Australia stands out in Paddys Q3s

A strong online performance, particularly from its Australian operations, helped Paddy Power record third-quarter net revenue growth of 23%, the operator revealed in its interim management statement for the period from 1 July to 14 November.

Online net revenues in Australia rose 39% year-on-year as the operator continues to see strong progress from its Sportsbet brand, while a 26% rise in online sportsbook net revenues across the rest of the world resulted in a 21% increase from all non-Australian dot.com activities compared to the corresponding period in 2011.

The growth from online activities was accompanied by single-figure growth from Paddys’ retail offering, although net revenue from telephone betting was up 32% year-on-year.

Non-Australian dot.com sportsbook numbers were helped by favourable sports results during the quarter, which helped offset the impact of horse race cancellations and the Olympic Games to bring about a 28% increase in amounts staked.

Mobile continued to provide a significant contribution to sportsbook amounts staked (up slightly to 27% in Australia and 45% in dot.com in comparison to June’s total), however the formal launch of the Roller casino app in September saw the channel contribute 28% of casino gross win compared to 19% at the end of the second quarter.

This week saw Paddy Power launch its “£1m Bet” marketing campaign around the Roller product, which will culminate in one bettor being given the opportunity to spin a roulette wheel for £1m.

Another product to receive an official launch during the period was BetDash, a social sports betting offering which allows players to stake real money or virtual credits.

The operator, which retained third place in this year’s eGaming Review Power 50, announced last month that it would be increasing its Irish workforce by 28% before the end of 2015 after committing to create more than 600 new jobs.