eGaming Review Power 50 2013: Bet365 retains number one spot
Stoke-based operator narrowly holds off William Hill to keep top spot for fourth year in a row
Bet365 has made it four years in a row at the top of eGaming Review prestigious Power 50* list, pipping William Hill to the post to retain its title as the most powerful firm in online gambling.
Both operators have had a hugely successful 2013, with Hills profits growing significantly on the back of an impressive mobile performance and expanding into Australia and Spain via its acquisitions of Sportingbet and Tom Waterhouse.
However, for all of its impressive progress, Hills was outgunned by bet365 both in terms of geographic reach and in the crucial financial category where the Stoke-based operator showed a clear lead.
The numbers alone made strong case for bet365 to be number one, but the panel felt its geographic reach was also crucial as there are few major markets in egaming where bet365 isn’t competing at the highest level.
888 was the biggest mover in the top 10, climbing from eighth to fourth in the rankings after the stellar year. The operator swam against the tide of declining poker revenues and has exported its brand into Spain where almost all others have failed, posting quarter after quarter of sequential growth in the process.
To find out how the rest of eGR’s Power 50 2013 list looks pick up a copy of the next issue of the magazine, out now.
*The Power 50 is eGaming Review’s exclusive guide to the most powerful operators in online gambling, taking into account financial strength, geographic reach, strategic success and influence and impact.
Once again we partnered with BDO who have provided an invaluable insight into the financial clout of operators, using their proprietary scoring system to grade on a number of financial metrics including revenue, player numbers, growth and profit.
But power comes down to much more than simple financial scale, and so also consulted a wide range of operators, analysts and industry experts to gauge opinion on how companies are executing their strategies, how much of an influence they are on their competitors and what threat they pose to others’ businesses.