STRONG ’08 Last year proved to be a fast-growing one for Entraction Holding A.B.
On Thursday, the investment company announced that it saw its poker network grow by 108 percent and its liquidity double during 2008.
Peter Åström, Entraction’s chief executive, said in a statement that the growth can be attributed to the company’s already-established and newly established partnerships.
“Entraction's poker network has now reached a size that enables us to attract a new category of partners, which is very satisfying,” Mr. Åström added.
BETTING ON BULLISH On Thursday, William Hill’s trading update revealed that the bookmaker’s gross win had increased by 8 percent year-on-year during the 11 weeks since its interim management statement.
The board expects the earnings before interest, tax and exceptional items to be around £275 million for the year ending on Dec. 30, and a 6 percent uptick in gross win, according to a statement from William Hill.
Analysts with Daniel Stewart & Company said they will retain a bullish view of the bookmaker after viewing today’s results, and also noted the company’s improvements to its online platform.
“With almost all around them suffering in the Travel & Leisure sector, outside gambling, we view this statement as a critical demonstration of gambling’s resilience relative to other areas of the leisure industry,” James Hollins, an analyst with Daniel Stewart & Company, wrote in a note.
William Hill said it expects to release its preliminary announcement of the 2008 full-year results on Feb. 27.
RULING Reuters reported on Thursday that an Athens court has ruled that Stanleybet International, a fixed-odds betting firm, can reopen its outlet in the region, the company said.
“The court issued a temporary ruling suspending a previous decision on the closure of Stanleybet's store in Athens,” the news service quoted Stanleybet as saying.
In late October, Stanleybet opened two betting shops -- one in Athens, the other in Thessaloniki, the country's second-largest city. The outlets were a direct affront to OPAP's exclusive right to offer betting services to Greek residents until 2020.
RECORD-BREAKING PKR said its online poker room has gained momentum in 2009, even through the economic woes.
On Thursday, the company announced that only four days into the year, PKR.com broke its concurrent player record – hitting the 15,000 simultaneous users mark. Between Dec. 24 and Jan. 4, the company said it recorded 40,000 new registrations.
“We are going from strength to strength and it is encouraging to see us maintaining a healthy growth in this tough market,” said Simon Prodger, marketing director, in a prepared statement.
The company said total membership is now at 2.4 million users.
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