SOURCE: Macau Daily Times

The rumoured opening-up of the sports-betting market next year is being taken seriously by one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom who is currently in talks with local casinos.

Macau's sole sports betting concession is held by Sociedade de Lotarias e Apostas Mutuas de Macau, which brands itself as Macauslot.

The football and basketball betting license will expire in June next year and the local gaming industry is gearing-up for expected changes, including the issuing of additional concessions.

Missing from the picture when local casinos are compared with Las Vegas venues are the sports-fans grouped around plasma screens while watching and betting on continuously broadcast sporting fixtures.

During the U.S. National Football League's Superbowl played-off earlier this month, the state of Nevada's bookies took more than US$92 million in bets.

One of the largest sports-betting companies in the UK, the London Stock Exchange listed William Hill PLC confirmed for the Macau Daily Times that it too had heard of the expected market changes in Macau.

"We are aware of the plans to change the existing Macau SB (sports-betting) regulation, which is interesting, but we have no specific plans as yet," said spokesman Rupert Adams, adding that the company was currently in talks with “third parties”.

William Hill operates 2,250 betting shops across the UK and Ireland and takes an average of more than 889,000 bets per day from its stores, telephone and internet service.

Macauslot executives visited with William Hill in 2000 before setting up its own internet betting operation.

While the spokesperson was not prepared to give details of the third parties, the company is likely to be working with one of the U.S. based operators.

Macauslot, set up in 1989, is a subsidiary of Stanley Ho's STDM and is therefore likely to partner with the gaming tycoon's casinos.

Last year private equity firm, Permira Funds bought a 20 percent equity stake in Galaxy Entertainment Group Limited which operates the StarWorld casino. Permira also has a stake in Gala Coral Group, a major European sports betting company.

Last month Dominic Kwok, executive director of Macauslot told the MDT he also expects more concessions will be offered next year.

In addition to a sports-betting concession, an operator will require a “special authorisation” from the Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau (DICJ) before opening an outlet in a local casino, said the bureau's director Manuel Joaquim das Neves.