R92 Gambling Activities

Tabcorp takes a punt on NFL deal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 19 : 19-Sep-19

Wagering company Tabcorp announced on 18 September that it would become the US National Football League’s official wagering partner in Australia. The multi-year agreement is seen as part of Tabcorp’s push to make Sky Channel the home of US sport in Australia, and will include Sky Channel broadcasting one NFL game each Monday morning during the NFL season across its network of more than 4,400 clubs, pubs and TABs.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Crown closed out risk probe

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 26-Aug-19

The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation recommended in 2018 that Crown Resorts review its anti-money-laundering controls and internal risks systems. The recommendations resulted from the VCGLR’s review of Crown’s Victorian casino licence, with the VCGLR advising Crown to get help from Austrac in the review of its anti-money-laundering controls. Crown has stated both reviews were completed over a month before allegations regarding its links with organised crime were raised in the media.

CORPORATES
VICTORIAN COMMISSION FOR GAMBLING AND LIQUOR REGULATION, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE

Tabcorp says lotteries demerger calls total nonsense

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 15-Aug-19

Gambling company Tabcorp released its 2018-19 full year results, reporting an underlying net profit of $397.6 million, up 42.5 per cent. It was the first full-year results released by Tabcorp since its $11 billion merger with Tatts Group, with Tabcorp’s lotteries division reporting a 29 per cent increase in EBITDA to $509 million. However, its wagering and media division saw its EBITDA fall 7.9 per cent to $416 million. Commenting on calls for Tabcorp to demerge its lotteries business, CEO David Attenborough said there were no plans to do so.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, TATTS GROUP LIMITED, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT

Star boss breaks silence on tarnished Crown

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Natasha Gillezeau
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 9-Aug-19

Star Entertainment Group CEO Matt Bekier says junkets are an long-established feature of the gaming and wagering sector. The use of junkets by casino companies has been in the news recently, with media reports claiming that some of the ‘junket’ operators that Star rival Crown Resorts uses to entice Chinese ‘high-rollers’ to Australia have connections to organised crime. In terms of how Star uses junkets, Bekier says its investors can be confident it is doing the right thing.

CORPORATES
THE STAR ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX SGR, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN

Packer’s sale of $1.76b stake in Crown Resorts puts spotlight on Barangaroo pledge

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Bonyhady, Nick Toscano
The Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 31-May-19

James Packer has sold half of his stake in Crown Resorts to Hong Kong-based Melco Resorts & Entertainment, a company with which Crown once operated a casino in Macau under a joint venture. The $1.76 billion deal was transacted via Packer’s private company Consolidated Press Holdings, and leaves Packer with around 25 per cent of Crown. However, there are suggestions that the share sale may breach the conditions of Crown’s operating licence in New South Wales; a condition of the agreement requires Crown to have no associations with Stanley Ho, the father of Melco owner Lawrence Ho.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

‘They’re all gamblers’: high-stakes Crown still in play

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Apr-19

Shares in Crown Resorts fell 9.1 per cent to $12.77 on 10 April, after US-based Wynn Resorts withdrew from takeover talks. However, observers believe that Crown is open to other offers and that another bid from Wynn cannot be ruled out. Crown’s largest shareholder James Packer is said to be keen to exit the casinos business, with an industry observer suggesting that he would be a "willing seller" at around the price that had been proposed by Wynn.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESEARCH INSTITUTES, WYNN RESORTS LIMITED, WHITE FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Tabcorp hits out over 40pc first strike

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 18-Oct-18

Tabcorp Holdings’ remuneration report was rejected by 40.4 per cent of shareholders at its 2018 annual meeting. Tabcorp chair Paula Dwyer attributes the high protest vote to factors such as the wagering group’s decision to terminate its Sun Bets joint venture in the UK and a record fine of $45m for breaching anti-money-laundering and counterterrorism financing laws. Dwyer has also accused proxy advisers of providing misleading information to investors about Tabcorp, and says shareholders should engage directly with the company rather than via such advisers.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, SUN BETS, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TATTS GROUP LIMITED – ASX TTS, CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION

Crown execs support Packer exit

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker, Christine Lacy
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 22-Mar-18

Shares in Crown Resorts closed almost one per cent lower at $A12.95 on 21 March, after major shareholder James Packer resigned from the board for personal reasons. Packer’s private company, Consolidated Press Holding, subsequently attributed his resignation to mental health issues. Crown Resorts has been under scrutiny in recent years over a series of scandals, including allegations that it had tampered with poker machines at Crown Melbourne and the arrest of Crown employees in China in 2016.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, CONSOLIDATED PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED, BEYOND BLUE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, VICTORIAN COMMISSION FOR GAMBLING AND LIQUOR REGULATION, VICTORIA. AUDITOR-GENERAL’S OFFICE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED

CrownBet wins race for William Hill

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 28 : 7-Mar-18

CrownBet will become Australia’s third-largest wagering group after securing a deal to acquire the local arm of UK-based William Hill for $A300m. Rival bidder Sportsbet was trumped after CrownBet’s bid gained the support of its major shareholder, The Stars Group, which bought its controlling stake from Crown Resorts in 2017. William Hill chose to withdraw from the Australian market due to rising losses and a ban on credit betting.

CORPORATES
CROWNBET PTY LTD, WILLIAM HILL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WILLIAM HILL PLC, THE STARS GROUP, SPORTSBET AUSTRALIA, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, BETSTARS, POKERSTARS, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, NORTHERN TERRITORY. RACING COMMISSION

Tatts all folks: Tabcorp wins bid

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 19 : 13-Dec-17

Some 98.64 per cent of Tatts Group shareholders voted in favour of a merger with Tabcorp Holdings at a scheme of arrangement meeting on 12 December. The enlarged Tabcorp will boast a market capitalisation of about $A11bn and pro-forma annual revenue of $A5bn. Tatts’ outgoing CEO Robbie Cooke noted at its last AGM that the gaming and lotteries group’s market value has risen by $A2.5bn since he took the helm five years ago. Tatts chairman Harry Boon will join the Tabcorp board.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, TATTS GROUP LIMITED – ASX TTS, LADECO AIRLINES, GVC CORPORATION