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Sportingbet.com creates a world first:
UK bookmaker takes the first interactive
bet to be placed via the television
The convenience of placing a bet from the sofa becomes a reality for
1.6million Telewest homes in the UK in time for Euro 2000
Sportingbet.com (UK) Plc, the first British company to offer tax-free sports betting via the Internet,
created another first today, when they took the first ever interactive bet via the television. The bet
cements Sportingbet.comıs position as the first to market in the potentially huge Interactive Television
sector. A recent ABN/Amro report on the future of the gambling industry has estimated that the
Interactive Television betting market will be worth over £1.4 billion by 2004.
The first bet was placed by Robert Pine, a 30 year old journalist from Streatham who had £10 to
win on Malta against England for Saturday June 3 at odds of 25/1. He stands to win £250.
Sportingbet.comıs interactive television betting service went live today (June 1, 2000) at 12.00 hours
and will be available to over 1.6 million Telewest subscribers.
Telewest Communications is a leading broadband cable communications operator, currently
providing pay television, telephony and internet services to 1.6 million UK homes. Telewest
subscribers can now use their television remote control to access Sportingbet.comıs global sports
betting service, easily and conveniently from their own home via subscribing to Active Digital which
was launched in October 1999. To date, the service is available to 156,000 Telewest homes. It is
anticipated that this will increase to 500,000 by the end of the year.
As the service is rolled out, customers will be able to bet on a full range of sports, including the entire
Euro 2000 Football competition.
Mark Blandford, Managing Director of Sportingbet.com (UK) Plc said:
"This is a step of enormous significance for Sportingbet.com and the entire gambling industry. Once
again, Sportingbet.com has shown that despite the resources of our competitors, we are single
minded about becoming the household name in new media bookmaking. Our technical team are
second to none and as a result of the platform that we have developed, the Sportingbet.com service
has greater capability and functionality. We are very proud to have become the worldıs first
interactive television site to take a bet and we look forward to providing customers with even greater
service and innovation".
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