Member Info for JohnLewis79

The industry is set for many of the smaller players to seek partnerships as the costs of regulation spiral upwards, for instance Casinos typically budget $1m per state to deal with licensing alone. So for the smaller operators facing the choice between compliance costs and increased product development this could be the difference between success or failure. With the industry set to be insanely lucrative given state approvals the FS Trade Association report that over 56m people play FS games in the US & Canada. In November Spo announced it had acquired a portfolio of customers from a folding DFS Co. Expect many more mergers and outright t/overs before the year is out.

And they were my favourite! Perhaps they were too far away on price? Surprised considering T.Sagi holds 28% of Netplay and knows the business well. Griffiths dumping 9m.....hmmm?

Morning bags, indeed..... I used to refer to the Banks as "bigger crooks than the Mafia" Well over it now but a very trying few years which did little for my health, spending too much of my time in the local boozer! It was only an article in a paper that prompted me to contact these accountants....probably a forerunner of the PPI chasers! Glad I did but it was pretty expensive! I think £100m might be at the top end but even this would only be 6x ebita so hardly expensive when you throw in the juicy margin! Should we accept £100m that equates to c 50pps cash unfortunately the sp won't rise by 50!! I can see 5-10 on our current flatling sp of 58-60. Thereafter how the company pare down the debt will be a priority if we have not apportioned a % of debt to the Pools? I agree we will be expanding in the US probably taking over DraftDay should other states follow CAL's lead which seems likely as the revenues will swell State coffers. It's going to be a very interesting year with an 50/50 shot of banking 100pps cash heading into H2.

Has ceased trading in Canada and is withdrawing all services as from Jan 14th. No official reason for this move has been given but may be tied - in with current merger with PP who moved out of Canada sometime ago?

FS games companies got a boost yesterday when California ruled these games lawful and would be permitted subject to strict regulation & fit and proper persons reports. The assembly committee approved a bill to allow FS games operators to sell their wares licensing permitting and payment of a regulatory fee. Eilers Research est that the Daily FS games generated about £2.5BN in fees and £250M in revenues during 2016 of which CAL produced 15%. Betting in CAL has been approved by voters since 1933. I expect DraftDay has a CAL license as I'm sure SPO has.

Morning Bruce. Truly shocking re the banks! I was overcharged £14k (in interest) by NW back in the early 90's! Eventually recovered my monies (3 years later) having had to employ a forensic accountant to wade through 10 years of bank statements. I wanted to sue the arse of them for loss of job, damage to health etc..but was advised to take the money and run ( as has Blatter ) So I did, though I regret not kicking the so & so's where it hurts. Oh yes pis...short for (private investors). We are a dying breed, the traditional longterm investors in companies, Investors who considered they were part owners of a company. Nowdays it's day traders and shorters who pollute the markets, where Co values are meaningless, skullduggery is swept under the carpet and the regulators hide behind layers of bureaucracy. Someone is turning a coin and it sure ain't me!

Evening Bruce...aah Mr Jingle the trickster! or as I would say "there's nowt so queen as folk" Why on earth would you sell 9m shares? Has he been given the nod that none of the bids have come up to scratch? Oh surely not!....hmm!! Another shocker of a week that bloody o....lie of mine just tanks 5-10% every bloody day, thank goodness I outed 90%+ of my holding last year! Terrible stink on oil boards re rampant shorting, sp manipulation, fake buys and sells, weak management and other nefarious foms of skullduggery! And what does the FCA do about it?.....sfa! The London market might be good for the iis but it's no place for pis imo, we always seem to draw the short straw. Let's see if Penrose can cock up this auction I wouldn't put it past him! Apologies for the rant but it's been a bad hair day.

R.Griffiths & Co has sold 9.45m shares, still holds near 8%. Strange time to sell?

Two large trades went through at 59.88 & 60p for 670k and 696k shares. Not discloseable but encouraging nevertheless. Expect to see more interest and volumes as we approach mid Jan.

I reckon 6 more trading days left before Spo call the bidding process to a halt. Getting late in the day for someone to upset the apple cart but you never know who is lurking in the undergrowth? Not entirely convinced that shareholders would be best served by a full bid for the Co as I feel opportunities abound in the US for a leisure Co of our ilk (given the right management) to expand way beyond our current space. Time will tell on that one but if moves are afoot this is now the time.

Agreed a long (ish) term hold is the way forward, despite the hefty debt level $70m the Co throws off cash and will look to reduce the debt as quickly as possible. I like the recent tie-ups with Shoprite and RCL foods both the bigest in their fields which will help us increase market share this year thus boosting revenues. Much will depend on the copper dependent Zambian economy and how the local currency performs v the $ suffice to say not looking to bright atm. Will be watching a little more closely this year than I did last!

What a shame it wasn't listed w/c Jan, 4th! I take it that Jan 18th will be the cut off point for tenders, thereafter who knows how soon a rejection/acceptance will take. Doubt they can spin it out until early April! If you believe the sp, all bids will come up short and be rejected by Spo as not in shareholders interest. Well I don't believe that for starters because if I was bidding I would know exactly what Spo wanted for the Pools so my bid would be around or a % more of their valuation. Very very strange!!

Listed for 7/8th April 2016.

Trading update from BWIN looks positive and set to close in Feb just in time for Euro 2016 football which will be a big driver of revenues to on liners. Good timing by GVC they seem to do nothing wrong! See their sp well over 500 this year.

25% UP since 23/12. Stay long guys. I'm glad I resisted the urge to cash out!

Very poor today less than 1000 traded and considering the Co has virtually put itself up for sale.....astonishing! Find it difficult to understand the complete lack of interest in the share! Of course we're not a spiv traded stock which may explain the inertia but would have thought for long term investors this would be an ideal time to buy. An opportunistic bidder for the whole co cannot be ruled out (though it's looking unlikely at this late date) and on that basis alone I would invest as a 7- 10% lift looks nailed on if the Pools are sold. Today's gyrations in the market are just that, sellers cashing out as most think the Dow was getting "toppy" with earnings in Q1 expected to come under pressure, seemed prudent to take some cash off the table now. Indices for Jan 2015 showed the Dow losing 4% and the ftse gaining 3%. SPO closed at 63.

More Director buys...One of 10m & one of 2m!

Morning Bruce. Indeed we live in interesting and dangerous times! Saudi /Iran face off or the Sunnies v the Shia that could spill over into war which neither can afford so what little cooperation existed between the two looks doomed not helped by the extremists inside Iran hell bent on Saudi Arabia's destruction. Far East markets reflect the ME turmoil down 3% across the board and the ftse called 60+ down at open. Incidentally I bit the bullet on my o....lie selling out at c 212 taking a huge loss (for me) £4 a share!!!............which will need Spo to hit unheard of heights for me to recoup losses! Oh well, i live in hope. LATEST..... trading suspended in the roulette SHCOMP market at 7% Down!

Much will depend on how the integration of the much larger BWIN is handled by GVC. K.Alexander did well with the Sportingbet acquisition so has 'track form' in this regard. No doubt it will be contributing to earnings very shortly and on a pe of less than 15 could attract someone like WH smarting from the 888 rejection? Definitely worth sticking with this year for afterall with Sads lumbered with Coral where can WH go?

Tomorrow a New York court decides whether FD should be shut out of NY state. FD also faces a demand from the Attorney General to return all money handed over by customers. Along with DraftKings the businesses have taken more than $200m in fees from the 600.000 players in NY over the past year. The AG won a temporary injunction to shut down the operations of both companies last month. But an appeal court overturned the verdict allowing them to remain open till tomorrow when judges will decide whether they can stay in business while the case goes to trial .The fate of both companies will hinge on a distinct legal definition. FD & DK both claim that fantasy sport is not gambling but rather a game of skill.