Gala Interactive launches new Sweden-facing brand
Operator makes first international move with new site housing full-suite of Playtech products
Gala Interactive has soft-launched a new Sweden-facing brand called simply ‘Gala’ in what marks the company’s first venture outside of the UK.
The beta site Gala.se, which was released earlier this month, stands separate to its UK sites and has been designed in-house and in conjunction with software provider Playtech. The operator plans a full release in April.
Gala becomes the first Gala Interactive site to house Playtech’s complete product suite of casino, live casino, bingo and poker, while the next few months will also see the release of a number of exclusive branded games in a move to increase market appeal.
The operator has also launched html5 versions of the site on both mobile and tablet with a native app expected by mid-April.
The brand has been positioned as a “gaming entertainment portal”, as opposed to its Gala Bingo or Gala Casino sites, with a website, tablet and mobile design aimed to “stand out and really resonate with the Swedish audience”.
“Gala.se will bring something new and exciting to the Swedish gaming market and we have big plans for the brand for when it hard launches,” Per Widerstrom, managing director of Gala Interactive said.
According to the operator, Sweden was selected as its preferred destination due to the country displaying signs of strong gaming growth across most product verticals.
Recent predictions from Global Betting and Gaming Consultants put the country’s CAGR at 6% over the next five years while re-regulation is likely to take place by 2017, which would see the liberalisation of a market currently controlled by state monopoly Svenska Spel.
Gala Interactive’s first international foray comes at a time when UK-facing operators face increasing pressure on margins due to a 15% Point of Consumption tax which is due to come into force on 1 December.