UK Gambling News and Views Expanding

Published: Friday, July 22, 2005 Online-Casinos.com

UK GAMBLING NEWS AND VIEWS EXPANDING

More media planned by various publishers

Intense interest in gambling of all types seems to have triggered plans from several publishers to launch new newspapers, magazines and reality TV programs aimed at providing the gambler in Britain with more information and interest.

Further information has emerged regarding the new UK gambling newspaper (see earlier InfoPowa reports) "The Sportsman"scheduled for launch next year with Jeremy Deedes, the former Telegraph Group chief executive, fronting the 128-page daily tabloid for gamblers. If GBP 12 million in venture capital can be raised, the new publication could become the biggest national title to launch for some time.

Dennis Publishing has ambitious plans for more gambling media, too. It is adding two new titles to "Inside Edge", the magazine for professional gamblers it launched 18 months ago. From next month, "Total Gambler" will be given away free with Dennis men's titles like Maxim, Bizarre and Viz. Its 28 pages will be aimed at gamblers of all levels, with a substantial print run of 650,000.
Later this year, the UK's first dedicated magazine for poker enthusiasts is due, according to media sources, which predict that this as yet untitled publication will have a large print run, too.

The expanded coverage is not just in traditional media, either. Channel 4's Late Night Poker series is returning to British screens in August with a new reality TV flavour. On the renamed Late Night Poker Ace, players will compete to become the UK's best amateur player, with entrants playing on the site to win through to championship games on TV.

Some of the new projects have been targeted on taking over established media rather than building new vehicles. Former foreign secretary Robin Cook fronted a GBP 210 million bid for the 80 000 circulation Trinity Mirror's "Racing Post", backed by investment bank Warburg Pincus in March.

Speaking to the media on his "The Sportsman" project, Jeremy Deedes is quoted as saying that the explosion in interest is a consequence of Internet betting activity through betting exchanges like Betfair, which enables gamblers to bet against each other on a wide variety of events. Online casinos and bookmakers are also doing good business.

"All this has meant that the culture of betting has embraced a new generation of young people who are interested in sport and what goes on in the City" says Deedes.

Internet gaming companies spend heavily on advertising to capture these young gamblers. As Richard Downey, publisher of Dennis's gambling titles, says: "The one thing that they all want is mass market exposure for their brands. In terms of mainstream media, there is not much for them to go into."

Charlie Methven, the former Telegraph sports writer who is to edit The Sportsman, says the media has only really caught on since the unexpected success of Inside Edge. "From my days as a horse racing journalist, I knew a lot of people who kept saying they had lots of customers looking to read about betting. Like everyone else, I was a bit slow. I should have been doing this a year ago, but better late than never" he says.

Unlike the Racing Post, which is mostly about horse racing and greyhounds, The Sportsman will concentrate on whatever is the main betting story of the day.