Tatts Group prepares UBET launch as online sales soar
Australian operator to roll-out omni-channel UBET brand in Q3 following double-digit growth in online wagering during H1
Tatts Group said it will beta-launch its unified UBET brand this quarter after the Australian operator reported double-digit sales growth from its online business in H1 2015 this morning.
The Melbourne-based firm said sales from its digital wagering business for the six months ended 31 December 2014 increased 13% year-on-year, accounting for 25% of all sales, while its online lotteries arm grew 18%.
Total group revenues, which includes the operator’s larger land-based business, increased 1.2% year-on-year to AU$1.5bn and the firm also posted EBITDA growth of 4.2%, up from $265m in H1 2014 to $276.1m this year.
Tatts Group CEO Robbie Cooke attributed digital growth to an improvement in its CRM capabilities although he admitted there was still room for improvement.
“Whilst still very much a work in progress, our digital initiatives have gathered momentum,” Cooke said.
“Our efforts in CRM are building and the opportunity to more precisely service the customers making over 3 million visits to our sites monthly is a significant re-marketing opportunity.”
“The visibility of site visitors at a group level provides low-cost customer acquisition opportunities for both our lotteries and wagering operations,” he added.
The firm is now preparing to roll-out its new omni-channel UBET brand during H2 2015, with UBET.com set to beta-launch in the current quarter, as well as new mobile apps and a TV advertising campaign.
Tatts Group first announced the launch in November and UBET will bring together TAB Queensland, tabonline, unitab and TattsBet, as well as Tasmania’s The Tote and Tatts.com under one wagering banner.