Intertops, an Austrian online sportsbook which moved its operations to Antigua in 1997, is reportedly seeking to relocate again, this time to Australia.
According to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald, execs for the highly successful company were in Australia last week discussing relocation plans, and the company has applied for an online gaming license in the Northern Territory.
The story reports that the move is an effort to establish credibility and tap into the South East Asia Internet betting market. "While players from South East Asia would only make up a small percentage of Intertops.com's total client base, one South-East Asian customer is worth between 20 to 30 US customers because they tend to bet much larger amounts," said Intertops Director of Operations Simon Noble. "And when mainland China comes online, this area will be very exciting."
Noble also told the paper that the company is looking to acquire Australian sports betting companies, which the Sydney Morning Herald believes to be Canberra online sports betting operation Canbet and SportOdds, an Internet racing and sports betting company.
Another factor contributing significantly to the decision is the effort in the U.S. to prohibit Internet gambling.