UK wagering firms bet on US after sports betting wager ruling

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 impact in Delaware, a tiny east coast state about 2 hours from Washington.

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

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

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

For UK firms, which are grappling with combination, increased online competitors and tougher guidelines from UK regulators, the timing is particularly appropriate.

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But the industry says counting on the US remains a risky bet, as UK companies face complex state-by-state regulation and competitors from established local interests.

"It's something that we're actually concentrating on, but similarly we don't wish to overhype it," said James Midmer, spokesperson at Paddy Power Betfair, which recently purchased the US dream sports betting website FanDuel.

'Require time'

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

Firms are wishing to use more of that activity after last month's decision, which struck down a 1992 federal law that disallowed states outside of Nevada and a couple of others from authorising sports betting wagering.

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 concern to regional lawmakers.

That is anticipated to cause significant variation in how companies get accredited, where sports betting wagering can take place, and which events are open to speculation - with big ramifications for the size of the market.
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Potential earnings varieties from $4.2 bn to almost $20bn each year depending on elements like how many states move to legalise, Oxford Economics approximated 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 experts KPMG.

Now, he said: "I think many 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, handling director at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, anticipates that 32 states will legalise sports betting in some form by 2023, creating a market with about $6bn in yearly revenue.

But bookies deal with a far various landscape in America than they carry out in the UK, where wagering stores are a frequent sight.

US laws minimal gambling mainly to Native American lands and Nevada's Las Vegas strip up until relatively recently.

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

States have actually likewise been sluggish to legalise lots of types of online gambling, despite a 2011 Justice Department opinion that appeared to get rid of barriers.

While sports betting is generally viewed in its own category, "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 regulation.

David Carruthers is the former president of BetonSports, who was arrested in the US in 2006 for running an offshore online sportsbook and served jail time.
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Now a specialist, he says UK companies must approach the market carefully, picking partners with care and avoiding bad moves that might cause regulator backlash.
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"This is an opportunity for the American sports betting gambler ... I'm unsure whether it is a chance for service," he states. "It really is dependent on the result of [state] legislation and how the company operators pursue the chance."

'It will be collaborations'

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 wish to gather a portion of earnings as an "stability fee".
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International companies face the included challenge of an effective existing video gaming market, with casino operators, state-run lottos and Native American people that are seeking to defend their grass.

Analysts say UK firms will need to strike partnerships, providing their proficiency and technology in order to make inroads.

They point to SBTech's current announcement that it is supplying technology for Kentucky Derby operator Churchill Downs as an example of the type of offers likely to materialise.

"It will be a win-win for everyone, but it will be partnerships and it will be driven by technology," Mr Hawkley stated.

'It will just depend'
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Joe Asher, president at William Hill US, is clear-eyed about the realities.

The business has actually been purchasing the US market because 2011, when it purchased three US companies to establish a presence in Nevada.

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

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

Mr Asher stated William Hill has actually become a family name in Nevada but that's not necessarily the objective everywhere.
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"We definitely plan to have a very considerable brand name existence in New Jersey," he stated. "In other states, it will simply depend on guideline and possibly who our regional partner is."

"The US is going to be the greatest sports betting market on the planet," he added. "Obviously that's not going to happen on the first day."

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