The Leisure Report Awards 2008

Leisure Report is a monthly newsletter published by William Reed Business Media. It reports on the latest developments in the leisure industry in the United Kingdom and Europe, of which the online gaming industry is a part. Every year Leisure Report honors the best performances in the leisure industry through the Leisure Report Awards. Some of these awards are given to specific industry sub groups, like online gaming, whereas others cut across industry sub groups. Online gaming companies figure prominently in the Leisure Report Awards 2008.

The Leisure Report Awards 2008 will be held on November 12 in the Nursery Pavilion at Lord’s cricket ground. The nominations for the various categories have been released. For the online gaming industry the focus will undoubtedly be on the Best Betting and Gaming Company Award. In the running are an online gambling portal 888 and an online software provider, Playtech. 888 has been nominated for its strong financial performance over the past year in which it has indicated a 39% annual increase in pretax profits to £26.3 million. This has come at a time when most online gaming operators have reported losses or decrease in profits. Another reason for the nomination has been given as the creation of strategic bonds by 888 by teaming up with other gaming companies like the Rank Group. Incidentally 888 won this coveted award last year. Playtech has also turned up great financials with interim pre-tax profits of  £33 million and casino revenues up by 78% and poker revenues up by 109%. Throughout the year Playtech has signed new deals with clients and distributors, including with Betsson. The other companies in the fray are the mobile gaming company Probability Gaming and the Irish bookmaker Paddy Power.

In 2007 online gaming companies drew a blank in the awards that cut across industry sub groups and are looking to do better this year. Several of them have been nominated in various categories. 32Red is in the running for the award of the Deal of the Year for the sale of its Betdirect division to Stan James. This sale has enabled 32Red to consolidate its core casino and poker products and the results are showing. 32Red is therefore not surprisingly also in the running for the Revitalized Brand of the Year. In this category it will face stiff competition from NETeller, which has enhanced its product range and is now focusing on the European market. NETeller will operate under a new name, NEOVIA from next month. 888 has been nominated for the Leisure Report Operator of the Year.

These awards are significant because companies vie not only with those in their sub group but also against those in competing sub groups.

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