Sportsbetting is a huge market in Australia’s gambling industry. While the increase in sportsbetting spending is beneficial for the economy, there is a chance that local bookmakers may not be able to keep up with international operators that are now entering the market. The issue was sparked by the acquisition of local bookmaker Betstar by Ladbrokes, a UK-based online gambling firm.

The company was bought for $22 million last week, and follows the acquisition of several other local bookmakers, such as Sportingbet, Centrebet, and TomWaterhouse. Now, Ladbrokes will take over all of Betstar’s former business, including all clients. However, Betstar will be maintained as a separate brand, so players will be able to wager on games in the same fashion that they had previously.

An added bonus that former Betstar players will receive is access to Ladbrokes EFTPOS withdrawal bank cards. This will allow players to instantly withdraw cash from land-based locations across Australia. The technology greatly benefits players but it presents a dilemma for local, land-based bookmakers. One of the reasons that players continue to wager with land-based bookmakers is that they can receive instant withdrawals.

However, now that an online operator is providing the same service, this further compromises land-based businesses. The Australian sportsbetting market is in for big changes in the near future. There is potential that most local businesses will be acquired by larger, international firms.

Companies like Ladbrokes and William Hill are becoming bigger and bigger in the Australian gambling market, and they may cannibalize smaller local firms. BetFred has recently made its foray into Australia’s online and mobile betting market, so it is only going to become more competitive for local bookmakers across the country.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.