Poll results: Bookies to suffer during summer months

An increase in taxes and a lack of major sporting action this summer will be enough to ensure bookmakers endure a torrid few months, the overwhelming majority of respondents to this week’s eGaming Review poll have said.

While the positive impact of last year’s World Cup is still being felt, headline sporting events this summer appear thin on the ground, with the England versus Australia Ashes series the only notable addition to annual fixtures such as the Wimbledon tennis championships.

Due to the relatively quiet calendar, operators will need to be creative in order to keep their lucrative players active until the football season resumes in mid-August and the rugby union World Cup kicks-off in September.

This year also brings an increase in taxation, particularly in the UK with Point of Consumption now in force, meaning that operators’ revenue raising potential will be further limited.

With this in mind, eGR asked whether operators would toil in the summer heat or whether improved mobile technology and improved CRM capability would see them stave off any material drop in turnover and revenues.

And a large majority of 84% said they expected operators would find it difficult to make-up the expected shortfall in betting opportunities and, coupled with increased levy costs, were likely to struggle during the seasonal months.

However the remaining 16% had more faith and said mobile and CRM, which would see operators attempt to cross-sell sports customers in to other products and verticals, will be enough to negate the potential negative impacts of higher taxes and a quieter schedule.