Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
The concentration in the gambling industry continues. Now Ladbrokes and the Gala-Coral-Group have agreed to a merger. This will be most noticable in the sport betting market, but all outfits have rooms in the iPoker network. We will see, if those are merged in one room.
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
At the end it will be like 3-4 sites all together, with all sites merged. It will be very difficult for new sites to open in the future. With the current economic situation, and stupid laws everywhere, the only way to try with a new site, will be if you have money that you dont really care to lose.
------------ At the end it will be like 3-4 sites all together, with all sites merged. It will be very difficult for new sites to open in the future. With the current economic situation, and stupid laws everywhere, the only way to try with a new site, will be if you have money that you dont really care to lose.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
Yep. Shrinking market => concentration in a few winning brands. And of cause it will be really difficult to compete against those established companies as a newcommer. But it has been that way for a few years now.
Gala-Coral is strong when it comes to bingo (maybe poker too, Coral had good summer promos on their client so far) and horse racing, Ladbrokes is slightly above average as a bookie but uses a great layout for their website so it's a win-win IMO. I am only active on Coral though, I'll let everyone know here how my perception has changed after their marriage been done.
Joined: Mar '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 45 (F)
Posts: 2261
I also saw this and I don't think the way the market is going is going to be good for the customers.I heard Ladbrokes had a bad year and their spokesman put it down to "lucky Customers". I also read that a massive percentage of profits from High street bookies are now coming from fixed odds betting terminals,the UK government tried to restrict a shop to only 4 machines so now they just open another shop down the road.
Yeah, all the "new" entertainements go through this... Bigger ones buying out the smaller businesses to avoid having competition in the market. Mixed Martial art organizations are all being bought by the UFC, just like Pokerstars is doing in the online poker business.
Monopoly in general is bad for the customers (us), I wish there was more laws to prevent this... But at the same time nobody is forcing these people to sell their business...
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
They should put a distance restriction klash (Maybe they will do that in the future), like they do here with the bookie shops. So you wont see any shop close to another. It is easier that way to keep it running. But of course many have closed lately due to the crisis.
Joined: Mar '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 45 (F)
Posts: 2261
I think there maybe a distance restriction in the future but some high streets in Britain just have Bookies,charity shops(they get business discounts) and coffee shops.When the council have a choice between bookies or empty shops it is difficult. On the casino front I have just seen that Gala/Coral have just signed up with netent slots.Probably a good thing as Playtech slots are starting to look old and tired.
