Entain in Talks to Buy Betting Business of Australia’s Tabcorp. Image credit: Supplied
The operator recently released a statement addressing the rumours that they were buying the Australian business and went onto say that the talks are currently at an early stage. They also added that “any transaction would be in-line with Entain’s current M&A strategy of expanding across regulated international markets.”
Tabcorp’s wagering & media division is close to 40% of the company’s overall revenue at the time of writing. The division of Tabcorp is also a big presence in Australia’s horse racing and sports betting sector, currently occupying a 43% market share.
It was reported previously that Tabcorp’s confirmation that Entain had approached them, however, it was stated that the talks would remain private and confidential. Any offers will likely change in accordance with the proposed conditions.
The two companies maintain that the talks are not final and there is no certainty that the transaction will take place.
It was interesting to see that after Entain confirmed their interest in buying Tabcorp, their shares jumped by 9%, this increased the company’s value to 9.9bn AUD. Entain has brought in a new CEO named Jette Nygaard-Andersen, who was promoted from within the company after starting work there in 2019. This appointment made them the first listed UK gambling operator that has employed a female as the CEO.
The operator has also been in talks over potential merger & acquisition with Enlabs. Simultaneously, they recently rejected a bid in the other direction, as MGM Resorts International attempted to acquire Entain.
We thought given the possibility that Ladbrokes’ parent company is looking to buy into the Australian market, we would take a look at the Ladbrokes casino in operation in the UK. We will see whether they have the best casino bonus, their game selection, and still a market leader within the industry..
Ladbrokes was founded by Messrs. Schwind and Pennington in 1886, as commission agents for horses trained at Ladbroke Hall in Warwickshire. The name Ladbrokes was adopted in 1902 They boast an abundance of casino games and slot games in addition to a highly successful sportsbook portfolio. In December 2017, GVC Holdings agreed to buy Ladbrokes in a deal that could be worth up to £4 billion. GVC added Ladbrokes to it’s highly successful brands such as Foxy Bingo, Party Poker and Party Casino, as well as Bwin.
Being one of the most popular online betting websites in the UK, Ladbrokes offer tons of games and slots from different software providers that support instant play, and it has 250+ mobile-optimized slots. Ladbrokes also standouts with its outstanding bonuses. Indeed, the casino offers a 100% welcome bonus of up to £500. The downside is that you would have had to deposit a minimum of £20 to get this bonus. You will also have to fulfil a 20x wagering requirement before you can withdraw these bonuses.
When it comes to the sports betting market with Ladbrokes, they are among the most well known and well-regarded sports betting providers in the UK. They have a very extensive betting menu, especially when it comes to football and horse racing. In terms of odds, Ladbrokes are very competitive compared to other sports betting sites. We found their pricing structure to be very fair.
In terms of options, they are very strong in this department. They have some top incentives as they offer money-back on fivefold accumulators up to £25 if you miss out by just one—banker’s coupons for football matches with the favourites in the game. There are goal coupons for matches where both teams tally, and coupons for matches where you can try and predict the game’s result. Could we see some of these enticing offerings hit our shores?
We hope to see Ladbrokes bringing it’s expertise and stringent licencing to Tabcorp, this transaction will no doubt excite fans of online gaming in Australia.