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A messy wagering takeover battle could change the market forever

A messy wagering takeover battle could change the market forever

Four years ago, PointsBet took a punt and signed up Shaquille O'Neal to front a massive expansion. The Melbourne-headquartered bookmaker wanted to become a North American sports betting giant. At first, the number of gamblers on its platform grew. Then it tripled. Slowly, the worm turned. Profits were hard, and PointsBet eventually sold its business in the United States, hoping to make good in its home market.
In some ways, this is why it is difficult to fathom how this company has now found itself in the centre of an unusually messy takeover battle: the target of not only its main local rival in ASX-listed Betr but Japan's Mixi, a company better known for its social media network than its wagering division.

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‘Decline or delay?': Unique struggle facing young Aussies
‘Decline or delay?': Unique struggle facing young Aussies

News.com.au

time2 hours ago

  • News.com.au

‘Decline or delay?': Unique struggle facing young Aussies

For much of Australia's history, each new generation has been better off than the last: better jobs, higher incomes, and improved living standards. But a new e61 Institute report reveals that promise may now be in doubt. The report found that young Australians were barely earning more than their predecessors yet were racking up markedly larger student debts and taking years longer to pay them off. Real average incomes for 30-year-olds increased just 6 per cent in a decade, from $59,496 in 2012 to $62,987 in 2022. Meanwhile, the average HELP debt jumped by 45 per cent, from $19,485 to $28,260, the analysis of tax return data found. The average age of final HELP repayment also rose from 33 in 2012 to 35 in 2022. The percentage of 30-year-olds with a HELP debt increased from 15 per cent to 23 per cent, The report said the story of young Australians today may not necessarily be one of decline but rather of delay. 'It is still unclear how many of these patterns will evolve. The challenge for policymakers is distinguishing between whether young Australians are reaching major life milestones – like moving out of home, starting families, and buying a home – later than prior generations, not reaching them at all, or changing their preferences,' it said. e61 Institute research economist Matthew Maltman said the intergenerational compact's growing disparity had its roots in the global financial crisis of 2008. Since then the wages of workers under 40 have grown at less than half the rate of older Australians. 'Some explanations include rising underemployment, a shift toward insecure and lower-paying service jobs, award decisions, and an oversupply of workers relative to available high-quality jobs – driven in part by older Australians working longer – which weakened bargaining power and suppressed wage growth,' he said. 'Rising employer concentration and a decline in job mobility may also have weakened young workers' ability to climb the job ladder and move into higher-paying positions.' The report stated that young Australians now had access to opportunities that were not available to their parents and grandparents. 'Today, they are achieving more in education, earning more in their early career stages, and participating in the labour market in new ways,' it said. 'Young people have also benefited from technological advancements, including greater access to information through the internet, improvements in the availability of digital goods and cheaper consumer goods. 'Whether young Australians will be better of than previous generations remains an open question, 'It depends, in part, on the choices policymakers make today. In the past, productivity growth has been the surest way to lift living standards for all and maintain the intergenerational bargain. 'However, Australia's recent lacklustre productivity performance means that policymakers cannot take for granted that the standard intergenerational pattern of improvement will operate as well as before.'

AFL 2025: Several North Melbourne Kangaroos 1975 premiership players to boycott centenary celebrations, AFLW 2024 premiership players, Sam Kekovich, Sonja Hood, Midweek Tackle, reactions, latest news
AFL 2025: Several North Melbourne Kangaroos 1975 premiership players to boycott centenary celebrations, AFLW 2024 premiership players, Sam Kekovich, Sonja Hood, Midweek Tackle, reactions, latest news

Daily Telegraph

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Telegraph

AFL 2025: Several North Melbourne Kangaroos 1975 premiership players to boycott centenary celebrations, AFLW 2024 premiership players, Sam Kekovich, Sonja Hood, Midweek Tackle, reactions, latest news

Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Off-field drama has emerged ahead of North Melbourne's centenary celebrations next Thursday night, with reports some of the club's 1975 VFL premiership team are boycotting the event due to the simultaneous celebration of last year's AFLW premiership. The Kangaroos informed those invited to the celebration a month in advance before the club's fixture with the Western Bulldogs, where all six of North's 300-game players will be recognised on the Marvel Stadium turf. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. But the likes of premiership player Sam Kekovich and Grand Final hero John Burns are not expected to be in attendance, discontent with last year's AFLW side sharing the spotlight. The celebrations for the club's 100 years align with the 50th season since the club's inaugural V/AFL flag. Sam Kekovich and North Melbourne's 2024 AFLW premiership team. Speaking on Fox Footy's Midweek Tackle, Herald Sun journalists Jon Ralph and Lauren Wood dissected the bizarre stand-off that threatens. 'Sonja Hood has tried and failed to convince Sam to try change his decision ... but he's just not interested in that. His stance is he feels the club attitude is representative of a club that doesn't revel in the 'Shinboner' history,' Ralph began 'My understanding is a really big slice of that frustration surrounds the fact that they have to share that event with the AFLW premiers of last year. 'They feel like... not that their were of a bigger quality than that, but (males) versus females. It's a challenging perspective. They (also) haven't invited all of their CEO's of the last 30 years, which I feel they should've done.' As per the Herald Sun's report on Tuesday morning, only club patron Greg Miller is expected to attend the event as a former chief executive. It makes for an awkward handling of relationship for North Melbourne between not just former players, but also a number of high-profile, off-field figures etched into Arden Street history. 'I personally think it's ridiculous ... the reality of this is, it's actually not a premiership reunion. It's a centenary event that was the first VFL premiership that the club won (and) this was the first AFLW premiership that the club won — and it was a really significant occasion,' Wood continued. 'The club has poured huge amounts of time, effort and money into developing this women's football program. (They are) really in the ground floor with that relationship with Melbourne University. 'This is a sign to the future of this football club, and the reality is, that AFLW is now part of the football club. It is part of the football landscape. Ralph ended by saying: 'You're going to have to embrace all the girls who want to follow the premiership dream of those girls ... some of the 1975 (premiership) heroes haven't done that at all.' North Melbourne's win over Carlton at the MCG last Saturday afternoon takes the club's win tally for the AFL season to four — the most they've had in the men's side since 2019. Originally published as 'Ridiculous': Several Roos greats to 'boycott' club's 100th-year event over AFLW celebration

Virgin Australia shares take off on ASX despite Mid-East jitters
Virgin Australia shares take off on ASX despite Mid-East jitters

The Age

time3 hours ago

  • The Age

Virgin Australia shares take off on ASX despite Mid-East jitters

Virgin Australia shares took off on their return to the Australian sharemarket, lifting more than 11 per cent on their first day of trading, with investors keen to get a piece of the nation's second-biggest airline despite the uncertainty triggered by the war in the Middle East. After more than four years' absence, Virgin shares relisted on the ASX on Tuesday, rising to $3.23 by market close as investors bet that new management and more streamlined operations would bolster the company's profitability even amid volatile oil prices. Virgin sold $685 million worth of stock to fund managers and retail investors in an initial public offering this month, floating about 30.2 per cent of the company. Investors paid $2.90 for the stock in the IPO. Virgin, which now has a market value of more than $2.5 billion, is trading under the sharemarket ticker VGN. Demand from investors had outstripped the number of shares on offer in the IPO, according to Virgin CEO Dave Emerson, which explains the rise in the share price after the stock started trading. 'We were very pleased with the demand, and we definitely can say that the offer was oversubscribed,' Emerson said before the trading debut. An overall positive market also would have boosted the stock, with the S&P/ASX 200 gaining 1 per cent in its Tuesday session after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The specific timing of the pause remains unclear, with Israel accusing Iran of violating the ceasefire on Tuesday evening AEST, which Iran has denied. Shares of Virgin's bigger rival Qantas Airways were also up strongly on Tuesday, closing with a gain of 2.4 per cent. Virgin was delisted from the ASX in 2020 amid mounting debts and losses. Having entered administration, it was bought by US-based Bain Capital, the private equity firm Emerson worked for before joining Virgin's management in 2021.

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