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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-AU link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><h1>Online betting brand BetEasy to close, will be replaced by Sportsbet<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/465ca92590f59d9acd7d7df804a23e03"><span style='color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=650 height=365 style='width:6.7708in;height:3.802in' id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D617DE.B3ED72F0" alt="BetEasy’s closure has major implications for the racing industry. Picture: Reg Ryan/ Getty Images."></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BetEasy’s closure has major implications for the racing industry. Picture: Reg Ryan/ Getty Images.<o:p></o:p></p><ul type=disc id=story-info><li class=story-infobyline style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1'>EXCLUSIVE<o:p></o:p></li></ul><h2 style='margin-left:36.0pt'><a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/John+Stensholt">John Stensholt</a><o:p></o:p></h2><p class=story-infobyline style='margin-left:36.0pt'>Editor, The List<o:p></o:p></p><p class=story-infobyline style='margin-left:36.0pt'><a href="http://twitter.com/JohnStensholt" target="_blank">@JohnStensholt </a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=story-infobyline style='margin-left:36.0pt'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 style='width:.0104in;height:.0104in' id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image002.png@01D617DE.B3ED72F0"><o:p></o:p></p><ul type=disc><li class=story-infotimestamp style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1'>2 hours agoApril 21, 2020<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=selectionshareable>EXCLUSIVE<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable>One of Australia's biggest online betting brands, BetEasy, will close and be replaced by local rival and merger partner Sportsbet.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable>The surprise move is a backtrack by the global owners of the two companies, who were set to run a dual brand strategy in Australia following the $US12bn ($19bn) merger of respective owners Flutter Entertainment and The Stars Group.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable>Sportsbet will consume the BetEasy business, which was born out of the merger of CrownBet and the Australian arm of William Hill in 2018, and will account for about 26 per cent of the online betting market in a move which could see hundreds of jobs lost across the two companies.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable>The move also has major implications for the racing industry and sports such as AFL, which earlier this year extended its major sponsorship deal with BetEasy. Sportsbet is likely to now replace it as the AFL’s major wagering partner.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable>Sportsbet management are likely to see the move as an opportunity to extend its market-leading position in online betting, particularly against Tabcorp’s TAB brand.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable>Shareholders of Flutter and Stars Group are voting on the deal later tonight Australian time and later this week. The ACCC gave the merger “informal approval” locally in February, though the deal still needs official regulatory approval.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable>BetEasy’s closure will also mean the end of an era for <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/tripp-makes-full-beteasy-exit/news-story/3ea4ba118122525458d19b61be77ef43" target="_self">bookmaker Matthew Tripp,</a> who formed the company after selling Sportsbet in a $338m deal in 2011 to Irish firm Paddy Power (now Flutter).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable>He was succeeded as boss of BetEasy by Andrew Menz on January 1, but stayed on as non-executive president.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable>Sportsbet is run in Australia by its chief executive Barni Evans.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=selectionshareable><i>More to come</i><o:p></o:p></p><h2><a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/John+Stensholt">John Stensholt</a><o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Editor, The List<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>