Global Market Share Discussion Threads

[general5] 26/10/2006 20:43

Oh dear Oh dear! Purchased these today may sell. This is not a good sign when Jerry 170 appears pasting like his mummy taught him usually the price drops!

[jerry170] 26/10/2006 19:17

Gaming Corp. Held `Initial' Talks on Sale of Unit (Update2)

By Amy Wilson

Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Gaming Corporation Plc, operator of the U.K.'s largest Internet casino site, has held ``initial conversations'' about selling its online gaming unit, Chief Executive Officer Justin Drummond said.

``We've had initial conversations with several parties,'' Drummond said in a telephone interview today. The talks were with online gambling companies whose shares trade in the U.K., he said.

Gaming Corp. is seeking to sell its Internet and mobile phone gaming business, which includes the www.casino.co.uk site, and use the money to expand its advertising business, it said in a Business Wire statement today. The London-based company's gambling sites generate 95 percent of their revenue in the U.K. and don't have any customers in the U.S., where the government has made it illegal to process payments for online gaming.

The company's shares climbed 20 percent to close at 6 pence, the biggest gain in 20 months.

``It's a very good brand for the U.K. market, and anyone looking to expand there,'' Drummond said in the interview. The gambling unit makes money from selling advertising space as well as from games, he said. The unit accounted for less than 500,000 pounds ($940,000), or 20 percent, of Gaming Corp.'s profit last year, Drummond said.

Net income in the year ended Sept. 30 increased five-fold to 2.5 million pounds from 500,000 pounds. Earnings per share climbed to 0.9 pence a share, compared with 0.2 pence a year earlier, the company said in a Business Wire statement.

Advertising

``The increase in profit has been generated by the advertising business,'' Drummond said. Gaming Corp., which today agreed to change its name to Media Corporation Plc, operates a search engine for gambling sites and a media agency which sells online advertising space to financial services and Internet companies.

The company has 5.2 million pounds in cash which it will use to expand its existing business and make acquisitions, according to the statement. Drummond plans to buy search engines specializing in financial services and travel, he said.

To contact the reporter for this story: Amy Wilson in London at [e-mail]

Last Updated: October 26, 2006 11:56 EDT

[the analyst] 26/10/2006 18:33

Yes, lets hope they can pull it off. Investors have had a tough time here over the past two years given all of the expectations that have been built up by the Drummonds.

To be honest, I'm expecting about £5m for the business, but I'm hoping that if UK-listed gambling companies are really desperate to increase their UK customer base it will drive the price up to £10m or more.

With current cash-generation, a disposal price of £10m would give GMC cash per share of almost 6p by the year end.

Too much speculation for one day, I'm off to the pub!

[sabretooth] 26/10/2006 18:18

ta - interesting reading mate. so in rough numbers... 5000 active customers would value GMC's gambling business at around £5m. Let's hope there are more active customers than that. Combine that valaution with a nice little bidding war... £10m not unrealistic. Would be somewhat of a coup if the Drummonds can pull it off.

[the analyst] 26/10/2006 18:05

Could indeed be a bidding war sabre, but it all depends on how the figures look when they open up the books.

Casino.co.uk certainly gets plenty of organic search traffic. What we don't know is how many customers they have on the books and how much money they generate. Last time we heard, the poker white label had 10,000 registrations although that was some time ago (six months ago I think) and should have increased since then. We also heard at the same time that the mobile gaming division had 10,000 registrations too. Both are thought to have about a 15% conversion rate to real money play. Also, they must have some customers from their casino, skillgaming, bingo and instant gaming white labels to add to that

In all, they could have 5000 active real money players. Maybe 10,000.

32Red have 9000 active uk casino players 8000 active uk poker players and 33,000 active Bet Direct customers. 50,000 active customers in total and the company is valued at £50m

[sabretooth] 26/10/2006 17:43

There's going to be a bidding war. 10p has to be close. Buy time at these levels.

[sabretooth] 26/10/2006 17:37

Bloomberg Oct.26
By Amy Wilson

"We've had intial conversations with several parties," Drummond said in a telephone interview today. The talks were with online gambling companies whose shares traded in the UK, he said.

[quotes_4_u] 26/10/2006 16:33

I would go 50/50 on the T trades, the buys at 6p and the others
under 6p as sales, the online spread of 0.02p suggested some large
buy and sell orders and it was not wrong, a great day for clearing
out sellers and finding new homes for lots of stock.

[mart12345] 26/10/2006 16:31

blimey any guesses to what they all were (buys/sells?)

[quotes_4_u] 26/10/2006 16:22

Somebody has a huge buy order here chaps, another 500k delayed
sale and mm paid 6p mid price for it.

[sabretooth] 26/10/2006 16:18

If PRTY are the suitors, I am thinking the Drummonds could get £10m out of it. PRTY are flush with cash and deperate for new markets (mobile gambling) and the Drummonds have proven themselves worthy adversaries when it comes to negotiating a deal (Vodafone & Orange).

I fully expect the share price to be back up near the 10p level over the coming weeks.

[quotes_4_u] 26/10/2006 16:17

Should be a very big T trade at around 6.1-6.2p soon if the mm's
are happy to mop up all the sells and pay mid price.

Can you believe there's been no L2 changes since 8.31am despite all
this trade today.

[sabretooth] 26/10/2006 14:48

they look good to me mate.

[the analyst] 26/10/2006 14:46

Do the logos at the top of the thread appear ok for windows users here? I'm on a Mac and sometimes it's ok and sometimes they overlap each other...

[besbury] 26/10/2006 14:44

the analyst - 26 Oct'06 - 14:29 - 22717 of 22717


The chart on the left hand side of this page shows MDC as the ticker.

Thanks analyst,that looks quite impressive. ADVFN will have to do something about Media Content, unless they list both giving a choice to select Media Corp.

[the analyst] 26/10/2006 14:29

The chart on the left hand side of this page shows MDC as the ticker.

[quotes_4_u] 26/10/2006 13:48

I would think there's a possible buy and sell order here, no changes in
L2 since early this morning despite sustained 2 way trade.

It's now 6p mid price bid for 150k v 6.02p offer for 150k.

So 6-6.02p spread....when it's that tight it suggests buy and sell
orders in the system.

[the analyst] 26/10/2006 13:47

The ticker MDC looks free to me.

It used to be the symbol for Media Content plc, but they went into liquidation in 2002. The ADVFN baord shows some news for MDC Holdings, a NYSE listed company, but the LSE listed MDC ticker looks to be free.

Interestingly, the mediacorp website mentions MED as the ticker under Jason Drummonds info, but that one really is taken on the LSE - Microemissive Displays Ltd

[sabretooth] 26/10/2006 13:42

impressive. the Drummond boys have certainly been busy. hats off to the lads.

[besbury] 26/10/2006 13:41

the analyst - 26 Oct'06 - 13:24 - 22710 of 22712


Still not sure what the new ticker will be - my guess is MDC

Have another guess. MDC already in use;~#)

[wiganer] 26/10/2006 13:26

MDC? What a fine band they were! Still have my original copy of Chicken Squawk in a box somewhere...

[the analyst] 26/10/2006 13:24

Still not sure what the new ticker will be - my guess is MDC