Betradar moves into retail with Liga Stavok deal
Agreement will see Virtual Football League product launch in Moscow betting shops before being rolled out across Russia.
Sports data provider Betradar has extended its partnership with Russian bookmaker Liga Stavok to provider a terminal-based version of its Virtual Football League (VFL) product, following a successful online launch.
VFL allows punters to place real-money bets on virtual football games, with 3D simulation software ensuring the result and outcome of each match is totally unique. The product has already gone live on Liga Stavok’s Ligastavok.com, Tempobet.com, Bet1128.com and Digibet.com sites, and will now be launched in the operator’s Moscow outlets before being rolled out across the country.
Liga Stavok founder and owner Oleg Zhuravsky commented: “”Liga Stavok very much appreciates the cooperation with Betradar. Its VFL service gives our punters an additional and unique opportunity to place bets at any time.
“Thanks to VFL, punters no longer need to wait for weekends or certain game days, punters now have the opportunity to enjoy a football game and make bets around the clock,” Zhuravsky said.
The deal follows last month’s news that Sportingbet’s joint venture with Liga Stavok, signed in November 2010 had been “put on the back shelf” due to political uncertainty in Russia. At the time Sportingbet CEO Andy McIver told eGaming Review: “[Liga Stavok] backpedalled very heavily following a change in the Russian political climate, and that climate doesn’t seem to have changed.
“I think they feel at this point in time putting up an internet site could be inflammatory even though they have a licence,” he explained.
Last month also saw Betradar parent company Sportradar sign a deal with the International Tennis Federation to secure exclusive worldwide distribution rights to selected international tournaments.