Poll results: UK sportsbook market open to challengers

The UK’s online sports betting market could yet be shaken-up by the arrival of new players able to challenge the established elite, according to the majority of respondents to this week’s eGaming Review poll.

Following on from the news that Betway had paid approximately £15m to become English Premier League football club West Ham United’s main sponsor, eGR asked whether there was still room for a larger number of major sportsbook operators in what is already a mature and competitive UK industry.

With the likes of bet365, William Hill, Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Betting & Gaming currently dominating the market and major brands such as Coral, Ladbrokes, BetVictor and Betfred hot on their heels, the chance of an outsider breaking into those ranks could be rated as slim.

However, around two-thirds of respondents (65%) believe there is still room in the market for new players, so long as they are able to offer a quality products and possess sufficient marketing arsenal to raise the profile of their brands to the required level.

Microgaming-powered Betway is certainly making a concerted effort to do so. In addition to the West Ham deal, the operator is sponsoring this year’s Premier League darts and next month’s Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Other operators have also been queueing up to break into the UK hierarchy with the Kambi-powered pair of Unibet and 888 ramping up their own UK-facing marketing efforts of late with the former targeting a top-five market position.

There is also the potential for a major brand outside of the gaming industry to make a play – could a company such as BT, Google or Yahoo develop a sportsbook capable of challenging the status quo?

More than a third of respondents (35%) think not, with those currently dominating the market likely to keep a firm grip of their market share and keep any potential challengers at bay.