Business
appointments corporate
Once again Bodog Europe leads the way in recruitment,
Peter Woodfine joins Bodog Europe as director of busi- ness development with over 10 years experience in the role, having held positions with
lastminute.com, Channel 4, Endemol and, most recently, Sportingbet. He com- mented: “There are few brands that embrace digital media and like to experiment with new ideas as much as Bodog and for business development that is really attractive.”
He will be joined by Harald Kaiblinger, who fills the newly
created role of R&D director with the specific aim of unearthing the newest and best products as well as plat- forms that can keep the business at the forefront of the industry. Patrik Selin, CEO of Bodog Europe, commented: “Harald is a great addition to the team here in London and the role is one I believe to be vital in this industry where a new poker or mobile explosion can happen so quickly. We need to put ourselves at the front of those curves and Harald will help us in that pursuit.”
commented: “There are few more competitive land- scapes than the online gaming industry and therefore it was one that has been on my radar for a while, especially with the growth in mobile phone betting as this is an area close to my heart. However, any business wanting to succeed in this space needs the right structure and atti- tude. Bodog’s ability to not only react quickly to change but also research the road ahead made them the ideal choice as well as an irresistible chal- lenge.”
Also joining the Bodog team is new CMO Dee Dutta, who DEE DUTTA Georgina Harvey and Imelda Walsh have been appointed
as non-executive directors at William Hill. Harvey is managing director of the Regionals division of Trinity Mirror plc and was appointed President of the Newspaper Society in July 2010. Imelda Walsh was group human resources director at J Sainsbury plc from 2004 to 2010 and while there was also a non-executive director of Sainsbury’s Bank.
William Hill chairman Gareth Davis said: “I am delighted that Imelda and Georgina have agreed to join the William Hill Board. They bring us extensive and diverse experience from the worlds of media and retail.”
industry is Stephen Pettman at Media Corp. CEO Justin Drummond commented: “Stephen brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge gained from a 30 year career in the city, and his experience and contacts are of particu- lar value to the company.”
Another non-executive director joining the gambling Jack Davison has stepped into his role as director of
sports data to complete the building of a new depart- ment within LBO broadcaster SIS which will focus on build- ing a new data brand and products for its customers. Davison joins head of business Dominic Atkinson and head of product Kevin Pick, who both started with SIS earlier this year, to head up the new unit. Davison, who will report to Philip Siers, said: “I see my role as running a relatively new area for SIS, enabling me to try and shape it how I see it, while at the same time widening SIS’s product offering with an aim to increase revenue, our customer base and our strategic position in the wider betting market.”
JACK DAVISON Sports betting technology provider Offsidegaming has
appointed Matthew Colledge as chief technology officer. Colledge has more than nine years experience working in the UK and Costa Rica as an independent consultant and previously with telephone and internet wagering company
YouWager.com. Offside’s Matt Jellicoe said “We want to ensure that our partners continue to receive the best pos- sible service. Too many companies in this space still fail their clients in terms of technical service therefore Matt is tasked to continue building on our reputation for delivery.”
44 BettingBusinessInteractive • NOVEMBER 2011 with three new faces in important roles at the company.
Continued investment, tough comparatives and the general economy have put the breaks on William Hill’s recent growth spurt.
Q3 W
illiam Hill has reported a 22 per cent drop in group operating profit for the
third quarter, a fall that has been attributed to the com- bined effect of the weaker year-on-year margin, planned increases in online investment levels and a loss- making performance from the telephone channel. The company pointed out that this results in only a 3 per cent decline year-to-date and that group net revenue was 2 per cent higher than in Q3 2010, a comparative period which included the 2010 World Cup.
Chief executive Ralph
Topping commented: “We have delivered a solid per- formance in Q3, in spite of a highly competitive market place and a tough consumer environment. We continue to invest in product, pricing and innovation, bringing customers the best high street and online betting and
gaming experience. “Pleasingly, online net revenue growth accelerated in the quarter, as did under- lying amounts staked over- the-counter in retail, and our long-term track record of growth in machines contin- ued in Q3. Internationally, the initial performance of William Hill Online’s new Italian casino website is beating expectations having taken around 8-9 per cent market share and we are the most successful of the non- domestic new entrants.” William Hill Online’s net revenue growth was up 28 per cent compared with Q3 2010. The sportsbook saw amounts staked 51 per cent higher, including growth of 61 per cent in in-play turnover and more than 250 per cent in mobile betting amounts staked. The sports- book gross win margin was 6.9 per cent, which the firm said was 200 basis points lower than in the same period in 2010. As a result,
Slow down in growth for Hills
net revenue grew 17 per cent. Topping added: “The Q3 margin is broadly in line with our long-term average for this quarter but is below the unusually high margin seen in Q3 2010, driven up by foot- ball results. Accordingly, group profits are lower year-
on-year, primarily as a result of this and the planned sig- nificant increase in online investment. “With our leading brand, strong technology, differenti- ated products and under- standing of our consumer, we have a unique opportu- nity right now to invest to
Drop in revenues as Ladbrokes looks to 2012
After a rocky year, Ladbrokes is hoping its R&D will pay dividends next year in a variety of verticals.
LADBROKES L
adbrokes has got its eyes very firmly on 2012 when the company will launch its new sportsbook. The firm said that as it continues to expand its range of Bet in Play events further and across more sports, the new sportsbook will enable Lad- brokes to present the increase in betting opportu- nities more effectively to cus- tomers.
In the meantime, the company reported a 0.7 per cent drop in digital revenues for the third quarter com- pared to the corresponding period last year. Strong casino growth was offset by a ‘results driven’ decline in sportsbook and lower year on year poker revenues. The company said: “Sportsbook amounts staked grew 6.4 per cent year on year. Net revenue fell 6.0 per cent as a result of an adverse movement in gross win margin (Q3 2011: 6.1 per cent versus 6.7 per cent in Q3 2010) impacted by both unfavourable results in August and a strong football
margin in 2010.”
Mobile revenues in Q3 were up 163 per cent with 21 per cent of digital customers placing at least one bet during the quarter. The firm com- mented: “We continue to expand and improve our Mobile offer and are on track with the development of a new bespoke platform which will be delivered in Q2 2012 enabling us to target cus- tomers more effectively with a more personalised offer.” Casino net revenue was up 11.2 per cent on last year, which together with a 13.3 per cent growth in actives has been driven by strong VIP activity. However, poker net revenue was down 12.5 per cent, bingo net revenue declined by 5.7 per cent and games were down by 2.7 per cent.
There was better news from Ladbrokes’ UK retail division which saw a two per cent increase in net revenue, although this was mainly due to a 20.4 per cent boost in machines gross win, which masked an 8.3 per cent drop
in OTC net revenue.
The company said: “OTC amounts staked were down by 3.5 per cent over the period, broadly consistent with the trend in H1 in spite of the impact of temporarily closing over 200 shops during the riots in August.” The decline in OTC net revenue was primarily driven by a comparatively weak gross win margin of 16.0 per cent (2010: 16.9 per cent), with an adverse horse margin back in August.
Chief executive Richard Glynn commented: “UK Retail net revenue has grown by 2.0 per cent driven by par- ticularly strong growth in machines, with continued stability in trend for OTC staking. We have seen good growth in sportsbook sign ups and actives, particularly following the start of our renewed marketing in August. We have significantly increased our Bet in Play football offer and broadened our range of casino games, with further expansion in these areas to come.”
RICHARD GLYNN: ‘SEEN GOOD GROWTH IN SPORTSBOOK SIGN UPS’
Overall group operating profit of £49.7m for the quarter was 2.7 per cent lower year on year, although it would have been up 8.5 per cent without last year’s World Cup. Glynn added: “Looking forward we expect opera- tional initiatives, already underway, to drive further momentum. We will begin using new yield management tools on machines and expect this to drive continued strong growth in 2012. In November we start live testing of our new online sportsbook which will launch in Q1 next year, enabling us to promote our expanding range of betting and gaming opportu- nities more effectively.”
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