James Packer-backed CrownBet could know as early as Thursday "whether it has beaten its major offshore rival to secure a wagering partnership with the National Rugby League," according to Sarah-Jane Tasker of THE AUSTRALIAN. CrownBet had "joined the bidding war" for what is expected to be a A$50M ($37M), five-year deal to become the NRL wagering partner, which secures the winner first rights to advertise with the official broadcasters -- the Nine Network and Fox Sports, plus the radio networks. Sportsbet, which CrownBet CEO Matt Tripp started in '06 and sold to European firm Paddy Power in '11, is "mooted to be the frontrunner in the competitive process, given it was the current wagering partner." The deal CrownBet was "seeking was similar to the one it struck" with the Australian Football League two years ago. Credit Suisse analyst Larry Gandler recently highlighted in a client note that CrownBet could turn into a "reasonably profitable" operation. He said, "We increasingly hear from the industry about the strength of the Crown brand and the access to Crown's loyalty database" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/12).
