1 UK Betting Firms Gamble on United States After Sports Wager Ruling
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UK wagering firms bet on US after sports betting wager judgment
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5 June 2018
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By Natalie Sherman

Business reporter, New York

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

From Tuesday, new rules on wagering came into result in Delaware, a small east coast state about two 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 enable sports betting.

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

For UK companies, which are grappling with debt consolidation, increased online competitors and harder rules from UK regulators, the timing is especially suitable.

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But the market says counting on the US remains a dangerous bet, as UK companies face complicated state-by-state regulation and competition from entrenched regional interests.

"It's something that we're really concentrating on, however equally we do not desire to overhype it," stated James Midmer, spokesperson at Paddy Power Betfair, which just recently bought the US dream sports betting site FanDuel.

'Require 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 intending to take advantage of 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 ruling found the law was an over-reach of federal power. But the court it did not in fact legalise sports betting wagering, leaving that concern to regional lawmakers.

That is expected to result in significant variation in how firms get licensed, where sports betting wagering can happen, and which events are open to speculation - with big ramifications for the size of the marketplace.

Potential income varieties from $4.2 bn to practically $20bn every year depending on aspects like the number of states transfer to legalise, Oxford Economics approximated in a 2017 research study for the American Gaming Association.

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

Now, he said: "I believe the majority of people ... are taking a look 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 require time'."

'Remains to be seen"

Chris Grove, managing director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, forecasts that 32 states will legalise sports betting wagering in some form by 2023, producing a market with about $6bn in annual profits.

But bookmakers face a far different landscape in America than they perform in the UK, where wagering shops are a regular sight.

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

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

States have actually also been sluggish to legalise numerous forms of online sports betting, regardless of a 2011 Justice Department viewpoint that appeared to get rid of challenges.

While sports betting is generally seen in its own category, "it clearly remains to be seen whether it gets the kind of think it will," stated Keith Miller, law professor at Drake University and co-author of a book about sports betting guideline.

David Carruthers is the previous primary executive of BetonSports, who was jailed in the US in 2006 for running an overseas online sportsbook and served jail time.

Now a consultant, he states UK companies ought to approach the market carefully, selecting partners with care and preventing bad moves that could cause regulator reaction.

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

'It will be partnerships'
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As legalisation begins, sports betting wagering firms are lobbying to ward off high tax rates, in addition to requests by US sports betting leagues, which desire to collect a percentage of income as an "integrity charge".

International companies face the added challenge of an effective existing gaming market, with gambling establishment operators, state-run lottos and Native American tribes that are seeking to defend their grass.

Analysts say UK firms will need to strike collaborations, offering their know-how and technology in order to make inroads.

They point to SBTech's recent announcement that it is providing innovation for Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs as an example of the kind of offers most likely to materialise.

"It will be a win-win for everybody, however it will be collaborations and it will be driven by innovation," 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 purchasing the US market since 2011, when it bought 3 US firms to develop an existence in Nevada.

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

It works as risk supervisor for the Delaware Lottery and has actually invested millions together with a local developer in a New Jersey horse racing track.

Mr Asher said William Hill has actually ended up being a family name in Nevada but that's not necessarily the objective everywhere.

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

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

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