Interwetten re-enters Greece as 2014 GGR soars 18%
Malta-based operator partners with interim licensee to re-launch in Greece ahead of wider European push
Interwetten has confirmed its return to the Greek online betting market and hinted at additional market launches after posting an 18% increase in gross gaming revenues (GGR) for 2014.
Full-year GGR totalled 46.3m on the back of a 15% increase in betting turnover to 800m with the operator reporting a particularly strong Q4 in which revenues exceeded 11.4m.
A statement released by the firm said the rate of growth had “accelerated even faster than expected” and Interwetten spokesman Werner Becher said 2014 would be recognised as “one of the most successful years in the company’s history”.
The year was topped by December’s return to the Greek online betting market after regulatory conditions forced it to withdraw from the jurisdiction.
Interwetten has now collaborated with one of the country’s interim licence holders to launch a dot.gr sports betting site and plans are in place for the operator to enter new markets in Q1 this year.
The operator is to launch a fully-managed online platform for an unnamed European betting agency based in a jurisdiction where Interwetten had previously withdrawn from.
Interwetten is also set to expand its product portfolio for its Spain-facing site after applying for an extension to its existing licence to include slots games, which the firm is to promote through a new marketing campaign in the country starting next month.
Several new television ads are to be launched in Spain while the operator will also step up marketing in Germany and Austria in the coming weeks in an attempt to cement its brand position in the region.
While Interwetten has a strong presence in Austria it was not one of the 20 operators selected for a German sports betting licence last September, however Becher said it was important for the firm to step up marketing in the region.
“Although the legal situation in Germany is still uncertain, my confidence is growing day by day that the long-term investments of Interwetten and the increase in significant market share will prove to be of great value for the company in the future,” Becher said.