888sport to get Spanish launch next week
Operator finally gets regulator go-ahead to release product ahead of new football season
888 has been given the green light to launch its sportsbook in Spain as the operator looks to build on its strong gaming market share in the regulated Spanish market.
The release of 888sport.es is due to take place next week, just ahead of the start of the new Premier League football season and two weeks’ before the Spanish La Liga is due to kick-off.
888 snapped-up a Spanish remote sports betting licence from local gaming company Nevron at the start of the year and had initially hoped to have the Kambi-powered product ready in time for the World Cup, however, it is thought regulatory issues prevented this from taking place.
Following its H1 interim management statement earlier this week, 888 chief executive Brian Mattingley told eGaming Review he was “bullish” about its sportsbook prospects in Spain, citing the growth the vertical had enjoyed in the UK over the past 12 months.
According to Mattingley, sportsbook made up the vast majority of the Group’s ’emerging offerings’ vertical, which grew 15% year-on-year to £7m in Q2 2014.
The firm has heavily marketed the product in the UK in recent months with TV ad spots and London buses adorned with 888sport advertising.
And Mattingley said this enabled the operator to “stand proud and hold our own in the face of the big boys” during the World Cup, with the firm also pleased with the early cross-selling of sports customers in to other products and visa-versa.
The news of the sportsbook launch will provide another boost to 888’s Spain-facing business after the Spanish regulator last week confirmed the regulation of slots for the casino vertical.
888 has a market leading position in Spain’s online casino market and expects the addition of slots to have a similar impact as was seen in Italy, when 888’s casino revenues rose 60% following the launch of slots in 2012.