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June 25, 2001
ABC Islands and CRIS Agree
On a Deal to Consolidate
The aroma of pigskin must be in the air, or perhaps it’s just the scent of fresh bankrolls being assembled by eager bettors, but your friendly offshore bet barons are stirring around as they put their ducks in a row for another five-month go-round of Football Fever.
Ambitious marketing plans have been finalized and advertising campaigns are now underway, as evidenced by all those four-color ads in the annual previews starting to appear on newsstands.
But more than advertising is going on as consolidation, joint ventures, partnerships and the like are also being negotiated. Unlike the mainstream world of commerce, hostile takeovers are not modus operandi of offshore books.
A case in point is the friendly integration of ABC Islands Sportsbook & Casino into its parent company, Costa Rica International Sportsbook & Casino, and spinoff of ABC’s URL to a separate buyer, which takes place today, June 25.
CRIS acquired ABC in December 1999, and since then the former Curacao-based book has been operating within CRIS’ offices and under its management.
“We have been providing ABC customers with all wagering and customer service as well as total operating facilities since its acquisition,” said Mickey Richardson, who wears many hats at CRIS.
“In order to streamline customer service and get maximum efficiency from our experienced and knowledgeable wagering clerks, we are consolidating the two books before the football season.”
All current ABC customers should continue to call the same telephone numbers for both wagering and customer service, he said. The only change will be for Internet customers who can now go to the following website: www.betcris.com.
The name ABC Islands and its URL, www.abcislands.com, have been sold to a reputable company, said Mickey.
Trevor Burdette, a spokesman for ABC Islands, said CRIS, “did an outstanding job in managing the company. And when we were given the opportunity to bring the name back to its original site, Curacao, we were delighted.”
Although both companies remain on very friendly terms, the ties are completely severed, said Trevor.
For complete details from CRIS, here is a link: http://www.abcislands.com/announceme...uncement.html.
Calling All Touts. The marriage of touts and offshore books is a natural, despite the obvious potential for conflict of interest. As long as ‘cappers are not paid for customers’ losses at a book, most arrangements are kosher.
One offshore book is looking to work with handicapping services in order to gain more customers, and has an interesting twist.
Score Sportsbook (www.scorecasino.com) has fashioned a plan that should make the ‘cappers comfortable while working to both the books’ and tout services’ mutual benefit. Score wants to pay handicappers a fixed dollar amount based on the bettors’ deposits, not losses.
Score will fly one of the managers from the handicapping service to Costa Rica and provide him with an office within their complex assigned specifically to service customers from his company. He will sit with Score employees and observe how the book deals with its customers. Under the plan, the ‘capper will have a special toll-free hotline where only his players call to sign up.
“That way,” says Score Sportsbook general manager Justin Terrell, “the handicapper would be fully in sync with what is going on in the sportsbook, and will see that his players are being well taken care of, and that his company is getting credit for all players it sends to the book.”
Score will also provide online tracking in real time so the handicapping service can monitor customers who come in over the hotline or through the Internet.
Terrell noted that Score, like many other sportsbooks, did not enjoy a terrific 2000 football season. “We hope this unique program will help us have a better football season in 2001, and that participating handicapping services also reap benefits.”
Sportsbook Scene is for anything that gets sportsbooks away from the dubious reward system based on players’ losses.
Please send questions, comments, etc., to buzzdaly@aol.com, and visit our website at www.buzzdaly.com.
ABC Islands and CRIS Agree
On a Deal to Consolidate
The aroma of pigskin must be in the air, or perhaps it’s just the scent of fresh bankrolls being assembled by eager bettors, but your friendly offshore bet barons are stirring around as they put their ducks in a row for another five-month go-round of Football Fever.
Ambitious marketing plans have been finalized and advertising campaigns are now underway, as evidenced by all those four-color ads in the annual previews starting to appear on newsstands.
But more than advertising is going on as consolidation, joint ventures, partnerships and the like are also being negotiated. Unlike the mainstream world of commerce, hostile takeovers are not modus operandi of offshore books.
A case in point is the friendly integration of ABC Islands Sportsbook & Casino into its parent company, Costa Rica International Sportsbook & Casino, and spinoff of ABC’s URL to a separate buyer, which takes place today, June 25.
CRIS acquired ABC in December 1999, and since then the former Curacao-based book has been operating within CRIS’ offices and under its management.
“We have been providing ABC customers with all wagering and customer service as well as total operating facilities since its acquisition,” said Mickey Richardson, who wears many hats at CRIS.
“In order to streamline customer service and get maximum efficiency from our experienced and knowledgeable wagering clerks, we are consolidating the two books before the football season.”
All current ABC customers should continue to call the same telephone numbers for both wagering and customer service, he said. The only change will be for Internet customers who can now go to the following website: www.betcris.com.
The name ABC Islands and its URL, www.abcislands.com, have been sold to a reputable company, said Mickey.
Trevor Burdette, a spokesman for ABC Islands, said CRIS, “did an outstanding job in managing the company. And when we were given the opportunity to bring the name back to its original site, Curacao, we were delighted.”
Although both companies remain on very friendly terms, the ties are completely severed, said Trevor.
For complete details from CRIS, here is a link: http://www.abcislands.com/announceme...uncement.html.
Calling All Touts. The marriage of touts and offshore books is a natural, despite the obvious potential for conflict of interest. As long as ‘cappers are not paid for customers’ losses at a book, most arrangements are kosher.
One offshore book is looking to work with handicapping services in order to gain more customers, and has an interesting twist.
Score Sportsbook (www.scorecasino.com) has fashioned a plan that should make the ‘cappers comfortable while working to both the books’ and tout services’ mutual benefit. Score wants to pay handicappers a fixed dollar amount based on the bettors’ deposits, not losses.
Score will fly one of the managers from the handicapping service to Costa Rica and provide him with an office within their complex assigned specifically to service customers from his company. He will sit with Score employees and observe how the book deals with its customers. Under the plan, the ‘capper will have a special toll-free hotline where only his players call to sign up.
“That way,” says Score Sportsbook general manager Justin Terrell, “the handicapper would be fully in sync with what is going on in the sportsbook, and will see that his players are being well taken care of, and that his company is getting credit for all players it sends to the book.”
Score will also provide online tracking in real time so the handicapping service can monitor customers who come in over the hotline or through the Internet.
Terrell noted that Score, like many other sportsbooks, did not enjoy a terrific 2000 football season. “We hope this unique program will help us have a better football season in 2001, and that participating handicapping services also reap benefits.”
Sportsbook Scene is for anything that gets sportsbooks away from the dubious reward system based on players’ losses.
Please send questions, comments, etc., to buzzdaly@aol.com, and visit our website at www.buzzdaly.com.