The AHA NSW and Entain Australia, which is part of one of the world’s leading sports betting organizations, are teaming together for the first time to introduce digital wagering competition to NSW hotels.
Through a new advertising and sponsorship deal, Entain Australia will be able to market its digital wagering brands – Ladbrokes and Neds – in the state’s bars as part of the long-term partnership.
According to AHA NSW CEO John Whelan, this new arrangement would provide significant advantages to members.
“The reasons for this new partnership are simple,” Mr Whelan said.
“For decades now, many NSW hotels have operated PubTABs for Tabcorp at a significant loss – primarily due to high Sky Channel and EBT (betting terminal) fees. In country NSW it’s even worse, with the majority of country pubs currently running their PubTAB at a loss.
“Today’s partnership with a world leader in Entain will finally give NSW hotels competition and choice.
With Entain New Opportunities for NSW
According to Entain Australia CEO Dean Shannon, the new agreement will provide licensed venues in NSW with an innovative new opportunity to market a variety of Entain digital betting services to its customers while without violating the present NSW retail wagering exclusivity rules.
“We applaud AHA NSW for their vision in agreeing to work with us to bring this partnership to life,” Mr Shannon said
“While there is still value in more traditional cash retail wagering, there is a highly engaged audience of punters who like to go down to their local for a bet with their mates, and how they do that has evolved.
“This partnership recognises that evolution and is about offering choice for the benefit of AHA NSW members and their patrons. There is no reason why traditional cash wagering can’t co-exist in a hotel, alongside an advertising sponsorship arrangement with Entain that promotes the digital offering of one of our leading brands.
“Entain recognises the opportunity for us to connect and communicate with the audience inside hotels is valuable and we intend to support the operators of those venues, just as we would any other advertising channel.
Tabcorps Exclusive Licence in NSW Will Stay
Mr Whelan said it was important to note AHA NSW was committed to supporting Tabcorp’s exclusive retail licence in NSW.
“Retail wagering in our venues is extremely important, with NSW pubs generating about half the current national PubTAB turnover,” he said.
“Tabcorp has a long-term exclusive retail licence in NSW and, of course, we will continue to support TAB retail in-venue.”
Mr Whelan stated that it was apparent that bar clientele had long welcomed non-retail phone betting.
“Our patrons are already exposed to advertising from corporate bookmakers on our pub TV screens, on the radio, in newspapers and on their phones.
“Increasingly people are choosing to bet on the races or the footy on their phones – not in the traditional retail environment. Today, most people betting on their phone in a NSW pub are placing a bet with Ladbrokes, Neds or another corporate bookmaker.”
Mr Whelan stated that NSW hotels have a long history of supporting the state’s racing sector, and today’s news allows that support to increase.
“We remain strongly committed to the promotion of thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing in NSW pubs – there’s no change there,” Mr Whelan said.
“There are currently around 600 NSW pubs without Sky Channel or TAB wagering. We expect this new partnership with Entain will actually make it more affordable for many of these venues to promote the three codes of racing for the first time.”
Entain Supports Racing
Mr Shannon stated that Entain is a major supporter of the racing sector and is always seeking for ways to extend that support.
“Our business is a proud Australian-based organisation that employs more than 750 people across our offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin. Over the next year, we expect to return more than $500m in taxes, fees and sponsorships to Government and the racing industry nationally.
“We have consistently demonstrated our commitment to going above and beyond in our support of racing through our long-term sponsorship of racing clubs in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the NT. Off the back of our investment in NSW hotels, you will see further investment from Entain directly into the racing ecosystem in NSW over the next 12 months.”
Mr Whelan was particularly glad that Entain was focusing on developing the local bar punters club, which has been a part of the social fabric of hotels for more than 100 years.
Entain Bringing Ladbrokes Mates Mode to the NSW Pubs
“It’s great Entain are committed to promoting their Ladbrokes Mates Mode in our pubs – there will no longer be a need for the blackboard behind the bar to register the week’s selections,” he said.
“Mates Mode makes the Saturday pub punters club so much more social and a lot easier to participate in and administer.”
AHA NSW and Entain Deal Highlights
The following are the key points of the AHA NSW and Entain agreement:
- NSW Pubs who choose to partner with Entain will display in-venue advertising for Ladbrokes or Neds promoting their digital wagering services.
- NSW Hotels will continue to provide retail wagering through Tabcorp.
- NSW Pubs that sign into Entain sponsorship agreements will not:
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- install or run any physical Entain wagering facilities
- get any commission from Entain for any bets made
- have personnel operating Entain gambling terminals, such as portable iPads or phones.
- take bets from hotel clients on behalf of Entain
- advertise to the general public on the outside of their hotel
- do anything else that may violate Tabcorp’s retail monopoly in NSW
- Punters in bars will continue to do what they do now: place cash bets through the TAB betting terminal or wager on their phone through the bookmaker of their choice.
- There are presently over 1,000 NSW hotels that have a PubTAB.
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