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?

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.

US GAMING BILL DEAD AND BURIED...SBT WILL HIT 240P TOMORO!

BUYUS Gambling Bill junction3
courtesy of "letthegoodtimesroll"

http://www.pokerlistings.com/frist-fails-in-bid-to-attach-online-gambling-ban-to-military-bill-9065

this is really good news. I sold my sbt yesterday, but I have now 100,000 prty. I topped up yesterday with another 20,000 at 1.007p per share. I am pleased for pete that these are coming back well. If the americans have failed to gen an online gambing ban, then this should bring faith and trust back to the gaming market. Maestro I am now going to have a look at the news on the above website.

Sorry JB for not responding early, lets hope so. Keep our fingers crossed!!

Janet if you like this kind of stock , look up btx , moving in the right direction .

fliper i have taken note of your tip of btx. I have now put it on my stock list, I will now keep an eye on it for a while. Maestro, sorry i could not find the gaming news you mentioned. I will have a look out for it now though.

Frist fails in bid to attach online gambling ban to military bill
2:40 PM, Wednesday, September 20, 2006 by


The National Right for Online Gaming (NROG) confirmed through their sources in Washington D.C. that Senator Bill Frist failed in his attempt to add the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act to a Department of Defense (DOD) authorization bill.


The Senate Majority Leader was attempting to push the online gambling ban through the Senate by attaching it to a bill that authorizes military operations such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan. The move would have moved it through the Senate without having it taken to a floor vote.

The NROG has three sources they're working with to gather information about what's going on with the bill. Jason Bailey, NROG director of development, said one of their sources knew as early as Friday that Frist's effort had failed, but it was confirmed by all of their sources this week.

"We were hesitant to announce this 'victory' until all three of our sources confirmed it," Bailey said. "The actual DOD bill will be out of conference today, but we are confident in our sources that the gambling language has been removed."

Frist came up against opposition from both sides of the online gambling issue as well as from both the Senate and the House during his attempt. According to the NROG some people wanted all of H.R. 4411 added to the DOD bill, not just the payment process part, while others didn't want it at all.

"Most opposition came from those on the Armed Services Committee," Bailey said. "Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Senator John Warner (R-Va.) were the two most influential, although it's important to note there were several other key players that stopped him - this time."

Frist will likely continue to look for another bill to attach the online gambling ban to as the remaining days of the session wind down for the year and time runs out for the Senate to bring the bill to a vote.

"I believe Frist will try to keep it closer to the vest this time to avoid the outrage that he received when he went after the DOD bill. I don't think he expected it to raise as many eyebrows as it did," Frist said. "Expect him to take a much more quiet approach if he tries it again. Our sources tell us he has every intention of doing so."

The NROG, a nonprofit organization created to help fight an online gambling ban, is urging people to continue their efforts to make their voices heard on the online gambling issue by calling, writing, an e-mailing their representatives in Congress in order to prevent the bill from passing or being attached to other legislation.

very interesting. Thankyou for posting this to us. Are you holding any gaming shares at present?