In his first ever comments on the subject of gambling, James Murdoch, chief executive of UK sateSllite TV company BSkyB, said the link between TV and gambling was destined to be a powerful force in the future.
Speaking at a bookmakers event organised by Orbis held in London this week, Murdoch said the company had been “surprised” by the response to its Sky Vegas Live channel. “Even though the audience is only between 2,000 and 10,000, the evidence is that interactive TV and gambling will be a very powerful force in the future.”
The Sky Vegas Live channel launched last year and features mainly Keno programming along with virtual greyhound and horseracing.
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Nick Rust, managing director at BSkyB’s betting operation Skybet, said that the power of the link between interactive TV (iTV) and gaming was only starting to be realised.
“It won’t be long before you see a properly interactive poker channel,” he added. “In the last week of February, for instance, there were 11 channels in the UK featuring poker content, but they were all |
showing it in pretty much the same way. It was very much the same old, same old.”
Rust added that – UK regulation allowing - the face of the content of poker on TV could change rapidly. “Sky has changed how people watch TV and it will change how people gamble,” he said.
“Interactive TV gambling will be very different to internet gambling at present.” He added that the broadcaster thought this present a “great opportunity” for other gaming brands. In his speech at the ‘Bookies Banquet’ event, Murdoch also said the industry should press its social responsibility case more strongly. |
