Category Archives: News

Pennsylvania Prefers Land Based Casinos To Online Gambling

According to articles recently published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the state of Pennsylvania is not quite as keen on the prospect of internet gambling as its next door neighbors, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. Indeed, while the majority of other states on the East Coast of the Unite States seem to be diving headlong into an attempt to reach lucrative deals with online gambling sites, Pennsylvania seems to be aloof from the fray. Philadelphia, the capital city of the great East Coast state of Pennsylvania, seems to be the only major metropolitan area in the region which is bent on pursuing land based gambling casinos, rather than opening its internet borders to online gambling. Land based gambling expansion has already won a few innings in the area, thanks to the opening of small casinos, such as the Liberty Bell, along the city’s Delaware Avenue river front. According to the recent reports published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the state of Pennsylvania as a whole is much more likely to allow night clubs and bars to play host to games of chance, rather than allowing its residents to pursue their own gambling activities via access to online sites. In addition, the state of Pennsylvania, which includes other major metropolitan areas besides Philadelphia, such as Scranton, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh, is more inclined than ever to allow land based casinos in those cities as well. Whatever the future may hold for internet gambling in the great state of Pennsylvania, it seems that the prospects for more land based gambling coming to the area are fairly solid. The state already plays host to physical casinos in the city of Philadelphia, and others are planned. Some of these new casinos may be located on land belonging to Native American tribes in the state’s northern regions. But it isn’t yet time to close the book on online gambling in Pennsylvania. Lobbyists for the industry are working hard behind closed doors with legislators and other “Very Important Persons” in order to arrive at a deal. The future for online gambling in Pennsylvania is as bright as ever.

Pennsylvania Prefers Land Based Casinos To Online Gambling

 

Online Betting Cause Increase in William Hill’s Profits

William Hill 574x517

The ability of punters to use online gambling applications has resulted in a better-than-expected rise in profits at the half-year mark for bookmaker William Hill. Through the use of the mobile sports app, an increase in the amount of bets wagered rose by 112 per cent.

Mobile App Helps Profit Soar

The online app has been downloaded more than one million times since its February 2012 launch. In the same period, the overall mobile gaming net revenue has increased by 198 per cent for the company. Thanks to the mobile gaming app, the company has seen their pre-tax earnings increase by four per cent. This has resulted in a total pre-tax earnings of £156.2 million. Net revenues have also increased to £751.6 million.

Hill’s Profits Consistent With Other Companies

The increase in profits that Hill is experiencing reflects a growing trend in online gambling. The overall online sports revenues are also showing an increase in profits. The half-year revenues are up to 44 per cent. Web operating profits have seen a 16 per cent increase in profits, resulting in a total profit of £80.2 million.

While Online Business Increases, Traditional Business Decreases

Although Hill’s online business experienced significant growth, the same cannot be said about Hill’s traditional retail business. The current figure of £107.6 million reflects a two per cent fall from the business’ retail earnings from last year. The amounts that were placed over the counter were down five per cent as well, despite the fact that last year’s amounts included bets placed over the counter on the Euro 2012 football tournament.

Growth Good for Employees

Despite a decrease in retail earnings, Hill’s traditional retail business still made up the greatest portion of its business. This is good news for the company’s employees, which includes more than 3,000 people in Yorkshire alone. During a period which saw a closing of 10 shops, the 79-year-old company also opened an additional 16 shops. The total number of 2,398 shops now includes a recently launched store in Australia.