Online Access Into World Pools Behind PGI New Deal

ISLE OF MAN-based Premier Gateway International Ltd (PGI) announced agreements at Icewith Optima and A BET A to provide wager path access for their retail customers. The deal will allow the sportsbetting and e-gaming developers to offer online wagers to its cross-platform suite through PGI into horseracing and sports betting pools from Australia, Singapore, South Africa and the USA. However, there was heightened expectation at Ice that these announcements are about to be dwarfed by another agreement between PGI and EEyaa (Gibraltar) limited.

EEyaa is a new business venture involving Kevan Moretti, who founded Racing Post Greyhound Television, and it is backed by a group of the leading corporate bookmakers said to be aggregating an audience of more than three million active players into overseas pool betting. It is understood the agreement is complete, but EEyaa and its shareholders and customers are seeking also to coincide with news of a ground-breaking technology announcement.

Ray Sharman, commercial director of PGI, said: “We now send bets all round the world, and it’s easy now for a bookmaker to bet straight into say the New York racetrack pools. More and more people [bookmakers] want a clip of the ticket, and let the big pools sell themselves to punters, with no risk to them. Our view has been if you build the pools, they will come and for instance there is a regular £100K Pick 6 rollover on South African racing. We can also help customers bet through an app, which is simple to use or via a hand-held terminal at a racecourse or in a hospitality area.”

Phill Adams, of Phumelela International, which has a halfshare in PGI with the Australian Tabcorp, said: “Co-mingling is the way forward for all racing authorities and substantial money is already entering UK Tote pool trifectas from South Africa. But you can see the reverse now happening too. The target is a 24/7 system with a race every 15 minutes somewhere in the world. Bear in mind 80 per cent of the legal horseracing betting in the world is Tote-based.”

John Stuart, International Executive Director of Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Ltd stated that, “One of the primary reasons for the establishment of the PGI hub on the IOM was to facilitate world-wide totalisator commingling and this agreement with EEyaa is a further step down that road!”
Jacob Curciel, chief executive officer of Optima, said: “We are delighted to be able to add this service to our broader end-to-end range of products. I am sure it will be well received by both our new and existing customers.” Another technology supplier backing PGI is A BET A through its presence in over 20 countries.
Chris Latter, A BET A’ s managing director, said: “We are excited about the work we have done with PGI, and I am convinced this adds much to our customers’ ability to expand the content they make available to their betting public.”
Betfred’s horseracing Tote monopoly runs through to 2018, after which it seems possible tracks will consider seeking control of their own destiny.

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