Ladbrokes Aus releases odds on all 380 EPL matches

Ladbrokes’ Australia-facing business has taken the unusual step of releasing prices on all 380 English Premier League (EPL) games before a ball has been kicked, enabling customers to place bets on any of the yet-to-be-played matches during any stage of the 2015-16 season.

Speaking to eGaming Review this morning, Ladbrokes Australia CEO Dean Shannon said the move followed the offer of a similar service for AFL and NFL fixtures and would help the bookmaker stand out in a crowded market as well as provide a boost to customer retention numbers.

And if successful, the strategy could yet be adopted by its UK parent as Ladbrokes looks to establish a leading portfolio of football products in its core betting market.

“What we saw locally with the AFL and NRL is our clients would check out how the odds changed in future games as a result of the round just played,” Shannon said.

“We want people to come back to Ladbrokes every week and given the rising popularity of football in Australia this is just another opportunity to service those clients better,” he added.

The firm is also hopeful the offer of every EPL game will encourage clients to place accumulator bets on favoured and fancied sides – which would result in higher margins, particularly when including games in later rounds which have been priced with bigger over-rounds.

“They [customers] might decide there are four or five certain teams their side can beat during the season and then take an accumulator on those games,” Shannon said.

“We are betting to around 110% in future rounds, but closing in on game day we get down to 105%-106% – remember this is an international sport for us so we don’t price as aggressively as it might be priced in the UK,” he added.

Shannon also said that while betting limits on later games would be reduced, the firm would still lay wagers of up to $1,000 (£473), although highlighted the strategy was predominantly aimed at the recreational punter.

In the main, operators in Europe stick to a more short-term pricing policy with only games due to take place within the coming fortnight on offer, although Ladbrokes’ UK-facing site is currently offering prices on every EPL match taking place in August.

Speaking to eGR, Ladbrokes director of media David Williams said he was “excited” by Ladbrokes Australia’s offer of all Premier League games but was also keen to highlight advancements in the UK product.

“Ladbrokes Australia has a reputation for innovation and market-leading initiatives so we’re excited about its ambitious plans to drive business on the Premier League,” Williams said.

“We have an exciting timetable of improvements and markets to roll out in the coming weeks [in the UK] as customers familiarise themselves with our single digital platform and football is at the very heart of that programme,” he added.

Last month Ladbrokes announced it had agreed on the terms of a merger with UK rival Gala Coral subject to clearance from the Competition and Markets Authority.

In making the announcement, Ladbrokes CEO Jim Mullen described the Australia business as “a jewel in the crown” and praised the local management team for having overseen a 132% rise in revenues during 2014.