The Nevada Gaming Commission is set to discuss interactive gaming licenses in today's policy hearing at 10AM PST. If all goes well, the first official interactive gaming licenses could be handed out — Interactive Game Technology and Bally Technologies Inc. are among the hopeful operators in line. Also discussed in today's hearing will be the completion of WillHill's acquisition of three Nevada properties — including Leroy’s Horse & Sports Place, Lucky’s Sportsbook, and Club Cal Neva Satellite Race and Sports book. | READ MORE
William Hill has been granted its license to operate in Nevada
William Hill has been granted its license to operate in Nevada after gaming regulators unanimously approved its applications on Thursday.
William Hill PLC, Britain's largest bookmaker, has been granted its license to operate in Nevada after the Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday unanimously supported its application.
William Hill agreed last year to pay $55 million to acquire American Wagering Inc., Brandywine Bookmaking LLC and Club Cal-Neva's sports book business in Northern Nevada.
With their purchase of the three companies, William Hill will control 55 percent of the sports betting market in Nevada through more than 150 locations. The company will consolidate all three companies, sports books, kiosks, online and mobile wagering operations under the William Hill brand.
"We are now able to bring together these three businesses to create a leading position in the U.S. sports betting market," said Ralph Topping, CEO of William Hill.
Topping said the company is "delighted" to have been awarded a Nevada gaming license, which he described as a "significant regulatory seal of approval."
William Hill posted $441 million in profits in 2011, with more than 90 percent of its business done through 2,370 betting shops in the United Kingdom. The bookmaker has more than 1.4 million active online customers, and processes more than 1 million betting slips a day.
"We are UK centric," Topping told the five-member commission. "Ninety-two percent of our revenue comes from the UK. We see opportunity to expand ... and the U.S. is the most important and interesting to us."
William Hill does not intend to close any locations and plans to spend $3 million in improvements before the start of the National Football League season in September. The company has set aside a total of $10 million to invest in its Nevada operations over the next 18 months.
Joe Asher was named CEO and Vic Salerno will be chairman and chief technology officer of William Hill's Nevada subsidiary, William Hill U.S. Holdco Inc
Nevada regulators award first interactive gaming licenses
Fresh off the press . . . Nevada Gaming commission have awarded interactive licenses to both Bally Technologies and IGT. This decision followed the NGC committee meeting in which they granted slot machine maker Bally Technologies the first interactive gaming license, followed an hour later by a second license to International Game Technology to provide casino operators with the systems to run online poker within the state boundaries.
This is exciting times for online poker players and we will keep you up to speed with news as it follows.
SBR Top-Rated Sportsbooks
BREAKING NEWS: Nevada to decide on interactive gaming licenses
Reply With Quote
