Bwin Reportedly Interested In Newcastle United

Leading online betting and gaming provider Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG could be about to purchase struggling English soccer team Newcastle United after bosses Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelberger reportedly took a tour of the club’s facilities last week.

According to a report from The Evening Chronicle newspaper, the Austrian firm is believed to be in the process of putting together a package that would meet current owner Mike Ashley’s asking price of £100 million for the recently relegated team.

In late May, Bwin reported a 72.9 percent increase year-on-year in earnings after tax for the first quarter of 2009 of £16.23 million. It also stated that its net cash position stood at £60.8 million, which is considerably higher than the £45.6 million it recorded for the first quarter of 2008.

The public limited company was formed in 1999 and is already a major sponsor of La Liga giants Real Madrid, Italian side AC Milan and the Portuguese League. The newspaper reported that Bwin had also been earmarked at one stage to take over as Newcastle’s main shirt sponsor once the former Premiership team’s current deal with troubled bank Northern Rock expired.

'As a rule, we do not comment on rumour or speculation,” the newspaper quoted a Bwin official as stating.