Stan James

The Stan James brand began life in 1973 as a single betting shop in Wantage, Oxfordshire.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} The company was founded by Steve Fisher and James Holder, and is now owned by Unibet Group plc. The company was named 'Stan James' by taking the first two letters of Steve and his wife, Anne (Stan), and from James. Nowadays,{{when|date=April 2014}} the Stan James operations are primarily online and on mobile though there is a shop estate of over 90 betting shops in the UK.{{Cite news | last = Scutts| first = Andrew| title = Reuben brothers confirmed as still in running for Tote| newspaper = Racing Post| location = London | page = 5| date = 2 February 2011}} Stan James opened their first shop in Compton, Berkshire in 1973.{{cite news| title=Step forward the real Stan James | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/2370037/Step-forward-the-real-Stan-James.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Marcus | last=Armytage |date=20 December 2005 | accessdate=24 June 2010 }}

StanJames.com was the trading name of SJU Limited and was licensed and regulated by the Government of Gibraltar and the Gambling Commission of Great Britain. The company's online gambling operations are located in Gibraltar. The CEO of StanJames.com was Denis Kelly.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} The StanJames.com brand was available in markets across the world, with sports and casino customers from over 120 countries worldwide, but they focused in particular on the UK market and UK customers.

In December 2007, the firm bought the Betdirect bookmaking company, which was established in 1998, from 32Red for £5.75 million.{{cite web | url=http://www.bettingpro.com/category/All-News/Betdirect-to-Stan-James/ | publisher=bettingpro.com | title=Betdirect to Stan James | author=Chris Carter | date=2 November 2007 | accessdate=24 June 2010}} The Betdirect operation was merged with Stan James in February 2009.{{cite web | url=http://www.reviewed-casinos.com/uk/news/53060209.html | publisher=reviewedcasions.com | title=Betdirect absorbed into Stan James core operations | date=6 February 2009 | accessdate=24 June 2010}}{{cite web | url=http://betting.stanjames.com/2009-02-05/Announcements/Stan-James-betdirect-merger | publisher=Stan James | title=Stan James announces betdirect merger | author=Charlies McCann | date=5 February 2009 | accessdate=24 June 2010}} In 2008, they bought the online betting business betterbet.com from the London bookmaker Better.{{cite web | url=http://www.bookmakersreview.com/Ratings_History/10162/ | publisher=Bookmakers Review | title=Stan James buys online bookmaker betterbet.com | date=21 July 2008 | accessdate=26 June 2010}}{{cite web | url=http://gambling.co.uk/news/gambling-news_11319_stan-james-steps-into-takeover-betterbet-sportsbook.html | publisher=gambling.co.uk | title=Stan James Steps into Takeover BetterBet Sportsbook | date=7 August 2008 | accessdate=26 June 2010}} In 2009 Stan James started a co-operation with the Austrian BETKICK Sportwettenservice GmbH, together they found the brand SJBET and SJBET24.com (Internet betting) especially for betting shops in Austria, Germany, and Europe. In May 2010 they bought 27 branches of regional bookmaker Pagebet after the company went bankrupt. In September 2015, Unibet Group plc acquired the online gambling business of Stan James Group plc together with full rights and assets for £19 million.{{Cite web|last=McCarron|first=Andrew|date=July 10, 2015|title=Unibet Buys Stan James for £19M|url=https://www.sbcnews.co.uk/featurednews/2015/07/10/unibet-buys-stan-james-for-19m/|website=SBC News}}

On 26 February 2018 the Stan James website was shut down. All accounts were transferred to Kindred Group (formerly Unibet).{{Cite web|last=Menmuir|first=Ted|date=February 28, 2018|title=Kindred Group Shuts Down Stan James Online|url=https://www.sbcnews.co.uk/sportsbook/2018/02/28/kindred-group-shuts-stan-james-online/|website=SBC News}}

StanJames.com had been present in several emerging markets where they had operated under alternative brands in partnership with local companies.{{cite web |date=October 2012 |title='Brand Reach' campaign |url=http://media.stanjames.com/about-us/brand-reach |accessdate=1 October 2013 |publisher=Stan James}} These included 'Goldenpark.com' in Spain, where StanJames.com partnered with the Spanish land-based casino Group MGA; 'Racing2Day' in the United States, where they were part of a limited partnership licensed by the Oregon Racing Commission; and 'Betpack' in Ireland, which was created in 2009 to offer online betting and gaming to the betting shop network of the same name.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

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StanJames.com had been involved in numerous marketing campaigns since the online business was conceived in the late 1990s,{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} including the Stan James World Matchplay from 2000 to 2010, during which time the event grew in size and stature to become the second most important event in darts.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

StanJames.com had been notable supporters of British horse racing.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} The company sponsored the 'Stan James Guineas Festival' at Newmarket Racecourse from 2006 to 2010, and the King George Chase at Kempton Park from 2005 to 2008. Presently,{{when|date=April 2014}} StanJames.com sponsor 'Stan James Champion Hurdle' at the Cheltenham Festival. The Stan James Champion Hurdle is the final race in the 'Road To Cheltenham' series of races, all of which are sponsored by StanJames.com and had been since 2010. Since the six-race sponsorship began, Cheltenham Racecourse footfall and television viewer ratings had increased year-on-year for the Stan James Champion Hurdle.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

In 2012, StanJames.com launched the 'Who are you with?' advertising campaign.{{cite web | url=http://media.stanjames.com | publisher=Stan James | title='Who are you with?' campaign | date=October 2012 | accessdate=1 October 2013}} The campaign revolved around two characters called Stan and James who are best friends but completely opposite characters, notably when it comes to having a bet. The campaign's strapline is 'Who are you with?', which was intended to provoke customers to align themselves with either Stan or James, as well as making the suggestion they should join StanJames.com.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.stanjames.com}}
• [http://media.stanjames.com/ Stan James Media website]

Category:1973 establishments in England

Category:Online gambling companies of Gibraltar

Category:Online gambling companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Defunct poker companies

Category:Online poker companies

Category:Companies based in Oxfordshire

Category:Abingdon-on-Thames

Category:Gambling companies established in 1973

Category:Gambling companies disestablished in 2018

Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2018