Review of the Year: Power 50 & EGR Awards
eGR looks at the 10 biggest talking points of 2011.
This year saw Bet365 finish top of the Power 50 rankings for the second year in a row after the Stoke-based operator maintained its dominance of the online sports betting market. It has also heavily invested in new technology, embracing cloud computing and employing Geo Networks to set up its own fibre optic network, ensuring the site runs as smoothly as possible.
There were several surprises in this year’s list, with Scandinavian operators Betsson and Paf both moving into the top 10. Betsson climbed seven places to fifth, while Paf, whose operating profit more than trebled in the past year, shot up 40 places to finish ninth.
French operators continued to suffer from “unworkable” market conditions with no signs of any forthcoming changes, with local poker operator Winamax falling to 48th place, and the loss-making Betclic Everest Group fallest the furthest from fourth to 25th position in the list. Not surprisingly, former monopoly PMU was the only operator to show any improvement, rising five places from 13th in 2010 to eighth spot this year.
Bet365’s stellar 12 months, however, was unable to help it retain the operator of the year trophy at the eGR Operator Awards in late November. This went to William Hill that shrugged off a series of domestic issues with joint venture partner Playtech to enjoy a spectacular transformation.
Whether its joint venture deal with Playtech is extended beyond its initial five-year term to 2013 following a fraught 12 months remains to be seen, but with sportsbook revenues expected to top £100m for 2011, William Hill has soared above its long-term rival Ladbrokes to claim the industry’s most prestigious award.
The big winners in 2011:
Bet365 top Power 50 for second year running