leagues, which desire to gather a portion of earnings as an "stability fee".
International business face the added challenge of an effective existing gaming industry, with casino operators, state-run lottos and Native American tribes that are looking for to safeguard their grass.
Analysts say UK companies will require to strike collaborations, offering their competence and innovation in order to make inroads.
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They indicate SBTech's recent announcement that it is providing technology for Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs as an example of the kind of deals most likely to materialise.
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"It will be a win-win for everybody, however it will be partnerships and it will be driven by technology," Mr Hawkley said.
'It will just depend'
Joe Asher, president at William Hill US, is clear-eyed about the truths.
The business has actually been investing in the US market considering that 2011, when it purchased three US firms to establish an existence in Nevada.
William Hill now employs about 450 people in the US and has actually revealed partnerships with casinos in Iowa and New Jersey.
It works as threat manager for the Delaware Lottery and has actually invested millions along with a regional developer in a New Jersey horse racing track.
Mr Asher said William Hill has become a home name in Nevada but that's not always the goal everywhere.
"We definitely mean to have a really considerable brand name existence in New Jersey," he stated. "In other states, it will just depend on regulation and potentially who our local partner is."
"The US is going to be the biggest sports betting wagering market in the world," he added. "Obviously that's not going to occur on the first day."
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lorieweldon206 edited this page 2024-12-17 15:40:34 +01:00