If it seems the bookies always win, maybe the best bet is to buy into one!

'8 Ball' started a thread on this stock 18 months ago and nobody seems to have taken notice. Can't understand why - this has shown itself to be a solid grower. The share price has more than doubled in that last 18 months, tripled in 3 years and is up over 40% this year. What's more, it has just announced its intention to expand into online poker which is a potential goldmine (look at Sportingbet(SBT) this week which has bought into poker big time!)




Website at www.paddypowerplc.com

Here is some of the press coverage this week following its announcement re online poker:


Paddy Power shares soar on new UK law
Bizworld, Tuesday, October 19 17:30:38

"...Shares in Irish bookmaker, Paddy Power, jumped 15c to 997 on the Irish Stock Exchange after the UK Government brought in sweeping new gambling laws... ..Paddy power will also likely welcome news that the new law will allow racecourse betting on Good Friday and Christmas Day for the first time..."

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Paddy Power to Offer Online Poker
25 October 2004

IRELAND – As reported by the (Ireland) Sunday Business Post: "Bookmaker Paddy Power is set to offer online poker as part of the company's expansion of its internet activities which are becoming increasingly profitable for the Irish company... .."An online poker facility, which would match up players with other users online in a real live game, is expected to be available by the end of the year or early in 2005... ..."…The availability of poker should help boost revenues at Paddy Power's online division, which is already exceeding targets…"

(CasinoCityTimes.com, 25 Oct)
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By Abigail, at OnlineCasinoNews.com USA (this week)

Leading Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is set to add a facility for online poker to its site. The already prospering company is looking to expand its offerings and tap into the lucrative and still growing online poker market. The expectation is that the additional area should further boost the revenue earned from the online branch of the company, which is already exceeding targets... ..The communications manager for the company said of the plan “Online poker is a logical extension of our current activities. We hope to have it ready in the coming months.” Financial results for the online branch of the company are very strong so far this year. For the first half of the year operating profits were valued at e3.6 million, far exceeding the original forecast of e1.8 million for the entire year. The online casino section of the site is thought to have contributed e1 million of that profit... ..These strong figures have been produced before the full expansion of the site into the British market. Paddy Power have been slowly expanding into the British market over the last two years, and will continue to do so. With this expanding of the reach of the site, alongside the expansion of their products, the financial results should continue to be strong for Paddy Power

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The company regards itself as being in the entertainment business and takes an irreverent approach in its promotional material, as evidenced on this page of its website: www.paddypowerplc.com/adpr.html - Click on images there to enlarge.

I'M WITH YOU!!!

Still going like a good'un.

I'm not a Sun reader, but I gather they quite often work with Paddy Power on particular promotions and events. (That right?)

Online poker is thought likely to end up in the hands of a small number of global sites eventually, and many of the sites now climbing aboard the bandwagon will either be taken out along the way or just won't be able to achieve critical mass in competition with the big ones. My guess is that Paddy Power already know this and perhaps plan to expand its poker client base rapidly, making good money from it while they can, while making it a big enough to be worth someone buying it off them a year or two down the line. Alternatively perhaps they'll just go for a loyal following at a slower pace on higher margins and be happy with that as a permanent sideline.

If anyone hears the company expressing any indication of its intentions (in the Irish media, or wherever) I'd be interested to hear. (Or any active poker players with a view?)

These have just cuaght my eye, seem to have had an Impressive run.

1% stamp duty always puts me off, still VG chart.

it's an excellent stock ..... was tempted a couple of months back when sp was about Euros 16.50 but put my money in (among other things) SCHE which has also done well

Gambling mentioned as a good sector by Stephen Barber (Selftrade), but Paul Dolman-Darrall mentions that he has now sold his Paddy Power stock on The Four Wise Monkey Show, see original discussion at http://www.4wm.co.uk

Shares in betting company Paddy Power are not just at a high for the year. The company's success has been so great that the shares today trade at an all-time high.

The company is registered in Dublin and the company's share price is denominated in Euros.

In the last five years, Paddy Power has doubled sales and increased profits more than threefold. This year, the company is forecast to grow its dividend 63%. Should this payout come through, Paddy Power's dividend for 2012 will be almost four times the 2006 figure.

For 2011, Paddy Power reported a 38% increase in earnings per share and a 40% uplift in the dividend. Operating margin came in at 28.4%, its highest in five years.

The market loves a winner. Paddy Power's winning streak has seen it become one of the most expensive shares in its sector. The company trades on a P/E of 21.5 times consensus forecasts for 2012. Despite the rapid increase in dividend, the shares are forecast to yield just 2.2%

The broker is also expecting Irish bookie Paddy Power (Irish: PLS.IR - news) to serve up impressive results on Wednesday. Australia and the online business are once again likely to be the main drivers, the broker thinks, and given the recently reported experience of Ladbrokes (Other OTC: LDBKF.PK - news) there may even be signs of recovery in the bookie's home market of Ireland (Xetra: A0Q8L3 - news) .

"The cash pile is growing and there is likely to be an increasing interest in what the group intends to do with this," Peel Hunt suggests.

Analysts are betting on a stellar set of results from Irish bookmaker Paddy Power (Irish: PLS.IR - news) . Analysts at joint house broker Credit Suisse (NYSEArca: CSMA - news) have pencilled in a 30pc rise in revenues to €301m (£238m) at the colourful company, which is known for its playful marketing campaigns. Earnings before interest and tax are expected to be 21pc ahead of the same period in 2011, helped by a successful Cheltenham Festival.

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4434204Group Highlights:



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Profit before tax up 21% to €68.7m and diluted EPS up 25% to 121.5 cent, despite some adverse sports results since our May trading update;

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Interim dividend increased by 30% to 39.0 cent per share;

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Net revenue growth of 29% in constant currency with double-digit growth in every division;

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Four new online ventures with start-up losses of €6.3m in the period;

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Strong balance sheet with net cash of €186m.


Online Highlights:



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Accelerated growth in online scale, new customers and new business investment: customer acquisition up 50%, active customers up 41% to 1.2m, net revenue up 41% to €191m and operating profit up 7% to €48.5m:



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Strong paddypower.com growth: customer acquisition up 48%, active customers up 42% to 1.0m and net revenue up 32% in constant currency to €128m. Operating profit up 15% before start-up losses on four new ventures;


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Significant growth in Australia following investment last year: customer acquisition up 73%, online active customers up 37%, stakes up 24% and net revenue up 42% in constant currency. Operating profit up 35% to €13.2m;

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Leading mobile market share: mobile net revenue up 239% in constant currency to €53m with 54% of active sportsbook customers transacting via mobile in June;


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Successful entry into the Italian online market in May achieving a 4% share of the online sports betting market in the first full month of operation;


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New mobile and tablet led casino product and brand (Roller), a sports betting based social game (BetDash) and Cayetano developed gaming product all to start contributing revenue in the second half of the year.




Retail Highlights:



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UK Retail like-for-like sportsbook stakes up 12% and machine gaming net revenue up 5% in constant currency. Operating profit up 61% to €7.6m, with 23 shops opened in the year to date;

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Irish Retail operating profit up 79% to €9.0m, driven by the normalisation of sports results. Like-for-like stakes down 3%.

StockMarketWire.com
Paddy Power will issue an interim management statement on 18 November 2014.

StockMarketWire.com
Paddy Power has booked a record FY pretax profit up 21% to 166.6m euros, from 141m euros, with a full-year dividend of 152 cents a share, up 13% from 135 cents.

Net revenue totalled 881.6m euros, up 18% from 746m euros.

CEO Andy McCue said 2014 was an excellent year for Paddy Power with robust double digit growth in stakes, revenues and profits, and a marked increase in customer acquisition.

"We are strongly positioned in the key growth areas of online and mobile, whilst also benefitting from a differentiated and resilient retail presence. Our distinctive brands and deeply rooted marketing capability are core assets.

"As I look ahead, the pace of change in the sector and in the wider consumer environment is intensifying. We continually develop and adapt to anticipate the needs of customers and maintain an edge in the market.

"Time and again we see that product is the key factor in attracting and retaining customers. We have re-organised the business to significantly sharpen our focus on product differentiation and innovation, and to increase in-house development.

"This, combined with clear investment priorities, will pave the way for sustained performance and market leadership.

"This year has started well, including a positive impact from recent euro depreciation."