Anyone holding these? Evil K drove the price right down and now they seem to be recovering---are they worth considering now they seem to have sorted out their finances?

unfortunatly cynic i am one who is caught up in the trap until the time comes when i can escape. have a lovely weekend everyone. I am going to start mine now.

phew! well good luck JB, though I am afraid you really should not have bought this morning ...... suppose you had better clench the buttocks and hope for a decent bounce to allow you to get out at no worse than a minimal loss.

I am sure you have all seen the news, but just in case you haven't, link below:
http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=1505987

just rumours again though ..press hand in glove with market makers,spread bet firms i reckon

this old news - bwin had this licence disputed almost two months ago.

It's old and needed to be renewed - problem is bwin won't be given a new one from what I agther.

HUB
company specific news.

peter 123 have you still got yours. I have still got mine. my sportingbet 20,000 shares stand me at 1.8445p each. I have still got all my prty as well. I am pretty sure you will be okay. Every time some news comes out about some one being arrested, it sends shivers through the market. I may well consider selling them soon though as I do not need the headache of things getting back to normal, and then someone else getting arrested, and then it all starts to happen again.I am sitting tight for the moment though. They are on the way back up again today. Good luck all who are holding these shares.

Hi JB,

I still hold mine, so I may have to ride with the wave.

sit tight

I don't have my Shares mag with me, but from memory the article on on-line betting shares put an large amber flag against SBT because so much of its income derives from US sources, and that is certainly a very uncomfortable position for the company to be in ..... said it before, but i'll say it again ..... stay in at your peril; sell into any rally, which seems to have occurred already ..... but your money, not mine!

got back from work at 4.15 to find that while i was out sbt fell 6.5p to my disapointment. I must say cynic you are correct with what you have said. we will have to wait now to see what tomorrow brings.

i am quite good at giving others good advice but total crap at taking my own!

never mind we win some and lose others.

The whole of the gaming sector will remain very volatile until this bloody Bill is put out of its misery. SBT and others are just becoming a day-traders territory.

Backdoor Move to Ban Web Gambling Fizzles
19 September 2006
by Tony Batt

Las Vegas Gaming Wire

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., tried to attach an Internet gambling ban to a defense bill last week but was rebuffed by two powerful senators, congressional sources said Monday.

Despite the setback, advocates said GOP leaders will keep trying to add an online wagering prohibition to must-pass legislation until Congress adjourns this year.

Frist approached Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and asked him to add an Internet gambling ban to a defense authorization bill, according to congressional staffers who requested anonymity.

But after checking with Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the committee, Warner rejected the idea because an online wagering ban would not be relevant to defense legislation.

A source close to Frist confirmed the majority leader made the proposal to Warner, but declined to elaborate.

After hearing of Frist's proposal, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., sent Warner a letter urging him to reject any amendment that would ban online betting.

"We must not use this important (defense) bill as a convenient vehicle for political pet issues such as a ban on Internet gaming," Berkley said.

Berkley opposed an Internet gambling ban that passed the House 317-93 in July.

Although the Department of Justice has said Internet gambling is illegal, the $12 billion industry continues to grow, with more than 2,300 Web sites.

Frist, who has been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2008, criticized online wagering during an August visit to Iowa.

While in Iowa, Frist joined Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, one of the two main sponsors of the ban that passed the House, in conducting an informal field hearing critical of Internet gambling.

On Sept. 5, the day Congress returned from its August recess, Frist made a speech on the Senate floor and listed an Internet gambling ban as one of his priorities as Congress rushes toward adjournment. Frist's second term expires this year, and he is not running for re-election.

Source: http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=161151

Fund Managers can't make their minds up! Although the evidence from recent dealings shows buys vastly outweighing sells.

Online investors hedge their bets

Published: 07:00 Wednesday 20 September 2006

By Tony Bonsignore, New Model Adviser News Reporter

Fund managers and investors are at odds over the prospects for the online gaming sector after the recent high-profile troubles at Betonsports and Sportingbet.

While most investors agree on the potential growth of gaming businesses, they are divided on whether they are now worth the risk, given the recent clampdown by the US authorities. For some, the threat posed by the regulators represents a gamble too far.

Colin Morton, investment manager at BWD Rensburg, said: To us, this is now more about gambling on US litigation than it is about investing.

Previously, we could see great potential in the business models of these companies and this outweighed any risk of action from the US authorities.

But once they moved against Betonsports, the whole logic changed and it just wasnt worth the risk any more. Most of these new entrants targeted the US aggressively and without the business from the US, most would be loss-making.

Morton sold out of the entire sector immediately after the arrest of David Carruthers, chief executive of Betonsports , in July. Morton had previously owned some Sportingbet, Partygaming and 888 across a number of the portfolios.

We have no plans to re-enter this market, though we would never say never, said Morton.

Jeremy Batstone, director of private client research at Charles Stanley, is similarly bearish.

Our view is set against a darkening economic backdrop. As consumers become more indebted they will look at ever more imaginative ways of extricating themselves from the mess they are in.

Less experienced gamblers, in particular, will be attracted to these sites. And once this happens we can expect a fierce backlash, as we are already seeing. There is a strong moral argument against this type of business.

But other investors believe the negative publicity surrounding the sector may have created buying opportunities. Richard Hunter, head of UK equities at Hargreaves Lansdown, believes Partygaming, particularly, looks attractive.

Earlier this month we saw some more excellent figures for Partygaming. This is a business that generates enormous amounts of cash and this feeds straight through to the bottom line.

Managers have also made moves to reduce their reliance on the US, although it is still early days. Any acquisitions might also help in this regard.

If it turns out that they are unaffected by the action from the US regulators, as it might, then the share price will be like a coiled spring.

James Ridgewell, manager of the New Star UK Special Situations Fund , says he will definitely not be selling any of his investments in this sector. He holds Sportingbet , 888.com and Betonsports.

Were currently running through the numbers but were close to buying more Sportingbet, says Ridgewell.

Despite the recent problems its looking increasingly as if the company will be able to continue operating. This industry is here to stay and in the long term it will be legalised. However, there might be some volatility along the way, as we have already seen.

The numbers are compelling. What has happened is that the market has
over-reacted, as markets tend to do. That is when stocks become cheap and create buying opportunities.

Source: http://www.citywire.co.uk/News/NewsArticlePrint.aspx?VersionID=85080

sold all my sbt this morning before going to work. I managed to get 1.84 back per share I lost a little. THIS SHARE SEEMS TO GO UP AND DOWN LIKE A YO YO. I may consider buying some more if they go back down to the 1.70 level. Are you still in there pete?

wise move JB ..... takes off all the pressure .... think i must have ditched this week's Shares mag, but recommend you get hold of a copy before reinvesting in this sector .... and i am 95% certain SBT is one to avoid, at least in the near future

cynic i have still got my 80,000 prty. I am a lot of money down on the party gaming they have dropped .17p per share on me. I do not think that are as risky at the sportingbet ones, but having said that the spb be still seem to be a very popular share at the moment. Peter your losses must be soming down quite a bit at the moment to say they dropped down to 1.42 a little while ago. Cynic i am now going to send you a little message on goo, so have a look. best of luck to peter. I would only consider buying back into sbt on a daytrading buy now.i will be back in touch again soon.

janet-have a look at 888-they have been hit as well but came out with excellent results and a generous dividend on 13th october.

BUT, don't forget that all the profits being announced by betting companies are probably artificially high due to good results from this years World Cup. The next 12 months may not be as good.