Could bwin enter the Australian market?

The recent announcement of the merger between PartyGaming and bwin has shaken the online gambling industry to its core, leaving some of their major competitors desperately looking at how to maintain their market share in an industry that is destined for consolidation.

Financial results have been released this week for bwin, and like PartyGaming the numbers are positive. For the first half of 2010, bwin have posted record sports betting figures much of which has been driven by the recent football world cup. Gross gaming revenue has hit a record 127 million Euro, with sports betting showing a 7% margin, up a whole percentage point from the same period last year. With active customers passing the 1.3 million mark, bwin have set another record that leaves most of their competitors in their wake.

However, it’s the proposed merger with PartyGaming that many believe will be a watershed in the history of the online gaming sector. The merger is due to be completed by the end of March 2011, and the new company will not only benefit from a number of financial and operation synergies, but it will be well placed to enter new markets.

With competition fierce in the European markets, it’s likely the newly merged company will look to new markets in which to expand their customer base. Industry insiders are widely tipping the Australian market as one in which the new Bwin-PartyGaming organisation could quickly and easily use their advertising resources to drive brand awareness. With online sports betting becoming increasingly visible in the Australian market, and competitors publishing encouraging financial results in this market, it’s highly likely that Australia will be one of the top priorities.

Source: Online Pokies Club - vote now for our 2010 free online pokies awards.