Premierbet - konkurs

[Akumila]

Jag hade $500 inne på den här sidan. De verkar ha kursat nu. Hemsidan finns inte kvar (http://www.premierbet.com), så jag har inga kontaktuppgifter heller.

 

Finns det någon chans att jag kan få tillbaks mina pengar?

[Klyka]

Aldrig hört talas om den. Kanske var en scamsida? De har ju en tendens att försvinna spårlöst efter ett tag.

[Juggler]

Interactive Gaming Holdings som ägde Premierbet verkar nästintill kursat. Ingen hemsida kvar och aktien har slutat handlats med. Det ser kört ut tyvärr. Det var Orbis som hade pokernätverket (samma som Victor Chandler) men tror inte de har hand om pengar.

[brainslicer]

18-10-2007 Premierbet: an excellent brand that got ruined by management

 

I've recently asked two former Premierbet employees where did it all go wrong and who was responsible for the demise of the online sportsbook, which at the end of 2006 was even considered for a place in the Bookmakers Review's Green List.

"You can pinpoint all the problems with the Chairman Tom Taule, who undoubtedly had a talent at raising cash for investment, but his lack of industry knowledge let him down badly," said one of the former employees, preferring to remain anonymous. "I'm not sure he gave enough thought as to how competitive the market is and I'm also unsure that he ever nailed down a strategy as to how the company should be run."

Mr Taule, who formerly run a network of 1,100 online gambling portals and before headed iSleuth.com, a US search engine, seemed to lack a clear strategy and business plan as he tried to operate Premierbet like a retail bookmaker with small to mid punter £10-£50 types, while over 90% of turnover was generated from a small group of high rollers.

"The majority of bets being taken were football bets and we were working to a very small margin. All it would take was for one or two of these high-rollers to get on a streak and it would effect the whole business," said again the former employee.

"I get the feeling the chairman had come from the US with a feeling that if he bought a couple of bookies he could make easy money and that simply isn't the case," said another one.

Few months after the former Tote Chief Executive John Heaton was appointed as CEO of Premierbet's parent company Interactive Gaming Holdings, the online bookmaker started operating with a good margin and an improved trading model.

However, by the beginning of 2007, turnover started to decline as marketing investments dried up and finding new customers outside of the ones delivered by the One World Gaming affiliate program became extremely difficult. Adding this to a number of very poor commercial deals meant that by the end of the 2006-7 soccer season, Premierbet was not able to generate enough income to pay off customers and suppliers alike.

"I'm sure the wages they were paying (well above the average) and the office in Mayfair didn't help much either," said one of the former employees, who also confirmed they went for months without getting paid on time.

As of today it is highly unlikely that Premierbet will ever begin trading again as the reputation has been tainted too much. It remains unclear how many players lost their funds. For them, the introduction of the Gambling Act 2005 which starting September 1 made gambling debts enforceable was two months too late.

In related news, a representative for the Lotteries and Gaming Authority told Bookmakers Review that they have suspended Heathorns license in Malta, although the website continues to operate boasting the LGA Class 2 license logo.

While talking to many different parties familiar with Heathorns at the Betting Show, earlier this week in Birmingham, I've received confirmation that takeover interest for the telephone betting operator remains strong.

Apparently the UK betting industry is not so willing to let the oldest name in the trade disappear just like this. I expect Heathorns to be acquired in the near future.

Here at Bookmakers Review we will continue to report about bookmaker problems and shortcomings and one more time we invite recreational players to bet only with bookmakers rated 4 or more.

Pierluigi Buccioli...