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?

Business Financial Newswire
Recent reinstatement of the dividend combined with plans to move from AIM to the full list in Q1 should have further positive rating implications for Sportingbet, says Altium analyst Greg Feehely.

'As and when the settlement with the US DoJ is concluded SBT will be a very attractive M&A target. Whilst we initiate with an 85p price target, any successful bid for the group would need to be comfortably north of 100p share in our view.'

Business financial Newswire
"Sportingbet said amounts wagered on European and Australian sports were both up 26% in the second quarter but margins weakened in February.

Wagers for the three months to January 31 totalled 502.3m, against 398.5m in the previous second quarter. For the first half, the total was up 26.9% at 965.5m.

Net gaming revenue was up 22.3% at 52.6m for Q2 and rose 24% to 101.2m in H1. Q2 EBITDA rose 10.6% to 13.6m, 12.6% to 23.3m in H1.

Adjusted operating profit increased 7.7% to 11.2m in Q2, rising 8.3% to 18.3m in H1.

The group said it had seen an industry-leading European sports gross margin of 10.7% (2008/9: 11.2%).

CEO Andrew McIver said, 'The second quarter is a busy time in the sporting calendar and consequently a material period in the group's financial year. As such it is very pleasing to report results in line with our full-year plan, particularly given the recessionary backdrop in many of our markets.'

The 24/7 in-play World Football microsite was launched in the quarter. The group also concluded a number of IT projects, increasing the the number of betting markets and leading to faster bet settlement. Its Australian business had seen a positive uptake for its new mobile offering.

While amounts wagered on sports in February were ahead of budget, there had been some margin weakness due to a higher percentage of European football favourites winning and a higher goal frequency than average.

Casino, games and poker continued trends seen in the first half of the year.

Management continued to remain confident of the full-year outcome.

An interim dividend of 0.5p has been declared"

I dumped these when I got my money back and won't be returning till the economy improves. I do nevertheless hold LNG and PRTY

Interesting though, that during the recession more people have been tempted to gamble to try & make ends meet. Bit of a double edged sword.

SBT to soon de-list from AIM & to move to a full listing on the LSE.

"Further to the announcement on 25 November 2009, the Company confirms its intention to apply for admission to listing of its ordinary shares on the premium segment of the Official List of the UK Listing Authority (the 'Official List') and admission to trading on the London Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities (the 'Main Market'). Pursuant to Rule 41 of the AIM Rules for Companies, the Company hereby gives notice of the intended cancellation of trading of its shares on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

The Company believes that the Official List is the most appropriate platform for the continued growth of the Group by increasing Sportingbet's profile, assisting in the liquidity of the Company's shares and providing a greater range of potential investors for the Company.

It is expected that the Company's ordinary shares with a nominal value of 0.1p each will be admitted to the Official List and simultaneously cancelled on AIM effective on or around 14 May 2010, subject to the receipt of the necessary approvals from the UK Listing Authority and the London Stock Exchange, being at least 20 business days after this announcement."

July 29 (Bloomberg) -- "A House committee yesterday approved legislation that would legalize some Internet gambling, allowing U.S. residents to place online wagers with companies the Treasury Department has licensed.
The measure, sponsored by Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, would roll back a law designed to block such betting. That four-year-old law, which took effect in June, bars banks from processing payments to offshore gambling websites.
My primary goal is Americans ought to be free to do what they wish without this kind of intrusion, said Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat whose committee passed the legislation 41-22, with one lawmaker voting present.
The intrusive regulation is a problem for the financial institutions, Frank said.
Frank and other proponents, such as the Poker Players Alliance, say licensing and regulating online gambling will protect consumers who are placing a growing number of bets with offshore operators.
A separate measure that depends on full House passage of Franks plan would impose taxes on online poker and other Internet gambling, bringing the federal government as much as $42 billion over 10 years, according to a congressional analysis.
This is money sitting on the table, Michael Waxman, a spokesman for the Washington-based Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative, said in an interview. The group represents financial services companies such as U.K.-based payment processor UC Group
The Bill still has many hurdles to clear, and must get through the House of Representatives and the Senate before being passed into law but is a step in the right direction for the Bill. If passed, this could be transformational for UK listed online gambling operators such as PartyGaming, Playtech, & 888. There is still no clarity on whether the UK listed operators such as PRTY or 888 would receive licences in the event of the bill being passed (most lucrative) or would offer B2B services to US operators that gain licences (smaller revenue opportunity).

HR 2267, The Frank Bill passed by 41-22. This means that the bill has cleared the first of many hurdles to regulate online gambling, which is encouraging news for UK listed companies such as PartyGaming (BUY), Playtech (not rated), 888 (HOLD), and possibly others. However, there is still a long way to go before the bill is passed into law."

StockMarketWire.com
Online sports betting and gaming group Sportingbet said it had continued to perform in line with management expectations in the final quarter to July 31.

The group said it performed strongly during the FIFA World Cup, aided by favourable margins as a result of a number of fixtures going against the favourites and a significant number of low-scoring games.

More than 50m was staked on World Cup markets, of which 65% was bet in-play at an aggregate margin of more than 17%.

Sportingbet said, 'The strong World Cup performance underpins the fourth-quarter trading results and the board remains confident that the group will meet management expectations for the financial year just ended.'

Its final results will be released on 6th October '10

"The Board of Sportingbet announces that it has entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement with the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, acting on behalf of the United States Department of Justice.

Under the terms of the Agreement, SDNY will not seek to prosecute Sportingbet Plc, or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, "Sportingbet" or the "Group") for activities related to Sportingbet's internet gambling business with customers in the United States from 1998 to 2006.

Sportingbet Plc, as part of the Agreement, has agreed to pay a total of $33m (21.3m) to SDNY, payable in three instalments:

$15m (9.7m) payable on or before 30 September 2010

$12m (7.7m) on or before 30 September 2011

$6m (3.9m) on or before 31 March 2012.

In addition to the above Sportingbet has agreed to:-

cooperate with SDNY and disclose information to SDNY relating to Sportingbet's former internet gambling business in the United States; and

adhere to certain further obligations from the date of the Agreement with respect to its future conduct in the United States.

As part of the Agreement Sportingbet has acknowledged and accepted certain details regarding its former business activities in the United States which are set out in the Statement of Facts which form part of the Agreement."

Wow a full set of BUY recos from the Brokers, not often you see that.

Not suprised with latest news and on a forward P/E of only just over 12 for 2011.

Sportingbet PLC

FORECASTS 2010 2011
Date Rec Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p) Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p)

KBC Peel Hunt Ltd
27-09-10 BUY 35.05 5.95 1.50 36.48 6.19 1.80
Daniel Stewart
27-09-10 BUY 33.00 5.60 1.50 36.80 6.50 1.60
Shore Capital
24-09-10 BUY 35.20 6.00 1.50 39.00 6.80 1.60
Collins Stewart
21-09-10 BUY 30.40 6.10 1.40 31.30 6.00 1.50
Altium Securities
21-09-10 BUY 33.00 5.70 1.50 35.70 6.50 2.00
Numis Securities Ltd
13-09-10 BUY 35.00 6.30 1.50 42.00 7.30 1.70
Edison Investment Research
01-09-10 None 35.00 6.00 37.00 6.30
Execution Noble
21-06-10 BUY 33.00 5.90 1.20 37.10 6.50 1.30

2010 2011
Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p) Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p)

Consensus 33.70 5.93 1.46 36.74 6.48 1.66
1 Month Change -0.00 0.00 -0.00 -0.02 -0.00 0.02
3 Month Change -0.26 -0.00 -0.04 -0.76 -0.18 -0.07


GROWTH
2009 (A) 2010 (E) 2011 (E)
Norm. EPS 134.05% 18.34% 9.26%
DPS % % 14.30%

INVESTMENT RATIOS
2009 (A) 2010 (E) 2011 (E)

EBITDA 34.80m 44.93m 49.10m
EBIT 26.10m 32.10m 32.91m
Dividend Yield % 1.85% 2.11%
Dividend Cover x 4.08x 3.90x
PER 15.70x 13.27x 12.14x
PEG 0.12f 0.72f 1.31f
Net Asset Value PS 7.22p 22.60p 26.50p

Sporting Bet SBT seems to be on a roll at the moment after positive moves in the US related to online gambling.



Target for the SP would be around 120p the bottom of the gap where resistance may be come up against.

Broker Buy note out in last 48 hours...............

FORECASTS WIRES 2010 2011

Date Rec Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p) Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p)

KBC Peel Hunt Ltd
29-09-10 BUY 35.05 5.95 1.50 36.48 6.19 1.80

One slightly worrying stat I saw the other day is that 19% of SBT's profit comes from Turkey. Unfortunately internet gambling is still currently illegal there, so that is a revenue stream which could come to a very abrupt end.

Golden Cross fairly imminent on the chart (50MA crossing the 200MA whilst both heading North) generally a very reliable indicator.

Well spotted PTH.

BEATEN concensus figure.......

5.90 1.20 37.10 6.50 1.30

2010 2011
Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p) Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p)
Consensus 33.71 5.93 1.46 36.74 6.48 1.66
1 Month Change -0.02 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00
3 Month Change -0.26 -0.00 -0.04 -0.76 -0.18 -0.07

StockMarketWire.com
"Online sports betting and gaming group, Sportingbet has posted a reduced pre- tax profit of 6.9m for the year to 31 July 2010 ( 2009 profit 22.3m).

This year's result includes exceptional costs of 24.5m, principally associated with the agreed settlement with the US Department of Justice and the Group's move to the Official List.

For the year as a whole, amounts wagered were up 25% year on year to 1,971m and EBITDA earnings were 17% higher at 46.5m.

Amounts wagered on sports betting in Europe (incorporating the financial results for the Emerging Markets division) grew by 29% to 1,165.1m (2009: 906.6m), earning net gaming revenue (NGR) of 111.6m (2009: 82.7m) up 35% year on year.

Casino and gaming contributed a further 44.9m, and poker 17.4m, to both amounts wagered and NGR (2009: 41.3m and 18.8m).

Amounts wagered on Australian sports betting grew by 22% to 743.9m (2009: 610.5m), earning post betting tax NGR of 33.6m (2009: 20.8m). The Group says that the new financial year has started well with net gaming revenue for the first two months up 17% on the same period last year.

The Board has proposed a final dividend of 1.0p which brings the total dividend for the year to 1.5p, 50% up on last year. "

Clear sky now up to 145p.....

04-Oct-10 Sportingbet SBT Daniel Stewart Buy 81.25p 130.00p - Reiteration

130p SP target.

Broker target of 89p

06-Oct-10 Sportingbet SBT KBC Peel Hunt Buy 77.40p 89.00p - Reiteration