On-line bookmaker Sportingbet.com has agreed to honour the betting accounts of Firststake.com's customers. The Ofex internet betting play has agreed to allow Sportingbet access to its customer database in return for the honouring of funds on deposit with Firststake for customers who register with Sportingbet. Firststake.com has around 5000 customers, most of them from Europe and the UK. Of these customers, about 1900 have placed a bet in the last month and its customer deposits amount to £217,000. Managing director Mark Blandford explained that the deal is 'a very attractive way of developing our customer base', with Sportingbet.com offering Firststake.com customers a 'no-loss, risk free solution despite the fact that Firststake.com is no longer trading'. Sportingbet.com made the step up from Ofex on 30 January, raising £18m on admission.