Drop in revenue

Sales for William Hill owner 888 dropped 8% following the introduction of safer gambling rules, such as affordability checks, in the UK. The betting company said sales dropped to £1.71bn ($2.17bn) in 2023 compared to £1.85bn ($2.35bn) the previous year.

The company’s UK and Ireland segment saw online revenue drop by 8%

888 partly blamed new gambling measures put into place designed to protect vulnerable players and tackle problem gambling. The company’s UK and Ireland segment saw online revenue drop by 8% to £658m ($834m) in the period as a result.

888 also said its revenue dropped by around £80m ($101m) since moving away from unregulated markets in 2023.

The company confirmed on Tuesday that it will make redundancies to counter the issues. Speaking with iGB, a spokesperson said: “Regrettably, some roles will be made redundant across some of our locations. We will be offering our full support to those colleagues who are impacted.”

A chaotic 2023

New 888 CEO Per Widerstrom introduced cost-cutting measures in December amounting to £30m ($38m).

more proactive in adapting to changes in regulation and technology”

After closing betting operations in Bulgaria and making redundancies overseas, Widerstrom said that the company needed to be “more proactive in adapting to changes in regulation and technology,” adding that financial performance needed to improve.

The setback for 888 comes after a hectic 2023 for the betting company.

Last March, 888 lost its place on the FTSE 250 index for the London Stock Exchange after its shares dropped 72% in 12 months. That same year, the company also lost its CEO, was hit with a record fine, and endured a money laundering probe.

Gambling industry analysts Regulus Partners said that with £1.6bn ($2.03bn) of debt and continued regulatory uncertainty, 888 needs to take drastic action to survive.

Gambling reforms

In April, the UK government introduced new gambling rules under its gambling white paper. Even though the measures aren’t law yet, some betting operators such as 888 have started implementing them.

Some of these reforms include average loss background checks that will take place when a player hits a net loss of £125 ($156) per month or £500 ($622) per year. Another is a limit for online slot staking of between £2 ($2.49) and £15 ($18.67) per spin, with those under 25 facing a lower limit.

Many, however, have argued that the affordability checks are a “complete mess” and that they could drive customers to the black market.

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The NFL’s fanbase has grown to an incredible size. In 2023, 115 million people tuned in to watch the Super Bowl, making it the most watched TV program in U.S. history.

Thanks to this huge market, today’s Super Bowl tickets are not only harder to find, but far more expensive. In 2024, Super Bowl ticket prices are climbing as high as $54,000 on Ticketmaster – a far cry from the $12 fans coughed up in 1967. So, how has the average price fared over the years?

1960s and 1970s

The very first Super Bowl was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game and was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1967. The average Super Bowl ticket price this year was $12. If adjusted for inflation, this number equals about $100 in today’s money.

The 1967 AFL-NFL World Championship Game was the only Super Bowl in history not to be sold out, but it was still a success. In the following two Super Bowls, tickets remained $12. Both games sold out.

In 1970, the decision was made to increase the ticket price to $15.

The next price hike came in 1975. Fans paid an average of $20 to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers win their first Super Bowl. By the end of the 1970s, Super Bowl ticket prices rose to $30. 

1980s: Prices Rise Steadily

As the Super Bowl grew in popularity, the cost of tickets quickly increased. 

Super Bowl XVIII, which was held in 1984, saw the average price of tickets climb from $40 to $60. The extra $20 was money well spent for Los Angeles Raiders fans, who watched their team trounce the Washington Redskins 38-9. 

Unfortunately for all NFL fans, Super Bowl ticket prices continued to go up during the second half of the 1980s. 

The price of Super Bowl tickets reached $100 for the first time in 1988 when the Washington Redskins played the Denver Broncos. This time Washington fans were rewarded for their investment as their team won Super Bowl XXII in a blowout of their own, beating the Broncos 42-10. 

1990s: The Secondary Market Emerges

Up until now, we’ve only listed Super Bowl ticket prices by face value. During the 1990s, however, many people began to profit from the NFL’s popularity by reselling their tickets. This was the beginning of the Super Bowl’s now famous secondary market.

In 1991, the average face value price of a Super Bowl ticket was $150. However, there are reports of fans buying their tickets from resellers outside Tampa Stadium for many times the face value.

As the amount of reselling went up, so did the face value of the tickets. Super Bowl XXIX, held in 1995, had an average ticket price of $200. This meant ticket prices had doubled in the seven years since Super Bowl XXII.

Those who paid the historically high price of $325 to watch the final Super Bowl of the millennium, XXXIII, were treated to a historic performance from Bronco quarterback John Elway. At the age of 38 he was named the oldest Super Bowl MVP in history. A record that would stand until 2017.

2000s: New Millennium, New Prices

By 2002, the face value cost of Super Bowl tickets had risen to $400. 

This was the price many New England Patriots fans paid to watch Tom Brady win his first Super Bowl; a bargain when compared to the average price of $8,000 Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans paid to watch Brady’s final Super Bowl win 19 years later. 

It was during the mid-2000s that the secondary market for Super Bowl tickets began to really heat up. 2006’s Super Bowl XL saw the price of secondary market tickets rise to over four times their face value. 

It would be rare for any fan to secure a Super Bowl ticket on the secondary market for under $1,000 from this point on. 

2010s: The Secondary Market Takes Over

The 2010s began with Super Bowl XLIV, the New Orleans Saints’ first ever championship. This Super Bowl was a huge event and the United States’ TV audience broke 100 million for the first time.

Unfortunately for those hoping to attend, this popularity came at a cost. Although the average face value of tickets was around $900-$1,000, tickets on the secondary market sold for an average of $2,329. 

These numbers were nothing compared to Super Bowl XLIX, a highly anticipated match that pitted the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots. The face value cost of these tickets ranged between $500-$1,000, but the secondary market was hotter than it had ever been, with an average price of $9,723. 

Seven hours before kick-off, the cheapest ticket available was priced at $11,246.50. This was for one seat in Row 10 of Upper Sideline 449. Hopefully, a Seahawks fan didn’t buy it. After all, who wants to spend $10,000 just to see their team picked off at the goal line?

Although Super Bowl ticket prices came down in the years following 2015, the overall trend of increasing prices continued. At Super Bowl LII, in 2018, some resale tickets were listed at over $20,000.

2020s: Super Bowl Ticket Prices At An All-Time High

In the current decade, it seems all but impossible to buy Super Bowl tickets at face value. So, fans hoping to attend the Super Bowl must be willing to pay huge sums of money on the secondary market. Super Bowl LIV saw some tickets listed above $70,000.

In 2021, fans had to pay an average of $8,161 to watch Tom Brady win his last Super Bowl. Although 7,500 lucky health care workers got to see the GOAT win his final championship for free. 

The average cost of tickets climbed further in 2023, when a Super Bowl ticket bought on the secondary market cost an average of $9,915. 

Cut to 2024, where resale tickets have been seen as high as $53,500.

Those with even more money to burn could guarantee themselves a comfortable seat by purchasing a luxury suite experience at the Allegiant Stadium. The cost for these ranges from $800,000 to $2,000,000.

Can we expect the average Super Bowl ticket price to drop, or even stay steady, anytime soon? Just consider the fact that 115 million people watched the Super Bowl in 2023, yet only 67,827 people were able to attend. We can safely assume tickets are still hot property and unlikely to consistently drop in price on the secondary market.

Couple this with the fact that the estimated total amount spent by American consumers on the Super Bowl reached $16.5 billion in 2023, and it feels like a bit of a lost cause.

For more on the Super Bowl, check out the stars who refused the Super Bowl halftime show or the best Super Bowl coaches of all time.

Lead image: U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Wikipedia Commons

The youngest snooker champion, Stephen Hendry, has proven that no matter what your age is, you can achieve impossible feats. Read along to learn about this snooker champion’s glory days, and feel free to use the navigation bar below to jump to a relevant section in the blog post.

Stephen Hendry – Early Life & Biography Details

Stephen Hendry was born in January 1969 in South Queensferry, Scotland. He met his wife, Amanda, at the Pontins holiday camp at age 16. They married in 1995, have two sons, and settled in Auchterarder. However, even though they were married for a long time, they eventually broke up.

Hendry is known as the youngest, most prevalent snooker player of all time. He started playing the sport at age 12 when he got a snooker table given to him by his father as a reward. In 1987, Hendry won his first tournament – the Grand Prix.

During the 1989-90 season, at age 21, Hendry beat Jimmy White 18-12 and became the world’s youngest snooker champion. Several more straight titles followed, showing that Stephen had no match at the time.

Even though Stephen Hendry announced his retirement from professional snooker at the age of 43, in 2021, he said that he will be returning to the professional tour. Normally, the best snooker betting sites instantly started to offer various markets with competitive odds connected to the champion and all snooker fans were very glad to see him compete again.

Amateur Years – Climbing to the Top

1983 marked the start of Stephen Hendry’s young snooker career. He became the winner of the Scottish Under-16 Championship and appeared on TV. At age 15, Hendry was the winner of the Scottish Amateur Championship, and he started to gain a lot of media attention.

Stephen Hendry’s snooker career was beginning to form, as he was able to retain the title for the Scottish Amateur Championship. Three months later, Ian Doyle became Hendry’s manager and coach, and when Stephen turned 16, he became the world’s youngest snooker professional.

Stephen Hendry’s Snooker Career Progression

The peak of the champion’s snooker career was mostly during the 90s, but Stephen Hendry’s youngest professional years started in 1985. At this point, Hendry had shown true professionalism and was on his road to becoming known as the youngest snooker world champion.

In 1986, Stephen qualified for the World Snooker Championship but lost on his debut to Willie Thorne. At age 17, Hendry was the youngest snooker player to compete at the final stages of a world championship, and he was able to hold this record for 26 years.

The 90s was when Stephen Hendry’s snooker career truly took off. He won the first UK Championship, defeating Davis 16-12 in the final. Afterwards, he was able to win his second Masters, as he defeated Parrot 9-4. Hendry won his first World Championship against Jimmy White in 1990, making him known as the youngest snooker champion.

Hendry was able to surpass Alex Higgins as the youngest champion. After that, he won titles at the Dubai Classic and the Asian Open and became the world number one at the end of the season.

In the 1990-91 season, Hendry was the first player to win five ranking titles in a single season. At this time, in his second UK Championship, Stephen defeated Davis 16-15 in the final. This was followed by a third Masters win, where Stephen defeated Hallett 9-8 in the final after trailing 0-7.

Hendry was in the spotlight again for the 1992-93 season, where he won his fifth consecutive Masters, beating James Wattana 9-5 in the final. Afterwards, Hendry won his third world title at the 1993 World Championship, defeating White 18-5 in the final.

Hendry won all three Triple Crown events in the 1995-96 season, arguably the biggest snooker tournaments. He was able to defeat Peter Ebdon 10-3, O’Sullivan 10-5, and Ebdon 18-12 in the 1996 World Championship to win his sixth world title.

In 2000, Stephen Hendry’s snooker career progressed as he won the British Open, marking his 147th break. 2012 was the year when Stephen eventually retired as the most successful pro player in history, however, in 2021, he announced that he would be making a comeback.

Wins, Performance and World Titles

In total, Stephen Hendry has 36 titles, 57 ranking finals, 5 UK Championship wins, and played in 9 World Championships, winning 7. He has 24 wins for ranking finals, 64 non-ranking finals with 39 wins, and 3 amateur titles.

Since Stephen Hendry was young when he started playing, he has accumulated a staggering number of participations during his snooker career progression. Below, you will find a list with some of the ranking finals that Stephen Hendry achieved:

Ranking finals (36 titles):

The list below will give you information regarding some of Stephen Hendry’s non-ranking finals:

Non-ranking finals (39 titles):

As you can see, Stephen Hendry truly dominated the game throughout his active professional years. He showed that no matter when you start, you can climb to the top if you put hard work, talent, and skill into play.

Stephen Hendry’s Wife – Divorce and Breakup

Stephen Hendry’s wife, Amanda, had another thing to say regarding her relationship with her husband. The snooker champion made big promises to her and their two sons, telling her to stay at ease due to his immaculate financial success.

He promised Amanda that their life would be settled, as he had more than enough funds at his disposal to keep their family stable and growing. However, this was not the case. Stephen Hendry’s net worth may have been huge, but he hid that from his wife.

Amanda lived a difficult life. She needed to take care of their two children, keep up with all housework, and look after her horses. For 19 years, Amanda thought she had the perfect life with Stephen. When she filed for divorce, the truth unfolded.

In an exclusive interview, Amanda informed the media about all of this and highlighted that she was left devastated. Now, she is living on her own, taking care of the children. After all, she still said she loved him.

Net Worth and Awards

It is time to talk about Stephen Hendry’s net worth, an important part of every sports champion. In total, Stephen Hendry’s career earnings reach nearly £16.5 million. It might seem like a lot, but this is expected of a player with this much success.

We hope to see him make a comeback, as he announced in 2021. No matter what happens, he will always remain in the hall of fame. Here are Stephen Hendry’s most notable awards:

As of the time of writing this post, Stephen is still considered active but has not achieved the success he had in his younger years. After all, the world of professional snooker is a dynamic one, and new names constantly pop up, trying to challenge the favourites. The best betting sites always make the most of such cases, giving favourable odds for the underdogs.

Stephen Hendry – A Snooker Icon

It is time to conclude our post and present you with our final remarks. Even though Stephen Hendry was young when he first started, he showed truly unmatched talent. With over 36 ranking titles across the 80s up until the 2000s, Hendry was a champion the world will never forget.

As we mentioned, Hendry announced a comeback in 2021, and he even started a YouTube channel called “Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips”, where he does weekly videos with tips to help other snooker players.

Hendry’s biggest rivals were Steve Davis, Jimmy White, John Parott, and more, as we already discussed in the post. Stephen played 67 matches with Davis, winning 45 of them. The champion is also known by his nicknames – “The King of the Crucible” or “The Golden Bairn”. With 777 century breaks and many titles, Stephen Hendry is surely one of the greatest snooker players of all time.

Frequently Asked Questions

In the section below, you’ll find quick answers to the segments discussed in the article. The most common inquiries are below – you can click on the links that will take you to the relevant section of the blog post.

Maltese gaming industry continues to positively impact the country’s economy through its role of a key driver of economic growth and innovation. The gaming industry in Malta contributed EUR 810.7 million, or around 9.5%, to the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA) during the first half of 2023. Over the same period, the industry’s overall contribution to the national economy accounted for 12.2% to testify about its crucial impact on the economic outlook of the Maltese economy.

Reaching 12.2% Stake in Malta’s Economy

The argument is further supported by the fact that the gaming industry growth in the first half of 2023 reached around 1.1% higher level than in the same period of 2022. By June 30, 2023, the Maltese Gaming Authority (MGA) approved licenses to 335 online and land-based companies following the 2022 figure standing at 357 MGS-license companies to underline the industry’s stability and a continuous contribution to Malta’s economy.

In the same period of 2023, the regulator collected EUR 41.2 million in license fees and compliance levies. When compared to EUR 39.8 million collected by MGA in the first half of 2022, it is evident that the industry has kept the momentum and maintained financial resilience. Also, the industry’s GVA increased from EUR 801.8 million in H1 2022 to EUR 810.7 million in the first half of 2023 to showcase a 1.1% growth achieved by the industry on a year-over-year basis.

Expecting Further Growth in 2024

The growth was propelled by 26% increased visits to local casinos in the first half of 2023.The gaming sector therefore directly contributed around 9.5% to the country’s economy and is expected to continue growing at a slightly slower pace. In 2024, 74% of online gaming operators expect further revenue growth while 60% of them anticipate increased employment. On the contingency side, operators generally expect higher operating costs and divergent regulatory actions requiring quick adaptation.

Commitment to Innovation and Social Responsibility

The industry promotes transparency and responsible gaming and considers the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles essential for long-term profitability. Also, the utilization of emerging technologies enables the gaming sector to maintain customer interest through innovative integrations of traditional and other games. For example, innovative products like digital receivables and tokens are increasingly included in transactions and supported by the regulatory body.

As a result, Malta’s gaming industry expects positive market trends in the forthcoming period and continues to adjust the established gaming landscape to the evolving regulatory framework and emerging market trends. Overall, the sector maintains its stability and continues to drive Maltese economy.

Source: “MGA Interim Report 2023: Malta’s gaming industry maintains strong economic contribution’’. SiGMA. December 2023.

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