UK wagering companies bet on US after sports betting wager judgment

5 June 2018

By Natalie Sherman
bit.ly
Business reporter, New york city

It's high stakes for UK companies as sports betting starts to spread out in America.

From Tuesday, brand-new rules on wagering entered into effect in Delaware, a small east coast state about 2 hours from Washington.

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

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

The market sees a "when in a generation" opportunity to develop a new market in sports betting-mad America, said Dublin-based financial analyst David Jennings, who heads leisure research study at Davy.

For UK firms, which are grappling with combination, increased online competitors and harder rules from UK regulators, the timing is particularly suitable.

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But the industry says depending on the US stays a dangerous bet, as UK business face complex state-by-state regulation and competition from entrenched local interests.

"It's something that we're truly concentrating on, but equally we don't want to overhype it," said James Midmer, representative at Paddy Power Betfair, which just recently purchased the US dream sports betting website FanDuel.

'Require time'

The US represented about 23% of the world's $244bn (₤ 182bn) in gaming income in 2015, according to a report by Technavio, external released in January.
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Firms are wanting to use more of that activity after last month's choice, which struck down a 1992 federal law that disallowed states beyond Nevada and a couple of others from authorising sports betting.

The judgment discovered the law was an over-reach of federal power. But the court it did not really legalise sports betting wagering, leaving that question to regional lawmakers.

That is anticipated to cause substantial variation in how companies get certified, where sports betting wagering can take place, and which events are open to speculation - with huge implications for the size of the marketplace.

Potential profits ranges from $4.2 bn to almost $20bn annually depending upon factors like the number of states transfer to legalise, Oxford Economics estimated in a 2017 research 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 specialists KPMG.

Now, he said: "I believe a lot of people ... 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, anticipates that 32 states will legalise sports betting wagering in some kind by 2023, producing a market with about $6bn in annual profits.

But bookies face a far various landscape in America than they perform in the UK, where sports betting shops are a regular sight.

US laws restricted gaming mostly to Native American lands and Nevada's Las Vegas strip until relatively recently.

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

States have likewise been sluggish to legalise numerous types of online gambling, regardless of a 2011 Justice Department opinion that appeared to remove obstacles.

While sports betting wagering is typically viewed in its own classification, "it plainly remains to be seen whether it gets the kind of momentum individuals think it will," stated Keith Miller, law professor at Drake University and co-author of a book about sports betting policy.

David Carruthers is the former primary executive of BetonSports, who was detained in the US in 2006 for running an offshore online sportsbook and served prison time.

Now an expert, he states UK companies should approach the market carefully, picking partners with caution and avoiding errors that could cause regulator backlash.
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"This is an opportunity for the American sports betting bettor ... I'm not sure whether it is an opportunity for service," he says. "It actually depends on the outcome of [state] legislation and how the organization operators pursue the opportunity."
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'It will be collaborations'

As legalisation begins, sports betting firms are lobbying to ward off high tax rates, as well as requests by US sports betting leagues, which want to collect a percentage of profits as an "integrity fee".

International companies face the added challenge of a powerful existing gaming market, with casino operators, state-run lotteries and Native American people that are seeking to safeguard their turf.

Analysts say UK firms will need to strike partnerships, using their know-how and innovation in order to make inroads.

They point to SBTech's current statement that it is providing technology for Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs as an example of the kind of deals most 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 said.

'It will simply depend'

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

The company has actually been purchasing the US market given that 2011, when it bought three US companies to develop a presence in Nevada.

William Hill now utilizes about 450 people in the US and has actually revealed partnerships with gambling establishments in Iowa and New Jersey.

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

Mr Asher said William Hill has become a household name in Nevada however that's not always the objective all over.

"We definitely intend to have an extremely significant brand name existence in New Jersey," he said. "In other states, it will simply depend on guideline and possibly who our local partner is."

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

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