R92 Gambling Activities

China hearing date for Crown staff

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Original article by Angus Grigg, Lisa Murray
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 14-Jun-17

Australian-listed Crown Resorts has confirmed that 19 of its current and former employees have been formally charged in China following their arrest in October 2017. They face charges of promoting gambling in China, and are scheduled to appear in court on 26 June 2017. Shanghai criminal lawyer Si Weijiang says the most senior employees could be given longer sentences, while some of the more junior employees could potentially be given suspended sentences. Fourteen current Crown employees and two former employees are still being held in custody, while three have been released on bail.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN

KKR in fresh $7.3bn Tatts bid

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Original article by Bridget Carter
The Australian – Page: 17 & 25 : 19-Apr-17

The Pacific Consortium, which is headed by private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, has made a revised takeover bid for Tatts Group. The consortium’s latest offer of $A7.3bn values the wagering and lotteries group at $A4.21 per share, and would not require Australian Competition & Consumer Commission approval. Tabcorp is awaiting the Competition Tribunal’s decision on its rival cash and scrip bid. The Pacific Consortium first proposed acquiring Tatts in late 2016, with plans to demerge its wagering business.

CORPORATES
TATTS GROUP LIMITED – ASX TTS, PACIFIC CONSORTIUM, KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS AND COMPANY, KKR AND COMPANY LP, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. COMPETITION TRIBUNAL, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, MORGAN STANLEY INFRASTRUCTURE, FIRST STATE SUPER, RACING NSW, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA GROUP HOLDINGS PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Sportsbet takes AFL TV deal from CrownBet

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 19-Jan-17

Sportsbet has secured a deal to be the betting sponsor of Seven West Media’s Australian Football League broadcasts in 2017. However, rival online bookmaker CrownBet is the AFL’s official wagering partner, which gives it the first right to buy betting advertisements during the AFL broadcasts of both Seven and pay-TV channel Fox Footy. Meanwhile, CrownBet CEO Matthew Tripp says the company plans to expand its rewards scheme in states such as Western Australia.

CORPORATES
SPORTSBET AUSTRALIA, CROWNBET PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, FOX FOOTY CHANNEL, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, CLUBS NSW PTY LTD, RACING VICTORIA LIMITED, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, WILLIAM HILL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BET365 GROUP LIMITED, BETEASY PTY LTD, PADDY POWER PLC

Packer back in charge

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Original article by Anne Hyland, John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 19 : 11-Jan-17

Robert Rankin will remain on the board of casinos group Crown Resorts when he steps down as chairman on 1 February 2017. He will be succeeded by John Alexander, who has been on Crown’s board since 2007. Crown has also appointed 48.2 per cent shareholder James Packer to its board less than 18 months after he resigned as executive chairman. Packer has outlined five priorities for Crown in 2017. Meanwhile, Guy Jalland will replace Rankin as CEO of Packer’s private company, Consolidated Press Holdings.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, CONSOLIDATED PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED, MELCO CROWN ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED, CLUBS NSW PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PACIFIC POINT PARTNERS, PUBLISHING AND BROADCASTING LIMITED

Wesfarmers, Woolies rule out pokies exit

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Original article by Sue Mitchell, Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 20-Dec-16

Wesfarmers has no intention to exit the poker machine sector. Such a move would involve selling Coles 3,069 poker machines. Woolworths’ pubs and clubs business ALH also remains committed to its 12,000 poker machines. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon insists that a Senate inquiry is necessary to scrutinise the gambling industry. He warned that 2017 could be "a very unhappy year" for the sector.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COLES GROUP LIMITED, ALH AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GAMING TECHNOLOGIES ASSOCIATION LIMITED, ALLIANCE FOR GAMBLING REFORM, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Packer crowns year by folding his China cards

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Original article by John Stensholt, Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 10 : 16-Dec-16

Crown Resorts has flagged its intention to focus on its casinos business in Australia. The group has agreed to sell a 13.4 per cent stake in the Melco Crown Entertainment venture in Macau for $A1.6bn, while it will not proceed wth the Alon casino project in Las Vegas. Crown will use the proceeds from the sale of the Melco stake to reduce debt, pay a special dividend and finance a share buyback. The group still intends to establish a separate real estate investment trust for its property assets.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, MELCO CROWN ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED, ARNHEM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, ASPINALL’S CLUB LIMITED, DCN GAMES, MELCO INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LIMITED, CONSOLIDATED PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED

Macquarie rolls the dice on Tatts

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 15-Dec-16

Pacific Consortium has offered between $A4.40 and $A5 per share for Tatts Group. The consortium comprises Macquarie Capital, State Super, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. The bid is composed of two schemes of arrangement which involve the separation of Tatts Group’s wagering arm from its lotteries business. Tatts is also being pursued by Tabcorp, whose offer values Tatts at $A4.49 a share.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, TATTS GROUP LIMITED – ASX TTS, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, STATE SUPER SCHEME, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS AND COMPANY, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, TAYLOR COLLISON LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Early birds win big as bookies take a bruising

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Original article by Rick Wallace
The Australian – Page: 6 : 2-Nov-16

Tabcorp estimates that about $A95m was wagered on the 2016 Melbourne Cup via its TAB outlets in Victoria and New South Wales. Meanwhile, Sportsbet is said to have taken about $A25m worth of bets on the race, compared with $A20m in 2015. It paid out $A13.6m to punters who backed Cup winner Almandin. One Sportsbet customer won $A241,000 on a $A10 bet after correctly picking the first four horses to pass the winning post.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, SPORTSBET AUSTRALIA, UBET, CROWNBET PTY LTD, THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP

Tabcorp, Sportsbet saddle up for year’s biggest day

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 21 : 1-Nov-16

Tabcorp expects to process some five million bets on the 2016 Melbourne Cup itself and 10 million on the day of the race. The TAB App is expected to be used to place about 25 per cent of bets. Meanwhile, Sportsbet CFO Ben Sleep forecasts that the online bookmaker will process about four million bets, reaching a peak of 20,000 per second. Tabcorp CEO David Attenborough forecasts that Qewy will win the Cup.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, SPORTSBET AUSTRALIA, THE EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP, TATTS GROUP LIMITED – ASX TTS

Tabcorp-Tatts double up with $11bn punt

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 20-Oct-16

Tabcorp’s takeover offer for Tatts Group comprises 0.80 of its shares and a $A042.5 cash payment for each of the target’s shares. Tatts shareholders will control 58 per cent of the merged company if the deal is approved. It has been endorsed by the boards of both companies, as well as major institutional investors such as Perpetual and AustralianSuper. The merged group would boast a market capitalisation of about $A8.6bn and annual revenue of more than $A5bn. Tabcorp CEO David Attenborough would head the merged company.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, TATTS GROUP LIMITED – ASX TTS, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, NORTHCAPE CAPITAL PTY LTD