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UK wagering companies gamble on US after sports betting wager judgment

5 June 2018
bit.ly
By Natalie Sherman

Business reporter, New york city

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

From Tuesday, new on sports betting entered into effect in Delaware, a tiny east coast state about 2 hours from Washington.

Neighbouring New Jersey might begin 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 way for states to enable sports betting wagering.

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

For UK firms, which are facing consolidation, increased online competitors and tougher guidelines from UK regulators, the timing is particularly opportune.

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But the market says relying on the US remains a dangerous bet, as UK companies face complicated state-by-state regulation and competitors from established local interests.

"It's something that we're truly concentrating on, but similarly we do not desire to overhype it," said James Midmer, spokesperson at Paddy Power Betfair, which just recently bought the US dream sports betting website FanDuel.

'Take some time'

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

Firms are wishing to take advantage of more of that activity after last month's decision, which struck down a 1992 federal law that barred states outside of 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 actually legalise sports betting, leaving that question to regional lawmakers.

That is anticipated to cause significant variation in how firms get certified, where sports betting can take place, and which events are open to speculation - with huge ramifications for the size of the market.

Potential revenue ranges from $4.2 bn to almost $20bn annually 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'", said Will Hawkley, London-based head of leisure for consultants KPMG.

Now, he said: "I think the majority of people ... are looking 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, managing director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, anticipates that 32 states will legalise sports betting wagering in some kind by 2023, developing a market with about $6bn in annual profits.

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

US laws restricted gaming mostly to Native American lands and Nevada's Las Vegas strip till reasonably just recently.

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

States have actually also been slow to legalise many kinds of online gaming, regardless of a 2011 Justice Department opinion that appeared to eliminate challenges.

While sports betting wagering is normally seen in its own classification, "it plainly remains to be seen whether it gets the kind of momentum people believe it will," stated Keith Miller, law teacher 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 firms must approach the marketplace carefully, selecting partners with caution and avoiding mistakes that could result in regulator backlash.

"This is a chance for the American sports betting wagerer ... I'm unsure whether it is an opportunity for service," he states. "It truly depends on the outcome of [state] legislation and how business operators pursue the opportunity."

'It will be partnerships'

As legalisation starts, sports betting firms are lobbying to fend off high tax rates, along with demands by US sports betting leagues, which wish to gather a portion of revenue as an "integrity charge".

International companies deal with the added obstacle of a powerful existing video gaming market, with casino operators, state-run lottos and Native American tribes that are looking for to safeguard their turf.

Analysts state UK companies will need to strike collaborations, providing their knowledge and technology in order to make inroads.

They point to SBTech's recent statement that it is offering technology for Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs as an example of the type of offers most likely to materialise.

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

'It will just depend'

Joe Asher, primary executive at William Hill US, is clear-eyed about the truths.

The business has been investing in the US market since 2011, when it purchased three US companies to establish an existence in Nevada.

William Hill now uses about 450 people in the US and has announced collaborations with gambling establishments in Iowa and New Jersey.

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

Mr Asher stated William Hill has actually ended up being a household name in Nevada however that's not necessarily the objective everywhere.

"We certainly plan to have a very considerable brand name existence in New Jersey," he said. "In other states, it will simply depend upon policy and possibly who our regional partner is."

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

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