Odds favour Stanleybet return to High Street

Apr 3 2008 by Tony McDonough, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL-BASED gaming firm Stanleybet International could make a return to the UK’s high street betting shop business.

The company was formerly a division of Stanley Leisure, but was sold off to one of its managers, Giovanni Garrisi, last year.

A condition of the deal stipulated that Stanleybet, which operates around 1,500 sports betting outlets in countries across continental Europe, could not offer gambling in the UK for a fixed period.

However, that restriction has now expired and Stanleybet finance director Adrian Morris told the Daily Post such a move was a possibility.

“At the moment, we are concentrating on our European operations,” he said. “But we never say never.”

It was revealed yesterday that the company is to move its 100 Liverpool staff from their current base in Dale Street to 15,522 sq ft over two floors of the nearby Mercury Court.

Stanleybet International was originally formed in 1997 by Stanley Leisure, which at that time owned both casinos and a large betting shop chain.

In 2005, Stanley sold its UK bookmakers to rival William Hill in a deal worth more than £500m to concentrate on its casino estate – the biggest in the UK. However, it retain- ed Stanleybet International.

In late 2006, the stock market listed Stanley Leisure was bought and delisted from the stock market by Malaysian gaming group Genting, in a deal worth around £640m. The sale of the international division by Genting to Mr Garrisi soon followed.

Mr Morris said that the European outlets, some of which are joint ventures, were now generating more than £200m a year.

However, he added the firm was still grappling with the reluctance of some EU countries to open up their gaming markets.

Governments in some countries maintain tight control over gambling, despite pressure from the European Commission to open up their markets.

tonymcdonough