Betting giant Bet365 has decided to part ways with former footballer Steven Caulker as a pundit for an online video series it sponsors. The decision came in light of Caulker’s public statements about gambling, raising concerns within the company.

Former QPR Defender Caulker Excluded by Bet365 for Gambling Addiction Advocacy

Caulker, a seasoned centre-back with a history at QPR and Tottenham, recently found himself without a club after leaving Wigan Athletic following a stint in Turkey, The Guardian reported. The 31-year-old athlete disclosed that he had initially signed up for broadcasting work but was subsequently dropped by Bet365 due to the betting company’s apprehension about his outspoken stance on gambling addiction.

The revelation surfaced through The Big Step, an organization advocating for the end of gambling sponsorship and advertising in football. Caulker had previously shared his personal struggles with gambling, alcohol, and depression in a candid interview with The Guardian back in 2017.

The Big Step and other anti-gambling campaigners in the UK have criticized the Premier League’s attempt to compromise with the government by voluntarily giving up front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships, stating that the proposed move does not address more visible hoarding sponsorships, which are considered more problematic. 

Bet365 Explains Decision to Drop Caulker from Video Series

Bet365 addressed the situation in a statement, clarifying that Caulker had applied to be a guest on a video series exclusively sponsored by the company. The series is published on an online video platform, not traditional television, through one of Bet365’s sports publishing partners. During the approval process, the company became aware of Caulker’s candid discussions about his negative experiences with gambling.

Bet365 conveyed in their official response that they appreciated Mr. Caulker’s commendable efforts in raising awareness about problem gambling. However, as a betting company, they considered it inappropriate for him to appear on a Bet365-sponsored series of that nature. The company expressed regret over any miscommunication and emphasized that their position had been inaccurately conveyed to Caulker by their media partner. The specific online video platform for which Caulker was commissioned remains undisclosed.

Caulker, who made headlines by scoring on his England debut in a friendly against Sweden in 2012, underwent a notable career shift in 2021 when he transferred to Sierra Leone, where he currently serves as the captain. Despite his athletic achievements, Caulker’s off-field challenges have brought him into the spotlight, sparking discussions not only about the struggles athletes face but also the delicate relationship between sports and the gambling industry.

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Betsson has withdrawn its application for a license in the Netherlands as the licensing process proved to be lengthy and costly.

Betsson used to operate in the Netherlands prior to the market’s regulation. Eventually, the country regulated online gambling, forcing Betsson to pull out from the market. Since the company had actively targeted Dutch customers prior to the regulation, it was subjected to a cooling-off period.

The operator planned to return and undertook the actions needed to secure a license. However, in its interim Q2 report, the company just announced that it has withdrawn its license. Betsson attributed the withdrawal to delays and resource allocation considerations.

The decision was based on significant delays in the licensing process and resource allocation considerations given the attractive current project pipeline for Betsson in other markets. The Group still maintains the possibility of reapplying for a license in the future.

Official Betsson statement

The Operator Is Not Ready to Give Up

Betsson had hoped that its decision to willingly pull out from the Netherlands would convince the Kansspelautoriteit to provide it with a license.

In a further show of its goodwill and desire to play by the rules, the company also closed its former Dutch brand Casino Winter in January this year.

Unfortunately for the operator, the process wasn’t as easy as it had hoped. However, Betsson still remains open to the idea of reapplying for a license in the future.

In an earlier conference call, Martin Öhman, Betsson’s chief financial officer, addressed the decision, promising that the company has not “shut the door” on the Netherlands.

Öhman explained that Betsson wanted to redirect the resources the application was taking elsewhere and capitalize on more promising opportunities. Still, the company remains optimistic about the Dutch market and may eventually reapply for a license.

As a result, Betsson will not be divesting any of the assets it has in the Netherlands.

Betsson’s Business Is Steadily Growing despite the Setback

Earlier today, Betsson published its Q2 report, highlighting its performance during the April-June period. In addition to significantly improving its metrics, the operator underlined some of its biggest deals during the period.

This included a sponsorship agreement with the Boca Juniors and the A1 Padel Swedish Master event.

In addition to that, the company successfully secured content from PA Betting Services and inked a distribution deal with Light & Wonder.

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Bloomberry Resorts Corp., the operator of Solaire Resort & Casino in Manila, announced in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the Philippines that its investment pre-agreement with PH Travel and Leisure Corp was terminated.

Term Sheet Termination

The filing with the SEC confirmed the news that the board of billionaire Enrique Razon Jr.- owned Bloomberry Resorts had approved a resolution to terminate the term sheet it had signed with a subsidiary of PH Resorts Group Holdings, a group of companies owned by Davao-based tycoon Dennis Uy.

According to the information provided by Bloomberry Resorts and cited by The Inquirer, its board decided to terminate the term sheet “after considering the results of due diligence on the target companies and the projects.”

In May, Bloomberry Resorts signed a term sheet to invest in two PH Travel and Leisure subsidiaries: Lapulapu Leisure Inc., which is currently developing the Emerald Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Punta Engano in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu, and Clark Grand Leisure Corp., which is developing The Base Resort Hotel and Casino in Clark in Pampanga, subject to a number of closing conditions.

By that time, both Bloomberry Resorts and PH Resorts Group immediately attracted investor interest and their shares grew as markets welcomed the addition of Razon’s deep pockets and experience in gaming to Uy’s casino projects and the casino industry was starting to recover from the pandemic.

The news that Razon withdrew from the projects resulted in investors dumping shares of PH Resorts, part of Udenna Group, forcing its share price to drop by more than 9%, though later partly recovering to close down 5.9%. At the same time, Bloomberry Resorts’ share price rose by 2%.

Pursuing Other Investors

PH Resorts issued a confirmation that the deal with Bloomberry Resorts was off after trading hours, stating that it would allow the group to pursue other investors that were previously put on the back burner.

PH Resorts president, Martin Escalona, outlined that, while unfortunate that a deal was not closed, it would allow both parties to pursue their own plans, and PH Resorts would most likely reenter into discussions with other parties that have been considered secondary to Bloomberry Resorts’ investment proposal.

Located on 12.4 hectares of land on the beachfront in Cebu, Emerald Bay will feature a casino with 146 gaming tables and 729 gaming machines, and offer luxury accommodation in hotel rooms and villas. The other casino project, The Base in Clark Global City, will be on a 4.4-hectare lot and feature an adventure-themed integrated casino resort.

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