Oceania

George Oborne, Managing Director of India Bet, said that cricket has the potential to become a ‘growth sport for betting’, particularly given the huge turnover in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other Twenty20 competitions, the way it lends itself to in-play betting and its status as a relative minor in the UK betting market. He was backed up by Todd …

Ladbrokes Plc governance has announced that Paul Cherry will replace Dean Shannon as new Chief Executive Officer of Ladbrokes Australia. Cherry will take over leadership in February 2017, as Shannon steps down having served as CEO of Ladbrokes Australia since its inception in 2013. In its leadership announcement, Ladbrokes governance declared that Shannon would be maintained as a corporate advisor …

Betfair Australia is set to migrate its business operations from Tasmania to the Northern Territory, following the state passing approved legislation and licensing provisions in April relating to services for online exchange wagering. The exchange operator, wholly owned by James Packer’s Crown Resorts, confirmed its decision to move to the Northern Territory last week, with the company reported to have …

 Australian leisure and gambling tycoon James Packer has sold approximately 4.8% equity in ASX-listed casino operator Crown Resorts (Crown) for a reported AUS $448 million (£257 million). The transaction was carried out by Packer’s investment vehicle Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH), who placed circa 35 million shares at AUS $12.80 apiece. The sell-off sees Packer relinquish his majority stake in Crown …

Emerchants are a leading provider of prepaid payment solutions, offering prepaid debit card programs which are specifically designed for the online betting and gaming industry. After enjoying success in Australia with Bet365, Ladbrokes, William Hill, Sportsbet and CrownBet, they will be in market with major European partners starting in Q4 2016. Emerchants are keen to introduce its solution, and the …

The Victoria (Australia) state government has begun consultations on potential restrictions to gambling services advertising. Multiple Australian news sources have reported this weekend that state governance is reviewing plans to ban gambling advertisements being published within public transport services and near schools. State Gaming Minister Marlene Kairouz who is reviewing advertising standards proposals, commented that Victoria’s community was concerned with …

Australia ASX-listed racing and fantasy sports operator TopBetta has confirmed that it has raised AUS $2.6 million (£1.5 million) through a share placement funded by a group of ‘sophisticated and institutional’ investors. Placing 14.5 million shares at AUS $0.18, TopBetta governance will use the funds to implement an ‘aggressive growth’ strategy targeting customers during the key period of Spring Carnival …

Ahead of busy period for Australian sports with the AFL and NRL Finals commencing in September, Ladbrokes Australia has announced the launch of its new nationwide marketing campaign ‘Up for the Challenge’. ‘Up for the Challenge’, is the first marketing campaign delivered by Saatchi & Saatchi, who were appointed Ladbrokes Australia’s lead creative agency in May following an account pitch …

The state government in South Australia has moved to stamp out all forms of esports wagering.  Consumer and Business Services Minister John Rau has informed the Independent Gambling Authority that it should not approve betting on competitive gaming events, irrespective of where the event occurs. This includes for instance The International, the Dota 2 tournament which is currently underway in Seattle, …

Valery Bollier is the CEO of Oulala, a company that is fast making tracks in DFS and has recently announced a move into India and Australasia via a deal with Cardinal House Group.  Valery is speaking on a panel at Betting on Sports 2016 (September 15-16) on the topic of how DFS operators and bookmakers can work together for mutual …