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Q&A
> CEO, Matchbook
Andrew Pantling
competition. Our model is very low margin, low commission and high liquidity, and we want to provide a clearing house for all these institutions and large punters to get on really big bets. We have also launched Matchbook Risk Management, which is targeted at these institutions and their trading teams: we offer them instant hedging service either through Skype or phone calls where they can call in and within a minute we can con?rm that bet. eGR: Is the use of Skype and MSN something particularly suited to a relatively small operator or is it something that is just as sustainable as the company grows? AP: It was a niche that someone needed to ?ll. People needed a quick way to hedge very large positions and by using social media or different chat functions we seem to have plugged that niche and are seeing a lot of growth in that kind of betting. We’ve gone from six staff when we took over to 65 today, and a lot of that is down to VIP services and customer support. Our customers all need a unique level of support and VIP services. eGR: Why do you feel few exchanges have been able to challenge Betfair’s market dominance? AP: The key word in the exchange business is liquidity and until recently Betfair have always had that. They recently made some changes which have upset some of their key market makers and some institutions and that liquidity is quickly ?nding its way to Matchbook. If someone were to compare our liquidity with that of Betfair they would see we’re equal, if not bigger, in many spots already. Overall, they have more volume and they also do more in-play than Matchbook, but they have offered a watered-down product where people are trading across all markets and events and we’re offering just a few markets.
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CONSEQUENCES OF A DEAL
Sportingbet is currently considering a joint takeover bid from GVC and William Hill, which would see its regulated and nonregulated territories divided up between the two operators...
eGaming Review (eGR): How hard have you been hit by withdrawing from the US market? What are your main markets now? Andrew Pantling (AP): When we took over the company in February 2011, we shut down 80% of Matchbook’s business immediately, which was all the American business. Naturally we were very close to losing critical mass, but through marketing efforts and leveraging a network of high-stakes large institutional bettors we have been able to keep critical mass, and we’ve been targeting the Canadian, British, Australian, Asian and European markets predominantly. We have since been able to replace all that US business and we’ve grown past the point of old Matchbook. eGR: When you took over, Matchbook was licensed in Antigua – why have you since moved to an Alderney licence? AP: We were quite happy in Antigua with the exception of certain legacy issues relating to the old Matchbook, and we wanted to make a c X[???XZ?[? \?\??X?[??[??[? ? ?X? \?H8?$? ?H ?[?Y ?XZ?H]?X\? ?x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{? ] ????HH??? \??\??\ ?]X\?[?Y\????][? YH\??[ H ?T??&\?X?]Z\?][????[??]8?&\? \??\? Y?X?[???\?[?\??[? ? LK????????B????????[ ? ?[??[?] ? ?\?[??H[?][?[Y\?X?H ?\?H] ??]?????[?????[??]Y[?[?Y ?[???[??HHX[ ?]?? ??? ?[????\??] H Z?[?\?\??\??[?? ?]? \?[^YY ?]\? [??X\? ?]\??? ??? ? ??[?????HY??\?[? \??\? ?\?H??[??] ???YH [?\??]???\??\ ??????Y?XY?^?[?K???B??B??