Payment Methods!
Casino Reviews
Recommended Links
Our Links
SA Business interested in spanish market
Both land based and online gambling operations considering options in newly liberated gambling environment
The welcome news earlier this month that Spain is to permit its provincial governments to decide on more liberal gambling policies has brought the country - and its gamblers - into sharp focus for international land based and online gaming companies.
According to the business press in South Africa, gambling companies are seriously considering the possibilities for South African business in the new environment
The reports quote Warwick Lucas, a senior analyst at stockbrokers Imara SP Reid, who said on Friday that of the local gaming companies, Sun International was the most well positioned to take advantage of opportunities in the Spanish market.
"Peermont Global's new owners MIC (Mineworkers Investment Company) are indebted. Gold Reef Casino Resorts has just won the West Rand casino licence and that is likely to take a lot of their money. Tsogo Sun also has a lot of debt," Lucas said.
When he announced his decision to sell his stake in Peermont, founder and CEO Ernie Joubert said that, following his departure from the company when the deal becomes unconditional, he would pursue opportunities abroad. He has not given details of these.
An industry source said Sun International plans a bold entry into online gaming next year, which means it might profit from Spain's liberalised gambling laws. The South African Cabinet recently decided on a regulatory rather than prohibitionist approach to online gambling.
Laws set to take effect next month will liberalise gambling initially in Spain's Madrid region. Spain's 17 autonomous regions have begun liberalising markets, or are on the verge of doing so.
Spaniards gambled about Euro 29 billion last year, or Euro 722 per capita, according to Munich-based Media & Entertainment Consulting Network, which expects turnover to reach Euro 39 billion by 2010.
They spent nearly Euro 12 billion on lottery tickets in 2005 - more than twice the amount per capita of punters in Britain - and pumped Euro 11 billion into the gaming machines that are a permanent fixture of many bars and cafés.
"It's a substantial market. (Spaniards) are sports-mad and they have a reasonable gambling culture," said Ciaran O'Brien, spokesman for Ladbrokes, Europe's biggest bookmaker.
He said the company was looking at the Spanish market "very seriously" but had yet to take any concrete steps.
Industry representatives say Madrid's tax rate of 10 percent on gross profits - total bets placed minus winnings - was relatively low.
"It is a very competitive level, very attractive to a bookmaker," said Adrian Morris, director of finance at Stanleybet, the UK-based sports betting operator.
Stanleybet had held talks with several Spanish business figures about possible partnerships in Spain, he said.
Media & Entertainment Consulting Network said the greatest potential for Spanish growth was in sports betting and internet gambling. Currently, formal sports betting is largely limited to the state-run La Quiniela and betting per capita is low. But with growing liberalisation, it sees turnover rising from about Euro 500 million in 2005 to Euro 4,5 billion by 2010.
William Hill, the British bookmaker, could be among the first to snap up a Madrid licence through a 50-50 joint venture with Codere, a Spanish gaming company.
David Harding, CE of William Hill, said the venture would invest Euro 20 million in Madrid, and subsequently other regions, to set up a network of betting machines and betting shops.
For William Hill, the Codere partnership could lead to new markets in Latin America, where the Spanish company has a significant presence.
"Spanish is one of the biggest languages in the world. We are going to focus on getting (the Spanish operation) right but we're going to keep the other opportunities in the back of our minds," said Harding.
Some online gambling companies target Spanish customers, even though only the state-run gambling agency has official approval to offer online services at present.
Gibraltar-based online operator 888.com has a sponsorship deal with FC Sevilla and is advertising on Spanish internet news and sports sites. Bwin, the Vienna-based online gambling company, has a Euro 1,5 million sponsorship deal with FC Barcelona. UK-based Sportingbet has a Spanish-language online site, Miapuesta, which offers online sports betting, casino and poker activities.
While Madrid is the first region to fully liberalise its market, other Spanish regions, such as Andalusia, allow limited gambling business, and legislation is in the pipeline in the Basque country and Navarre.
Betfred, the UK-based betting company, has an alliance with Esaka, a Spanish gaming machine group, and plans to invest Euro 18 million in the Basque region, according to newspaper reports.
In Aragon, some sports betting was legalised in 2003, but licences have yet to be issued.
The question now is whether Spaniards' passion for lottery and fruit machine wagers will translate to the sports and online betting market.
According to Morris, "Lots of people who gamble in casinos play tables or machines but not both. Some people bet El Gordo but do not play bingo. (Liberalisation) is an incredibly positive move, but it is an unknown market."
Lastest News
UK bingo site launches video channel and video blog
2007 has been a big year for online bingo in the UK. With around 200s site available to the UK bingo player, the choice is overwhelming. Given the game's popularity in the UK, its prominence is expected to grow. The last year has been marked with a number of big celebrity partnerships with online bingo sites. Sharon Osbourne, Katie Price and Stuart Hall are amongst those who've lent their presence to the marketing strategies of bingo providers. And it doesn't end there, bingo companies have also widened their exposure by sponsoring TV shows, of which Emmerdale is the latest. With the rel...
MoneyWindow.net taking the online payment market by storm
MoneyWindow.net launched their new online e-wallet this week. Based in Costa Rica, and operating worldwide the MoneyWindow.net system is taking the online payment market by storm. "MoneyWindow.net offers a ton of innovative and unique features that put us miles ahead of any other international e-wallet currently available in the marketplace," says Mariana, lead account executive with MoneyWindow.net. The MoneyWindow.net e-wallet was designed to allow people without bank accounts to fund their online e-wallet account through direct money transfers which of course do not require bank a...
Money Casino adds poker articles
Every player has two forces working in his or her core: The first is strategic planning; The second is a belief in chance and intuition. The online magazine of www.Money-Casino.com has added two new features that address these two aspects of our players: A new poker section with comprehensive tips and strategies, and a new and entertaining psychic ability test that trains the player to reveal the unknown. Money Casino Magazine now features a whole new section exclusively dedicated to poker articles. The purpose of the new section is to address the needs of poker players who are looking f...
BGroom announces new software release
BGroom.com is proud to inform you that they will be releasing the newest version of their backgammon gaming software. The new version is more stable, user friendly, and boasts high quality graphics. BGroom.com invites everyone to try their new gaming software and find out why www.bgroom.com is the industry leader in online backgammon and preferred by players worldwide. BGroom\'s software design is realistic with the kind of graphics and sound effects that make players feel as if they are playing live, such as the natural click and roll of the dice, the movement of each piece, and the exc...
New Microgaming games with bigger prizes
Who wants to be a Stallionaire? If it means winning up to $20,000 most people would be keen to do just about anything. Add this huge prize to an amusing horseracing theme and you get one of Microgaming\'s latest online casino game releases. And who doesn\'t want to bust the bookie? In \"Who wants to be a Stallionaire?\", anyone can. Luck and skill combine in this new online casino game with lucky horse shoes bringing a variety of multiplier awards from a special bonus feature. Built to satisfy the needs of more complex and interactive gaming, the AWP machine, which has nudge and hold ...