Regulated online betting in New Jersey has seen a drastic increase in the month of December as well as the whole 2015 by over 20%. A report that was released by the Division of Gaming Enforcement on Wednesday indicated that income from online operators who are licensed by the sate recorded at $14 million in December. As compared to November when the revenue stood at $13.2 million, the report indicated a 6% growth. In relation to the total revenue generated in 2015, the report indicated that there was a 30.8% rise as compared to 2014. A 39% rise on revenue in year-on-year for casino vertical read at $12 million. Nonetheless, there was a drop in the poker income down by 3.6%.

In total, income generated in 2015 alone was recorded at $148.8 million. This was a 21% rise as compared to 2014’s income. 33% rise was also evident in the total online casino in the whole 2015 to record at $125 million in comparison to the one recorded in 2014. However, there was a slight drop in the poker revenue sector by 18% to stand at $23.8 million.

As the trend has always been, Pala combo/Bwin.party/Borgata had the mammoth share of the income generated in December at $3.96 million. From this figure, poker contributed $1.1 million whereas casino brought in $2.85 million. Total revenue accrued by Borgata was at $45.7 million which was a rise from 2014’s $44.3 million. This came despite poker overseeing a drop of 17%.

Caesars Interactive Entertainment on the other hand recorded December income at $3.1 million from which $2.23 million was from casino and $874k from poker. However, a drop in the 2015 year was recorded to $32.7 million from $32.9 million in 2014. This was as a result of the drastic decline of poker income from $13.3m in 2014 to $10.7 million in 2015.

The Golden Nugget casino had total December income at $2.87. Its total yearly income rose by nearly 300% to record at $31 million in 2015 from $10.8m in 2014. This was due to their amalgamation with the Betfair New Jersey.

Tropicana casino had December income at $2.8 million with yearly income rising by 45% to record at $32.8 million. Resorts casino Hotel on the other hand had December income at $1.3 million.

Most bookmakers are being faced by tough moments in the betting industry. William Hill has been struck by a total of £23 million total taxes in the Q3 of the year. The firm claims that this has been attributed to the absence of World Cup football as well as the incorporation of fresh betting levies by regulators.

The news comes after William Hill claimed that its total profits went down by 39pc for three months until September whereas its net income fell by 9pc. This resulted to a £23 million tax levied to the firm in the third quarter of the year.

William Hill added that it is facing antagonizing moments of the year as compared to this time of the year in 2014 when the firm enjoyed additional income that resulted from the football World Cup in Brazil. The company also added that the resultant tough rules on betting and its levies has attributed to their drastic profit fall with an increased tax payment.

The Chief Executive of William Hill James Henderson claimed that he believes all will be well and by the end of the current fiscal year, his firm would oversee a rise in its incomes. He continued to say that they expected the Q3 to be tougher enough since with no World Cup being played and the introduction of new regulations. The current quarter also faced a deprived outcome to various betting retail bases of William Hill with the US and Australia most notable. This led to a drastic decrease in shares by a whooping 7pc to record at 321.3p the lowest in the last 16 months.

Last April, the incorporation of the over £50 bet across all gaming machines commonly termed as fixed odds betting terminals was also a fundamental factor to the fall in the FTSE-250 company.

An analyst with Cenkos Simon French denoted that the less strong weak margin was the main reason as to why the performance was below par unlike many had anticipated. The consolidation wave that was experience in the betting industry played a bigger role in the income subsides by William Hill.

As this happens, William Hill main antagonist Ladbrokes and Coral are undertaking a strong association worth £2.3 billion whereas Bwin.party agreed to assimilate Sportingbet-owner GVC for £1.1 billion.

The recently announced deal that would see the merging of Paddy Power as well as Betfair would be classified as the biggest amalgamation ever in the history of online betting. This deal brings a clear example of how different companies are joining hands with attempt to clampdown governments as they take the centre stage in the betting markets. This has actually motivated other firms to initiate the step in attempt to maximize their profits.

The director to online betting research in Nottingham Business School in England believes that the merging together will expose companies in a vast technology and market scales as they try to push to digital platforms. This will keep the company in a fore front in the current stiff market. The amalgamation between Paddy Power and Betfair comes after the two firms had earlier strike a deal that was believed to be of $9.1 billion.

Warwick Bartlett, chief executive of researcher Global Betting and Gaming Consultancy claims that the ultra-competitive market is calling for its consolidation as various firms try to have an elaborated scale as well as being on the right track from the divides.

There is yet another deal that is on the brink of happening between Betsson a Swedish based firm as well as Unibet Group based in Malta. Several other firms have opted to merge in attempt to ease the burden as well as cost of keeping up with the competitive market. This comes after Ladbrokes claimed that it has acquired Coral group and is on the verge of acquiring Bwin.party Digital Entertainment after it tabled a bid.

According to betting analyst, the 20pc shared by the markets of both Paddy Power and Betfair would be instrumental in creation of the fastest growing business. After the completion of the merging deal, the Paddy Power stake holders will be entitled to a 52pc while 48pc will go to Betfair stakeholders.

His merging which is estimated to have a total of combined €1.2bn would only come second to Bet365’s €1.7 billion. David Jennings, an analyst at Davy in Dublin claimed that the combined product offers will be top in the list among others and this will be a fundamental place to create back their potential.

The newly announced deal that would involve the merging of Paddy Power as well as Betfair have received a warm welcome in the market with Betfair’s shares going up by 18% while those of Paddy Power rising by over 15%. On the other hand, there has been a decrease in shares for both William Hill and Ladbrokes.

A writer Jonathan Guthrie of the FT Lombard column claimed that the association is aimed at maximising profits deemed to reach over £5bn. He claimed that both firms have to do well considering their multifacetedintegrations of systems as well as cultures. However, this should not be given so much hope as it may end up like the case that was portrayed by the amalgamation of Quantities Easing which Lombard was giving much anticipation.

According to Cavendish Corporate Finance, there are more deals that are expected to be strike between various betting firms. Among them the Bwin and GVC/888 deal awaits as well as Ladbrokes and gala Coral deal.

Jonathan Buxton who is the Head of Consumer and a partner at Cavendish Corporate Finance claimed that the new merger between Betfair and Paddy Power forms the beginning of other expected deals to be strike by various betting companies. Increased regulations as well as tighter overheads are seen as two main loggerheads that affects M&A. This comes even after the betting business playing a bigger role in UK’s GDP with over £2 billion annually. However, this is not enough as parliamentarians have fought the non-complying betting firms that are based offshore in attempt to evade taxes. He added that to be on the gaining side, the betting firms have tried to make sure that securing economies of scale as well as cost saving is their number one priority.

Jason Trost, CEO and Founder of betting exchange Smarkets, is not pleased with the amalgamation processes and claims that Betfair should stick with its exchange model rather than indulging in other businesses. He added that it is not advisable Betfair to form alliances with antiquated bookmakers but instead should cuddle to the value added. This will definitely bring in short-term shareholder value as well as lack of innovations.

It was reported that 888 an online casino and a poker company that operates under the management of two Israel brothers Aaron and Avi Shaked gave out a total believed to be nearly $1.4 billion to Bwin. However, 888 has recently faced a stiff competition from GVC Holdings Plc. an online betting company that has risen the bid of acquiring the Bwin.party Digital entertainment to $1.55 billion.

Bwin who allegedly puts itself on sale last year was first involved in a deal with 888 online casino and betting firm who gave out 900 million pounds to acquire Bwin’s stock at the beginning of the month.

This deal was placed in the M&A activity in the market and this is expected to be a routine as various companies tend to expand themselves as a way to increase their chances of funding their technology and markets.

GVC has overdone 88 as the firm offers 122.5 pence each share from which 25p would be in cash form while the rest would be in GVC shares. This surpasses 888”s offer of 104.09 pence by a stunning 18%.

Reports from Bwin claimed that they were putting into consideration the new offer that was tabled by GVC and would make an official statement soon. Its selling comes after it was evident that there was a great decline in the regulated poker markets based in Europe. The company was initiated when online poker group PartyGaming and sports betting group Bwin merged in 2011.

Analysts at Panmure Gordon claimed that it would preferably for GVC to acquire the firm as stakeholders of GVC will have a 10% premium and this would be more than that offered by 888. GVC on the other hand claimed that it would push for the deal following its loan acquisition of 400-million-euro ($440 million) from Cerberus Capital together with its fresh incorporated shares. It also has a backing of Amaya Inc. its partner based in Canada which would give in 908 million pounds towards the deal.

Moreover, an additional 150 million pounds would be raised via its equity placing to an endowment reformation costs and refund the existing debt of Bwin.party. Despite it being a third of market value in comparison to Bwin, GVC believes that its cost benefits would raise up to 135 million every year come 2017. During the London Stock Exchange markets, Bwin’s share rose up by 2.3% to record at 111.1 pence while that of GVC decreased by 0.5%.