Foreign competitors challenge Aussie betting giant

Thursday August 22,2013 : AUSTRALIA'S TATTS TO BOOST ONLINE PRESENCE
 
Foreign competitors challenge Aussie betting giant
 
Australia's multi-billion-dollar wagering market is becoming a battleground between established Aussie bookies and online rivals with foreign managements, according to Australian media reports…and local giants like Tatts Group intend to fight off the challenge with increased internet marketing activity.
 
CEO Robbie Cooke told local media reporters that he believed the business had a "significant untapped opportunity" in the online sector, and intended to develop it.
 
The group had earlier reported its first full-year result following the loss of the Victorian poker machine licence last August, posting net profit down 23 percent to A$247.3 million
 
Cooke reported that the company's online channel has continued to grow, with about 20 percent of wagering now delivered online, but observers noted that the group's internet betting significantly lags competitors like tab.com.au and UK-based bet365.com.
 
Cooke acknowledged that Tatts has not been a significant player in internet marketing activities, but said it would need to be in order to boost online demand. Tatts was close to finalising a new Tatts.com website and mobile app, he revealed.
 
"People know us and trust us. As a local player and local brand, we can play with the best of them," he said. "And the fact that we can offer a combined product, lotteries and wagering, (is) a point of difference in the market," he said.