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Betting operators aid education programme for player problem gambling

charlotte.widmore@soliddm.com (Clive Glenn) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:46:56 +0000

The dangers of gambling don’t only affect the general public but those that participate in playing sports too. The Professional Players Federation (PPF) along with the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) have therefore gone to some lengths to try to ensure that sportsmen and women will receive education on all aspects of problem gambling whether it be addiction to gambling or corruption. The PPF and the RGA approached the betting industry as a whole to obtain assistance to help safeguard the ‘integrity of sport’ and funding has now been agreed.

Education the name of the game

The Professional Players Federation and Remote Gambling Association had discussions with some major sports betting names, and managed to gain support and funding from Betfair, Ladbrokes and bet365. The joint exercise to help ensure that the sporting industry retains its reputation for integrity will focus on educating players in all aspects of responsible gambling and on protecting players from the influences of corruption. It is hoped that the new enterprise will allow players to understand ‘the dangers of gambling on both a professional and a personal basis’ the new partnership also ensure that players are protected as much as possible ‘from would-be corrupters who can only access sport if they can find a way to get to participants’.

Players not immune to the effects of problem gambling

The Professional Players Federation and Remote Gambling Association have, by publicising this relatively little known problem allowed those that do suffer from gambling addiction problems realise that they are not alone and that even their sporting heroes can be affected by such issues. For any readers who are at all concerned about gambling problems they can contact organisations such as GAMCARE who will be able to assist with help, advice and support. The full press release regarding the joint efforts of the PPF, RGA, Betfair, Ladbrokes and bet365 can be found by following the link.

Ladbrokes Chris Bell leaving to make way for new blood

charlotte.widmore@soliddm.com (Clive Glenn) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:33:54 +0000

British sports betting firm Ladbrokes are on the hunt for a new CEO as news breaks that Chris Bell will be leaving the company in the summer. Mr Bell has been in the post for 9 years which has seen many changes, none more so than the leap into the online sports betting and gambling market. Ladbrokes are believed to be seeking a replacement from outside of the organisation rather than hiring from within, even though Mr Bell believes there are some ideal candidates to take up the role that he vacates.

Jumped or pushed?

There are no reports on whether Mr Bell’s decision to step down from his Chief Executive Officer position at Ladbrokes bookmakers is desire driven or whether it has been thrust upon him. The online betting and bookmakers has not performed as well as it previously has during the last year, but this is typical of most organisations that are suffering during the global recession. Ladbrokes have stated that they are looking for a person who is able to ‘pursue a more dynamic and aggressive strategy’. Whether this is a comment aimed at Mr Bell’s failings remains to be seen, although the Ladbrokes Chairman, Peter Erskine is quoted as saying “Bell has made an invaluable contribution to the growth and development of Ladbrokes during his 20 years with the company,”

Bell in need of a change

The story covered in the iGaming Business report states that 52 year old Chris Bell told the Wall Street Journal that he was happy to be leaving as he felt that the time was right for ‘a change’ and that he was in need of a rest from his high powered corporate role. Chris Bell is hoping to have holidays in Chile and Italy once he leaves Ladbrokes in the summer and as yet has no plans to pursue another full time post.

www.ladbrokes.com

Paddy Power put some much needed humour into betting

charlotte.widmore@soliddm.com (Clive Glenn) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:17:16 +0000

Betting doesn’t have to be all about the obvious (and some might say the serious), sometimes its nice to have a little light hearted betting away from the everyday horse racing bets, dogs and football bets. Paddy Power has this market well and truly cornered with every conceivable novelty bet seemingly covered, they must have at least two full time staff just investigating possible novelty bets that they can offer their punters. It is actually a breath of fresh air to visit Paddy Power, and certainly can brighten up a dull, dull day. So if like us, you sometimes want to just have a little bit of a change then check out Paddy Power and see the vast array of markets that you can bet on.

Jonathon Ross to be a Loose Woman?

For those that are into their celebrity TV there is always some sort of reality TV betting going on at Paddy Power, everything from X Factor to I’m a Celebrity is covered – obviously depending on the season and TV schedules. Currently Paddy Power is offering a market on Jonathon Ross, those in the know will be aware that ‘Wossy’ is now leaving the BBC for pastures new, so there are bets available for what the popular TV presenter will be doing next – markets available range from presenting a show with his partner in crime Russell Brand (5/1) to becoming a presenter at Loose Women (100/1).

Tiger a sponsor for Spearmint Rhino?

There are markets for airlines such as Ryan Air and British Airways, Hollywood specials that include markets for the Oscars and who will be the next James Bond. The Irish betting site is even accepting bets on what Tiger Woods divorce settlement might be and who might sponsor the troubled golfer; tongue in cheek bets can be placed for Spearmint Rhino (100/1), Durex (25/1), Autoglass (8/1) as well as a whole lot more. Irreverent, witty, cheeky and less than subtle – thank goodness we have Paddy Power to put some life into online sports betting!

www.paddypower.com

Ladbrokes £7m betting boo-boo leaves punter fuming

charlotte.widmore@soliddm.com (Clive Glenn) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:20:41 +0000

Betting Hideout reported last month on how well Ladbrokes had come out in preventing underage betting, however all the good press coverage last month sadly can’t wipe out the negative media stories that Ladbrokes Bookmakers are receiving now. The reason for Ladbrokes attracting some bad press is that they have been accused of refusing to pay out £7 million on a punters bet that there would be a white Christmas with snow being recorded as falling on Christmas Day in 24 towns or cities in Northern England. Ladbrokes are protesting that the bet placed by the (in the circumstances) unlucky winner was accepted in error. Cliff Bryant, the punter who is convinced that his bet should be paid, is now in the process of having his case heard by the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS).

Mr Bryant hopping mad with offer of alternative payout of under £32

Mr Bryant is not a happy bunny at all, even though Ladbrokes have very kindly offered to pay out as a singles bet instead of the two £5 accumulator bets which he originally placed. This would, according to a story published by Reuters, give him the princely sum of £31.78 instead of the £7 million that he was expecting to collect. Clearly there is a misunderstanding of the highest magnitude as a Ladbrokes spokesperson explained the company position "We have apologised to the customer for any confusion and for mistakenly accepting an accumulator bet when our own rules state that only single bets are available on a market of this nature," and "We are happy to void the bets and to pay the customer his winnings on the relevant singles."

Mr Bryant for his part is not accepting of Ladbrokes offer, and is quoted as saying the Southern Daily Echo "If I make a mistake in my work like that it costs me dearly and I think the offer should be a lot more generous than they have made," IBAS have acknowledged that Mr Bryant had contacted them and are awaiting the relevant forms to be returned to them before an investigation can be commenced.

www.ladbrokes.com

Ladbrokes comes out on top for preventing underage betting

charlotte.widmore@soliddm.com (Clive Glenn) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:34:32 +0000

The Gambling Commission has just published results of underage gambling tests carried out at the five biggest named betting companies. The tests were to see how many betting shops allowed underage people to place bets, the most recent results were carried out in the wake of disastrous results when the tests were last carried out in May this year. The Gambling Commission had been very concerned by the previous results but luckily for the industry there have been marked inprovements in the latest results that were published as a press release on 3rd December.

Ladbrokes came out very well in the latest betting shop test results with 74% of underage players in the test being refused the facility to place a bet in the Ladbrokes betting shops. William Hill were next on the list with a fairly respectable 68% followed by Tote with 63%, then Betfred 30% with the least successful at deterring underage gamblers Gala Coral who only managed to prevent 57% of the sample placing a bet. The good news is that the average of 65% over the 160 betting shops is regarded by the Commission as something of a small success, the Commission will now be in talks with the five betting shop operators to discuss hoe further improvements can be made to the results.

The Gambling Commission is committed to a continued programme of test purchase visits to the major betting shops which is hoped will keep the larger operators on their toes. Small betting shop operators unfortunately fared very badly in the spot tests with only 35% of underage gamblers refused the option to place a bet. The Gambling Commission is working with local councils to try to improve results and to stop those under 18 from placing illegal bets in high street betting shops. The full results can be found by following the link.

William Hill Bookmakers, latest casualty of ASA rulings

charlotte.widmore@soliddm.com (Clive Glenn) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:43:59 +0000

It seems to be more or less a constant crusade by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to uphold complaints made against gambling companies, and the latest casualty receiving the full weight of the ASA is William Hill. Clearly this is not the case but there does seem to be quite a high number of complaints that are upheld when it comes to gambling and betting companies. The complaint made by one person against William Hill Bookmakers was in respect of an advertising campaign offering free bets.

The two advertisements that featured in the national press and also a poster campaign were published to promote an offer of ‘£100 of free bets’. The complainant felt that the sports bets ads were misleading as although the William Hill advertisements stated that ‘terms and conditions apply’, it was felt that William Hill did not clearly state that if a win was achieved from the free bets that the original free stake would not be included in the winnings. William Hill Bookmakers in response to the complaint stated that the fact that they had included the ‘terms and conditions apply’ statement and that the sports betting account holder would not incur any financial losses of their own the adverts were therefore fair and transparent.

Unfortunately though for William Hill the Advertising Standards Authority upheld the complaint finding that the bookmakers breached ‘CAP Code clauses 7.1, 7.2 (Truthfulness) and 34.1 (Significant conditions for promotions)’. The decision by the ASA means that the adverts must not be shown in the same form again, and must be more explicit in future advertising campaigns. The ASA felt that those taking the free bets offer may expect to have the bets treated in the same manner as other bets and receive winnings plus original stake in the event of a win. The full adjudication can be found at the Advertising Standards Authority website or by clicking on the following link.

www.williamhill.com

Bus crash shock at William Hill in Manchester

charlotte.widmore@soliddm.com (Clive Glenn) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:47:58 +0000

William Hill Bookmakers in Dunkinfield, Greater Manchester have had a single decker bus carrying around 30 people plough into the bookmakers front window, killing one man in the process. The shocking images of the bus, which can clearly be seen with the rear end seen protruding halfway out of the William Hill betting shop front have been published in the press and circulated on the internet. The William Hill bookmakers was closed on Monday after the accident whilst firefighters tried to make the building safe after the tragic accident. Police sealed off nearby roads to enable the emergency services to carry out the work.

Bus swerved to avoid pedestrian?

Full details of the accident are not yet available though reports in the Telegraph seem to indicate that the bus had swerved to avoid a pedestrian at about 3.10 pm on Monday afternoon before mounting the pavement and crashing into the William Hill bookmakers. Reports at first had said that it was unknown if the victim was a passerby or a punter in the betting shop, though William Hill have eliminated the possibility of the killed man being a member of their staff as all employees of the bookmakers are now accounted for. At the time of writing there was no clear indication if there were any other people injured or killed in the accident, and all the passengers on the no. 346 bus were unhurt and managed to disembark safely after the crash, although some were treated for shock.

Dead man named

A BBC news report today has named the man killed at the scene as Alan Humphries aged 60 of Lodge Close, Dunkinfield, and have also stated that the fatality had been placing a bet at the time of his death. A spokesperson for the bus company Stagecoach is quoted as saying in the BBC report on the tragic accident “Our immediate thoughts are with those involved in the fatal accident and also their families.
"Safety is our absolute priority and we have launched an immediate investigation.
"The driver of the bus is still shaken by the incident, but is not understood to be injured." The roads are expected to be closed until Wednesday whilst investigations continue. Witnesses to the William Hill crash are being asked to come forward.

www.williamhill.co.uk

Sports betting exchange Betfair has knuckles rapped by ASA

charlotte.widmore@soliddm.com (Clive Glenn) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:58:43 +0000

Betfair Have had their wrists slapped by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after receiving a complaint from Straight Statistics – a pressure group created to ‘expose the distortion and misuse of statistical information and identify those responsible’ – which challenged the facts presented in a poster campaign for Betfair. The posters for the betting exchange were created to advertise Betfair’s own ‘starting price’ (BSP) which they believe gave sports bettors’ better odds than the starting price (SP) given by the industry, Betfair quoted a 40% better chance of a win using BSP compared to the high street SP, which Straight Statistics believed was misleading and that the sports book could not substantiate.

Betfair in breach of ASA codes?

Betfair were asked by the Advertising Standards Authority to supply information to support the information published on the posters and after careful analysis by the ASA the case was upheld and Betfair have been ordered not to publish the information again in its present form as the ads breached CAP code clauses 3.1 Substantiation, 7.1 Truthfulness and 19.1 other comparisons. Although the ASA did acknowledge that after analysing 17,000 races Betfair had data available to prove that around 2,000 had benefited from a 40% BSP when compared to the industry SP they also noted that 3,000 BSP were the same or worse than the industry SP, 12,000 showed a BSP that was 20% better or less than the SP.

Good but not that good!

The conclusion is that on the surface rates are statistically higher using the BSP although they were not to the degree stated in the 40% BSP posters and therefore they were ‘skewed due to the influence of winners with very long odds, which tended to have a disproportionately higher difference between BSP and SP’. Betfair state they did not guarantee that ‘customers would, in every case, receive returns at BSP which were at least 40% better than those available from the industry SP’. Betfair also believe that punters using the BSP would be fully aware that the figure quoted was an and that sometimes they would benefit from higher returns using the BSP and at other times it would be less than 40% quoted in the Betfair posters.

For full details of the complaint made by the Straight Statistics pressure group, full breakdown of the adjudication and the assessment that the ASA made in the Betfair case, follow the link to the Advertising Standards Authority website.

Guardian says William Hill online betting operation moving to Gibraltar

charlotte.widmore@soliddm.com (Clive Glenn) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:09:16 +0000

There is lots of industry gossip stating that some of the biggest bookmakers in the industry are planning to leave the UK in response to William Hill’s decision to relocate its telephone and online betting operation to Gibraltar to save on paying high UK taxes. This of course all flies in the face of assurances from the industry in 2001 that they would remain in the UK under a special agreement with the UK government in return for tax breaks. William Hill has said that they are now reneging on the deal as it is no longer sustainable in the current economic and technological world. William Hill have stated that they have lost out to competitors abroad because of their loyalty to the UK government but that this situation could no longer continue without destroying their business still further.

One out, all out?

A report published on the Guardian website states that William Hill see the move to Gibraltar as damage limitation. However industry insiders see the decision by the bookmaker to move their call centre abroad to escape the harsher UK tax system, will result in a future ‘mass exodus’ of other bookmakers looking to keep up with the Joneses. Ralph Topping ,William Hill’s Chief Executive was quoted as saying in response to questions as to why they had decided to move their operation to Gibraltar "The people who shook hands on that deal lacked the foresight to see how the internet would develop” and "By being loyal to the UK we have seen our telephone business destroyed … We are not hanging around to see if the same will happen to online."

Tote has also been quoted in the article as stating that they are not so keen to be ‘the last man standing’. It is also anticipated that Ladbrokes will be announcing a similar offshore future for their telephone betting operation, and if this is the case it is felt that Coral will do likewise.

Implications for the future of UK online gambling?

It remains to be seen, that if in the event of a decision by the big name UK bookmakers to relocate their telephone betting operations to ‘tax havens’, whether the future would look grim for other forms of online gambling in the UK. The UK government may well feel that they need to recoup some of the money lost from the deficiency in tax receipts from the big bookmakers such as William Hill. The loss of the 15% taxation previously paid by those bookmakers that leave the UK for offshore tax havens like the Isle of Man and Malta could leave other forms of gambling vulnerable to the prospect of higher taxation, this of course could have a resultant adverse taxation affect on online gambling such as bingo, casino and poker sites.

William Hill offering BOGOF on Khan fight

cms_admin@baryonssoftsolutions.com (Betting Editor) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:34:13 +0000

William Hill are providing their sports betting account holders with a special BOGOF or Buy One Get One Free online betting deal on the big Khan v Kotelnik boxing match which takes place this Saturday (18^th July). This boxing match has everyone talking and to have the opportunity to receive extra betting opportunities on the outcome has got to be an prospect not to be missed.

The WBA light-welterweight belt is up for grabs in this clash and so both fighters will be giving it their all. William Hill, as the home of sports betting know how important it is to their account holders to place bets on such a well publicised and important fight which is why they are positively giving money away in free bets to help everyone make the most of all the excitement that has been already generated.

To take advantage of this spectacular William Hill boxing special betting offer, all account holders with William Hill need do is place a single minimum bet of at least £20 in the market titled ‘Method of Result’ in the Amir Kahn v Andreas Kotelnik before 9.00pm on Saturday the 18^th July, then once account holders have placed their bets they can select the Free Bet option and receive their £5 free bet in the Round Betting market for the same fight.

The fight between Amir Kahn and Andreas Kotelnik which takes place at the MEN in Manchester currently sees Kahn the favourite to win by a decision at William Hill. The sports betting site, William Hill are also offering odds of 2/1 of Kahn winning by a knock out, technical knockout or a disqualification with Kotelnik only managing odds of 16/5. William Hill is also offering bets on all the other major sporting markets at the moment including the Ashes 2009 and the 138^th Open Golf Championships.