Ladbrokes Poised to Take Bets from China

Ladbrokes Prepares to Expand in Asia

The British "High Street" bookmaker, Ladbrokes, is making headlines once again with plans to enter the lucrative Chinese sports betting market. This nearly exclusive deal for Ladbrokes follows other successful expansions into countries such as Italy, and with simultaneous expansion plans set for Spain and other locations.

Ladbrokes is widely recognized as one of the premier sports betting companies in the European market. The company has grown to boast more than 2,200 bet shops in the UK, Ireland and Belgium. In addition to expanding within it's traditional borders, Ladbrokes has also been aggressively expanding in other European countries as well. This was recently evidenced by the fact that the company opened 12 additional betting shops for it's Italian betting operation.

The company's recent announcement that they plan to enter the Chinese betting market came as little surprise to many who follow the trends and migrations of the gambling industry. Many began to speculate that Ladbrokes would eventually make this move, following a press announcement that informed shareholders that top executives were in China to consult with China Sport Lottery in reference to how to properly set up and manage a book making operation within mainland China.

It would appear that the early speculation was correct, as Ladbrokes is now moving forward with an exclusive partnership with China Sport Lottery to offer betting services within mainland China. In addition to the joint venture the company hold with China Sport Lottery, the company is also "exploring opportunities" for other sports betting operations in China.

Presently, the type of sports betting that Ladbrokes specializes in is the only form of sanctioned gambling within China's mainland. This is not the case in the small enclave of Macau, which was given back to China by Portugal in 1999. In stark contrast to greater China, Macau enjoys a lucrative casino economy that surpasses the betting activity of Las Vegas.