An eagle eye on marketing spending kept Netplay TV (NPT) above water in the first half as new taxes weighed heavily on the interactive gaming company. The UK government's 15 per cent 'point of consumption' tax meant betting and gaming duties rose from £83,000 in the first half of last year to £1.9m, cutting operating profits from £1.2m to just £215,000.
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Yet the story would have been much worse had marketing expenses not dropped by roughly £2.5m, thanks to a concerted effort by the group to better tailor direct marketing campaigns. Chief executive Bjarke Larsen said this drive had already reaped rewards, with the revenue per user increasing from £265 to £273 in the casino-only brands.