Footballers face betting ban as corruption fears grow

Professional footballers could be banned from gambling on the sport as the FA seeks to tighten anticorruption measures in the wake of cricket’s spot-fixing scandal.

Speaking at a sports gambling conference, Matthew Johnson, head of regulatory legal advice for the FA, explained that the organisation is keen to ensure football remains clean.

“We think we are equipped to deal with the threat we have, but equally there are some in the game who think perhaps we should look to a blanket ban that bans any footballer from betting on any football,” he said.

Under existing rules, players are not permitted to bet on matches and competitions in which their side is involved, but the rules could be extended to cover football at all levels.

If the change, which is designed to ensure no one is able to illegally profit from football betting, is introduced, it would also extend to semi-professional players.

However, Mr Johnson added that there is a “tradition” of gambling as a leisure activity” in the sport, and a blanket ban may not be appropriate.

Spot-fixing has reared its head in football in the past, with some ex-pros admitting they deliberately kicked the ball straight out of play from the kick off after betting on an early throw-in.

However, it seems unlikely any change to FA rules would have an impact on the general public.

Leeds United sign new partnership deal

Sportingbet has signed a three-year partnership deal with nPower Championship outfit Leeds United.

The details of the agreement include Sportingbet taking over all match day betting at Elland Road whilst enjoying increased branding in and around the stadium. Meanwhile, they will also become the official gaming and wagering partner for local broadcaster Yorkshire Radio.

Speaking after the announcement of the deal, Chief Executive Officer of Sportingbet, Andy McIver, stated: “Leeds United fans are up there as some of the most dedicated supporters in the country and we’re excited to be joining them at the start of this new season in the Championship.

“We’re busy working with the team at Leeds United ahead of the season opener to create new offerings that will benefit the fans and demonstrate our support and passion for the club both on a match day at Elland Road and in the wider community.”

Dominic Matteo, the former Leeds United club captain, will act as Sportingbet’s ambassador for the deal. The company says it will introduce exclusive new gaming features for Leeds United fans such as the Leeds Accumulator game. Fans will also be able to go head-to-head with Matteo on sports betting, whilst they will also be able to place wagers on Leeds United for free in the hope of winning money-can’t-buy prizes.

Speaking about his involvement, Matteo said: “It’s great to be asked to be the ambassador for Sportingbet for what is an exciting partnership.

“This does combine two of my greatest interests, and I’ve said all along that I intend to see more of Leeds this season so this is great for me to be involved in.”

Meanwhile, Shaun Harvey, Chief Executive Officer of Leeds United, was also delighted with the deal: “We are delighted to announce the new betting partner agreement with one of the largest international online bookmakers.

“Sportingbet is a fully established brand within Europe and the rest of the world and it’s important that the club continues to develop partnerships with strong and internationally recognised brands.

“The new three-year deal will see Sportingbet operating both online and in-stadia betting operations at the club. We have been impressed by Sportingbet’s attitude and approach to the club and we are sure that the fans will enjoy betting with Sportingbet during the season.”

The company is hoping to increase its profile in the Yorkshire region. Sportingbet also aims to “expand its existing sponsorship portfolio that already includes properties within football, cricket and rugby”. The new partnership with Leeds United follows a deal signed with Premier League outfit Wolves at the start of last season, which saw Sportingbet become their official shirt sponsors.

William Hill could offshore its phone betting arm

William Hill looks set to move its phone betting operation offshore after its “worst ever Royal Ascot”.

The firm’s net telephone revenues were down by 33 per cent in the first half of the year, with a highly competitive marketplace and poor horse racing results to blame.

In a statement Hills said: “The board has previously noted the challenge of competing with UK betting exchanges and Irish offshore telebetting operators, all of whom have benefited from significant tax and cost advantages over UK bookmakers. The situation is under active review.”

By comparison, the bookmaker’s online arm, which has already been moved overseas, saw revenues increase by 24 per cent over the same period, while its operating profits were up by approximately 43 per cent.

Overall, William Hill’s total net revenues increased by three per cent year-on-year, with a hugely successful World Cup helping to offset poor performances in other areas, most notably horse racing.

If the phone betting operation is moved offshore it would no longer have to pay the horse racing betting levy and this would be another blow to a sport very much in decline.

Paddy Power’s ‘banned’ blind football ad gets a new lease of life

What do blind footballers, a cat and one of the country’s leading bookmakers have in common?

This video will tell you all you need to know.

Paddy Power first aired this advert back in May, but it was quickly withdrawn because of complaints.

Viewers claimed it was offensive to blind people and could lead to animal cruelty. However, after an investigation the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled there is nothing wrong with it.

The ASA said: “We considered that the action in the ad would be interpreted by most viewers as a humorous depiction of a fictional situation, with the humour derived from the surreal and improbable circumstances, when an unforeseeable and accidental action occurred.

“We considered it was unlikely to be seen by most viewers as malicious or to imply that blind people were likely to cause harm to animals whilst playing football.”

Essentially, the ASA decided it was a joke and they weren’t the only ones to acknowledge the funny side – Paddy Power also had the backing of the manager of the England blind football team, Tony Larkin.

Of course, Paddy Power is renowned for its marketing nous and, months after its original release, this ad has provided the firm with another batch of headlines just as the sporting world prepares for the start of the Premier League season. Talk about timing.

World Cup shows in-play football betting is where it’s at

As the dust settles on the 2010 World Cup and the figures are all totted up and reconciled, it is quickly becoming obvious what a hugely successful event it was for the bookmaking world.

The tournament in South Africa is expected to have been the single biggest sports betting event of all time as bookmaker turnover figures are likely to confirm when results are delivered.

Already William Hill has announced its trading figures for the first six months of the year, which shows the World Cup more than compensated for a disastrous Royal Ascot and poor Grand National meeting.

Hills online business grew by 24 per cent in net revenue and 43 per cent in operating turnover as the company engaged with the huge worldwide interest in football.

England’s early demise and a string of shock results saw Hills and other bookies make a killing during  the World Cup which Hills shrewd Chief Executive Ralph Topping described as ‘one of the best for bookmakers in 40 years’.

In actual turnover numbers it is the biggest ever.

Significantly Topping highlighted the important growth of in-play betting which more than doubled and for some games was bigger than the amount staked pre match.

Clearly firms at the forefront of in-play offer the customer fantastic choice as they can make ongoing judgements and stay involved with the excitement which is particularly relevant around football.

The impressive Bet365 are pioneers of in-play with a huge offering of markets and the Stoke-on-Trent based company delivered enormous choice once again, and live commentary in many different languages which suggests its in-play markets are growing healthily on a global basis.

Other online companies do though seem hamstrung by outdated technology and an inability to offer as many markets and as much variety.

All bookmakers will though be gearing themselves up for what should be a bumper new season with the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Champions League and Europa Cup among the biggest betting events and punters can expect to be wooed by firms looking to capitalise on the in-play explosion.

The only real losers in the football mad betting bonanza is horse racing whose market share in gaming continues to fall dramatically. It may not be too far away when a string of favourites winning at Royal Ascot has little more impact than a few days of short priced greyhound winners do now.

That is unless something can be done to increase the popularity of racing among a new generation of punters which currently looks to be beyond an industry which is fragmented and not welcoming to newcomers. But that’s for another day…

Betfair set for autumn floatation

Sky News is reporting that Betfair is targeting an autumn stock market listing, possibly as early as September.

The company was valued at £1.5bn by Japanese banking giant Softbank in April 2006 and the flotation is believed to be worth around this amount. It is understood that Betfair held talks with its advisers at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley last week about the proposal. The move would see the company enter straight into the FTSE 250.

Betfair have not directly commented on the latest speculation, which has been ongoing since last August. Then, it was reported they were targeting a floatation within a year so the current reports fit with this plan. The same story resurfaced back in March targeting an autumn move.

Despite the speculation, Betfair appeared to dismiss the rumours on their forum chat service last week.

If Betfair do decide to float, it would be a considerable development for a company which was formed only 11 years ago. It would also enable Betfair to increase its consolidation of the online gaming market, which it has already made strides into doing. The increase in capital generated will facilitate the company’s expansion and allow it to develop newer exchange technology and services. Potential changes in US gaming law could fuel the deal.

It is believed that Betfair’s shareholders won’t formally decide on the move until after the summer break and the decision may rest on the performances of other IPO candidates.

Betfair decided against floating in 2005 and it is being speculated that it is unlikely the company will use its listing to raise new money by issuing new shares. However, some existing investors may seek to reduce their stakes in the company.

Betfair’s founders, Ed Wray and Andrew Black; Softbank; venture capital investors and company employees are where the four main blocs of shares are currently allocated.

When the news is confirmed, the exchanges and trading sites may open markets on the value of Betfair shares. Betsplayer will keep you posted.

Israel clamps down on egaming

Authorities in Israel are cracking down on egaming websites after police ordered the country’s ISPs to block access to particular foreign sites.

It is believed that Victor Chandler’s VCBet sportsbook and casino are amongst the banned websites and IPs being targeted.

National Lottery and Winner-Toto are the only two companies licensed by the government in Israel to offer egaming opportunities to players based in the country.

In 2007, credit card companies were forced into removing payment options from non-licensed sites whilst in the same year, a court in Tel Aviv upheld a ruling which stated that a company running a gambling site is breaking the law if it is targeting Israelis, even if the site is run outside of Israel. The case centred around Victor Chandler’s casino operation.

Three weeks ago, 28 people were arrested regarding the distribution of prepaid cards which allowed Israelis to play on sites which belonged to Victor Chandler and Stan James.

The Haaretz newspaper is reporting that some ISPs have requested time to study potential implicatons of the ban although they are arguing that any block could easily be overcome by the egaming companies. They also question the legal authority of the police in imposing such a measure.

Hills Malaga sponsorship in doubt

William Hill’s three year sponsorship deal with Malaga Football Club is in doubt, with the company currently in talks with the La Liga outfit in the hope of salvaging the agreement.

Hills’ deal was signed last August and was expected to run until 2012. However, Bloomberg reported last week that new club owner Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani was considering changing the sponsors of the shirts due to gambling contradicting the laws of Islam. The Qatari national bought the club in June for €10.5m, including the club’s €36m of debt.

However, Kate Miller, spokeswoman for William Hill refused to confirm reports that the Sheikh was considering replacing the bookmaker with another sponsor. Speaking to EGRMagazine.com, she said; “We are aware that there is a new owner of Malaga football club and we are currently in talks. We are still the main sponsor of Malaga FC.”

Last week, Abdullah Ghubn, one of the Sheikh’s business associates, told Bloomberg; “We don’t want to turn everything upside down and cancel contracts but let’s put it this way: I’m a smoker but I don’t smoke in my home because these are the rules and I want to protect my family.”

Should the contract be severed, there could potentially be legal issues surrounding the termination.