Ladbrokes’s Sportium awarded Colombia’s ninth online licence
Operator plans to roll out up to 100 betting terminals in Colombian casinos as part of its five-year licensing deal
Ladbrokes Coral Spanish-language joint venture, Sportium, has been awarded Colombia’s ninth online gambling licence by regulator Coljuegos.
The sportsbook, joint-owned by Ladbrokes and Spanish casino operator Cirsa, has launched a test version of its site under the country’s .co web domain.
According to details released by Coljuegos, Sportium secured a five year licensing deal with the regulator for a price of C$7.8bn (£19.7m).
As part of the deal the operator will also roll out 100 betting terminals in a number of land-based casinos across Colombia, ahead of the World Cup this summer.
President of the regulator, Juan Perez Hidalgo, said Sportium’s entry into the market would offer Colombian players a wider product range.
“By the end of 2018 it is expected that 17 online operators will be authorized in the country, according to the great interest of the private sector on the market,” Perez Hidalgo said.
Sportium first entered the Latin American market via Panama in 2016 and last year it first announced its plans to launch in Colombia.