The Disposal
Sportingbet announces that it has sold, on 12 October 2006, its US-facing sports betting and casino business (the “US Operations”) to Jazette Enterprises Limited (“JEL”) (the “Disposal”). Sportingbet received cash consideration of US$1 for the shares and related assets of the US Operations, and has discharged excess liabilities amounting to approximately US$13.2 million. Had the business been closed, the Board estimated that the cost of severance and closure would have amounted to approximately US$14.0 million – a total saving of circa US$27.2 million.
Following the Disposal, neither Sportingbet, its Directors nor related parties will have any interest, commercial or otherwise, in JEL or the US Operations.
The US Operations employed over 500 people and the Board understands that JEL intends to preserve the operational structure to all material extent.
Under the terms of the Disposal, Sportingbet will retain the URLs and intellectual property of wallstreet.com, aces.com and sportingbetUSA.com though these will not be used for any US gaming purpose.
In addition, JEL has agreed, for a period of two years, not to take bets from non-US residents and for a period of three years, not to take bets from customers outside the Americas region. Further, Sportingbet has retained the details of all non-US resident customers currently registered with the US Operations. Sportingbet will attempt to migrate those customers to its ongoing European business.
The Disposal is subject to a condition precedent that the Act is signed by the President of the United States and becomes law prior to the closing of the 109th Congressional Session. Should the Act not become law by the end of the 109th Congressional Session, JEL is entitled to payment of US$0.5 million, and the US operations will revert back to Sportingbet.