The growing importance of Paddy Power group’s online gambling operations was emphasised by CEO Patrick Kennedy in an interview with Bloombergs business casinos news this week.

Kennedy was bullish on the group’s prospects for 2010, where he expected faster growth in the Australian operations of the group, and said that earnings from online gambling activities could rise to more than 80 percent of profit “in the not too distant future” from two-thirds at the latest results.

Kennedy revealed that Paddy Power is building up its Internet unit and increasing its overseas presence as the recession in its home market cuts betting shop wagers.

In July, the bookmaker bought a 51 percent stake in Sportsbet Pty Ltd. to expand into Australia. Sales momentum there “remains very strong,” the CEO said, adding the company is now able to secure U.K. stores on better terms as retailers exit the high street.

“I think 2010 will be a good year for Paddy Power,” said Kennedy (40). “When I look at 2010 and beyond I think we will continue to grow our share in all of our markets.”

In the two months since the Sportsbet acquisition, the Australian business increased customer numbers by about 80 percent from a year earlier, Kennedy said. That represented an acceleration from 70 percent growth in the nine months through March.

Paddy Power may move into France once the market opens up, Kennedy said. That could either be done through its own brand or through a joint venture with a French company that would use Paddy Power’s technology.

“Large French companies who would have well-known brands and would know their way round the French market would be the sort of companies we would be looking at,” the CEO said. “We can provide them with the backend and they do the front end.”

Fun88, an Asian-facing online gaming and entertainment company, has gone live with its internet gaming operation licensed on the Isle of Man.

The company is one of the growing number of Asian gaming companies that have chosen the Isle of Man as a licensing jurisdiction, where the company and its management must satisfy stringent online gaming standards and player protection rules. Other IOM licensees include international companies such as Pokerstars, Paddy Power and Betinternet.

Fun88 is owned by Welton Holdings Limited, and holds both IOM and First Cagayan (Philippines) licensing. The site offers sports betting and both live and web-based online casino gambling through Entertasia for live gambling streamed from the Oriental Palace Casino, and Microgaming for more conventional online gaming.

English, Thai and Chinese versions of the site are available.

Nathan Walker, operations manager of Fun88, said: “We are proud and delighted to be awarded the Isle of Man gaming licence and look forward to providing state-of-the-art products and personalised customer service to our valued members”

The company’s spokesman for Asia, Khai Sze Pang said: “We applied for the prestigious IOM license because it represents the highest standards of jurisdictional control in the gaming industry. We were delighted to receive approval and are keen to grow our business with a genuinely innovative gambling offering.”

Besides offering sports betting with up to 4 000 in-running games every month, Fun88 also offers a full suite of casino games. Fun88 also provides an entertainment section where its famous monthly Fun88 Angels has become a site trademark. Other features include a soccer prediction column, a soccer betting classroom and a casino school.

Garth Kimber, Head of e-Gaming development of the Isle of Man Government, said: “I am delighted that Fun88.com have chosen the Isle of Man I look forward to seeing the company flourish and grow on the Island. They are further proof that quality gaming companies are finding that the Isle of Man is succeeding in creating the right environment to do business from.”

Online betting group Betfair has been successfully running its Cash4Clubs drive regionally in the UK since last year, meeting with such success that it has launched the internet gambling initiative nationally, with this week seeing the first round of funding on a national basis.

Cash 4 Clubs is a sports funding scheme which gives clubs a unique chance to apply for grants to improve facilities, purchase new equipment, gain coaching qualifications, and generally invest in the sustainability of their online casino club. In 2008 over GBP 30 000 was given out in grants to 30 community sports clubs across the UK in a flexible, no-fuss way that provides help where it’s most needed.

The Cash 4 Clubs scheme is funded by Betfair and is supported by SportsAid, the charity for sports people. Betfair and SportsAid have worked in partnership for a number of years and both organisations understand the importance of community sport in promoting an active lifestyle.

The initiative makes awards each quarter of up to GBP 1 000 per sports club, with applications for the first four quarters judged by an independent committee made up of Alan Keen MP, Sportsaid CEO Tim Lawler, Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes and BBC Sport commentator Barry Davies MBE.

Dame Kelly Holmes said: “Cash 4 Clubs is aimed at supporting grassroots community sport clubs and the people who invest so much time and energy to ensure the future of sport in this country.”

Fifteen sportsclubs were chosen from more than 2 000 entries to receive a total of GBP 10 000 in funding from the scheme in the current funding round.

Betfair corporate social responsibility manager Georgina Corbett said: “I have been taken aback by the volume and high standard of entries for this round of funding and I know the panel found it very difficult to narrow down more than 2,000 applications into just 15 awards.”

The next round of funding will take place in December.