Entain teams up with AHA to promote digital brands in New South Wales

Entain has agreed a marketing partnership with the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) NSW to promote its digital sports betting brands in pubs in New South Wales.

The partnership will give AHA NSW members a new revenue stream while respecting Tabcorp’s exclusivity in retail wagering.

“The reasons for this new partnership are simple,” said John Whelan, chief executive of AHA NSW. “For decades now, many NSW hotels have operated PubTABs for Tabcorp at a significant loss – primarily due to high Sky Channel and EBT (betting terminal) fees. In country NSW it’s even worse, with the majority of country pubs currently running their PubTAB at a loss.

“Today’s partnership with a world leader in Entain will finally give NSW hotels competition and choice.”

NSW pubs that choose to join the program will display in-venue advertising for Entain’s Ladbrokes or Neds digital wagering platforms, giving their customers the option to continue to place bets via Tabcorp’s in-venue terminals, or bet on their phone via the online bookmaker of their choice.

“We applaud AHA NSW for their vision in agreeing to work with us to bring this partnership to life,” said Dean Shannon, chief executive of Entain Australia. “While there is still value in more traditional cash retail wagering, there is a highly engaged audience of punters who like to go down to their local for a bet with their mates, and how they do that has evolved.

“This partnership recognises that evolution and is about offering choice for the benefit of AHA NSW members and their patrons. There is no reason why traditional cash wagering can’t co-exist in a hotel, alongside an advertising sponsorship arrangement with Entain that promotes the digital offering of one of our leading brands.”

“Retail wagering in our venues is extremely important, with NSW pubs generating about half the current national PubTAB turnover,” added Whelan. “Tabcorp has a long-term exclusive retail licence in NSW and, of course, we will continue to support TAB retail in-venue.”

Shares in Entain plc (LSE:ENT) were trading 1.51 per cent higher at 1,145.50 pence per share in London earlier Friday.