EL is the new betting craze in Europe - Sunday Mirror

**sullanefc** · 06/08/2006, 11:41 AM

From today's Sunday Mirror....

Eircom is a sure bet in Europe
By Niall Donald

GAMBLING-mad punters across continental Europe have a new betting obsession - the Eircom league.

The League of Ireland is facing a financial crisis because of poor match day crowds, but Euro-punters are showing their interest in Irish football - by spending more than €150,000 a week betting on the League of Ireland.

William Hill spokesman Tony Kenny said there has been an explosion in interest in the league across the continent.

He said: "Most of the punters betting on the Eircom League this summer have come from continental Europe. The betting craze is because the leagues in most European countries do not run during the summer. Less than 25 per cent of the bets placed with us would have come from Irish punters - with the UK providing another 20 per cent."

He added: "There will be more than €150,000 bet on the league across the continent every week."

Eircom League spokesman Andy Needham said he has been contacted by European radio stations looking for experts to talk about the league.

He said: "I had a call from a Greek radio station last month looking for Steve Staunton or Roy Keane to talk about the league. But instead they got Cork City manager Damien Richardson - and he did a piece for Greek radio about the Eircom League."

Mr. Needham said the European punters follow the games on the net.

He said: "I don't think there is any true interest in the matches - it is just they don't have anything else to bet on."

This got me thinking. Is there a way the league could profit from this? Providing a live feed of games to bookies on the continent? Maybe one of the TV companies doing a more comprehensive weekly show with an emphasis on betting, looking at odds etc?

Thoughts??

**Gareth** · 06/08/2006, 11:47 AM

Well they can tune into Shelsweb from next week on, as we are covering a few games next week and slowly moving to covering the whole lot of them. Its been known for a while about the betting on the league. It is interesting isn't it!!

**sullanefc** · 06/08/2006, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Gareth

Well they can tune into Shelsweb from next week on, as we are covering a few games next week and slowly moving to covering the whole lot of them. Its been known for a while about the betting on the league. It is interesting isn't it!!

Well fair play to you Gareth. It might be an idea for you to mention Shelsweb on a few European betting forums. You'd definately get visitors.

But I was thinking that the league itself could profit from this buy selling TV rights etc. Make hay while the sun shines and all that??

**CollegeTillIDie** · 06/08/2006, 12:00 PM

This is all true there are punters in the Czech Republic betting on our Premier Division each week. And in Germany they even bet on the First Division.
Quick question. Does the EL have any method of getting a small percentage of this to put back into the game? I know the FA charge for use of fixtures in things such as pools coupons. It's a nominal fee per form but it all adds up.

**el punter** · 06/08/2006, 12:02 PM

The bookies already have people at the games providing live commentaries by phone to the bookmakers. Look closely around the ground for people on the phone all throughout the game next time you're there.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 06/08/2006, 12:09 PM

You know it was once said that pools and gambling companies across Europe would take an interest in the League if we switched to summer soccer.
This and the results in Europe improving have been proved correct, even if the other promised improvements from summer soccer such as bigger crowds did not.

**soccerc** · 06/08/2006, 12:22 PM

There has been huge interest in the Far East too. At one time soccercentral was getting 5000 unique users per day from this region on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays with the match previews attracting lots of page impressions.

**el punter** · 06/08/2006, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

Does the EL have any method of getting a small percentage of this to put back into the game? I know the FA charge for use of fixtures in things such as pools coupons. It's a nominal fee per form but it all adds up.

The league fixtures in Britain are copyrighted by the relevant league authorities. They charge a license fee to every organisation that wants to use them. Bookies pay 'per shop' for publishing the fixtures, while websites also have to buy a license.

The FAI obviously don't have such an arrangement in place. More surprising is that neither do the GAA.

**Poor Student** · 06/08/2006, 1:59 PM

While this is obviously better than no interest in the league, I don't think it can benefit too much if at all.

**dcfcsteve** · 06/08/2006, 5:07 PM

I sensne there's some sort of opportunity in this, but the big issue is how to realise/monetise it for the league (excuse the dull business-speak).

Our league has 2 key benefits to punters : firstly, it's one of the few Summer ones for gambling-mad football fans to bet on, and secondly it's an unusally competitive league as well, so odds will be decent.

It would need more than �150k a week being gambled on it to make any sort of initiative worthwhile, but I wouldn't be surprised if that figure continues to grow. The Euro success this season will have helped raise the profile of the league overall in Europe.

But how could the league feasibly make money out of this ? They could team-up with a specific bookies to be the official betting site - but then you'd have issues with language (not significant - I doubt anyone without some grasp of English would be betting on our league, as they'd have to do it blind) and marketing - how the hell would you reach enough punters overseas ??

**GavinZac** · 06/08/2006, 5:10 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

how the hell would you reach enough punters overseas ??

they find you. corkcityfc.ie is constantly inundated with visitors from eastern and southern europe

**el punter** · 06/08/2006, 5:17 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

But how could the league feasibly make money out of this ? They could team-up with a specific bookies to be the official betting site - but then you'd have issues with language (not significant - I doubt anyone without some grasp of English would be betting on our league, as they'd have to do it blind) and marketing - how the hell would you reach enough punters overseas ??

Sporting organizations are VERY unlikely to get involved with a betting organization as one of their main sponsors, due to the ever present possibilities of match fixing.

Multiples of an entire club's weekly wages are staked by individuals alone on these games. If a fixing scandal story were to break (as happened in the Irish League at the end of last season) the entire league would be compromised by having close links to a bookmaker.

As other poster have mentioned, a huge amount of betting on these games is carried by punters in the Far East. Language isn't really an issue. They just want to see the odds.

The FAI enforcing each bookmaker to pay for a license to publish the fixtures is the simplest way to 'monetise' betting interest.

**dcfcsteve** · 06/08/2006, 5:18 PM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

they find you. corkcityfc.ie is constantly inundated with visitors from eastern and southern europe

But by then they'll already be gambling on the league through some local site.

You need to get them before they have a preferred site, and get them to use the joint EL/Bookies one instead. Or at least convert them over to the EL site.

**GavinZac** · 06/08/2006, 5:33 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

But by then they'll already be gambling on the league through some local site.

You need to get them before they have a preferred site, and get them to use the joint EL/Bookies one instead. Or at least convert them over to the EL site.

if you get them to subscribe and in exchange they receive the various stats/form/latest news etc. they'd stay. because thats what they want usually.

**el punter** · 06/08/2006, 5:54 PM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

if you get them to subscribe and in exchange they receive the various stats/form/latest news etc. they'd stay. because thats what they want usually.

all of which is available free of charge elsewhere

**GavinZac** · 06/08/2006, 6:08 PM

Originally Posted by el punter

all of which is available free of charge elsewhere

apparantly not, since they constantly come to our forums asking for information. even so, the information would also be free of charge from this hypothetical FAI betting site, and translated to various languages - the only catch is that they've registered so when they check out the info the "bet now" button is just a few pixels away.

**el punter** · 06/08/2006, 6:37 PM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

so when they check out the info the "bet now" button is just a few pixels away.

reminds me a little of someone else's site...ahem

**lofty9** · 07/08/2006, 8:33 AM

Originally Posted by el punter

The bookies already have people at the games providing live commentaries by phone to the bookmakers. Look closely around the ground for people on the phone all throughout the game next time you're there.

I was chatting to a guy from Malaysia at half time at a game and he was providing commentry to a bookmakers back home when Derry played Drogheda in the league cup. PS Derry won 4 - 0. I wonder how much betting went on in that game?

**beskintos** · 07/08/2006, 8:40 AM

Betting on EL matches usually provides me with another salary each month.

I'm moderate punter but good at it.
EL seems predictable to me. Probably because of fair play, no such thing as arranged result in EL makes it a whole lot easier.

**el punter** · 07/08/2006, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by beskintos

Betting on EL matches usually provides me with another salary each month.

I'm moderate punter but good at it.
EL seems predictable to me. Probably because of fair play, no such thing as arranged result in EL makes it a whole lot easier.

Looking forward to you sharing your expertise with us here so we can all get an extra salary Beskintos