Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | April 2010 46 IAG: Is China likely to converge its online betting market structure as it gets more plugged into the global financial system? Or will the foreign online operators have to become ever more ‘Chinese’ in their style of customer care? BM: I think the key word is ‘convergence,’ whether in [terms of] how people wager, what they wager on and, of course, how the monetary and regulatory landscape develops. To be truly successful [in Asia as a foreign online operator] will require a measured approach in the short term and considerable patience. There is a perceived massive opportunity. The question is how much of that can be crystallised into a deliverable market. IAG: TheUnitedKingdom, oneof themost liberal European online gambling markets, is considering making Internet betting companies pay an additional licensing fee for the privilegeof servingUKcustomers.What impactwould that have on SBOBET and other online betting companies? BM: We are obviously watching this very closely. We shall have to wait and see what happens after the forthcoming UK elections I think. An interesting aspect of the review is that changes made to the White List [the UK government’s list of preferred online licensing jurisdictions] will require a change in Primary Legislation. This is unlikely to be a priority in the legislative timetable for whichever party forms the next UK Government. IAG: Where are the main business opportunities likely to come from in the online betting market in the next 12 months? BM: Such are the dynamics of the industry that even forecasting twelve months ahead is tricky, but clearly the [FIFA] World Cup will be a major event for sports betting operators. I suspect that in the present economic climate, attendance at the [World Cup] games may disappoint but the global picture distribution [for television rights] will drive the wagering opportunity. For those operators focused on the UK/Europe, the minimal time-zone difference with South Africa for live game transmissions should add to their market opportunities. Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, will host several World Cup 2010 matches Online Sports