Launches and sign-ups 8 November 2017
The key launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (2 November to 8 November 2017)
GVC disposes of Turkey-facing business for €150m
Five-year earn-out deal expected to be completed before the end of the year and could pave the way for more M&A by the operator
GVC Holdings is to sell its Turkey-facing business for up to €150m, potentially paving the way for more M&A as the operator looks to increase its focus on regulated markets.
The London-listed firm announced the sale of its Headlong Limited subsidiary, and other companies that comprise its Turkish operations, for an earn-out consideration of up to €150m in cash.
The deal, which is expected to take place by the end of December 2017 and subject to regulatory and lender approval, will see GVC sell the business to Ropso Malta Limited – a company backed by investors currently providing the primary IT services to the business.
According to a statement this morning, Headlong and its associated businesses generated approximately €35m of clean EBITDA and had gross assets of €21m for the year ended 31 December 2016.
Former LeoVegas and bet365 execs set up mobile sports betting hub
LeoVegas’ former head of sports, Andreas Bardun, has set up a mobile sports betting innovation tech hub in Malta with his business partner Richard Smith.
Smith previously worked for Betsson Group as head of mobile and held a similar role at bet365, while Bardun left LeoVegas in October to be replaced by Riku Jokela.
The tech hub has been set up to develop the “best possible mobile sports betting solution”, as well as advising operators on the best ways to approach mobile betting.
Work has also begun on a B2C sportsbook app.
Pinnacle targets esports with retooled betting hub
Pinnacle has launched a retooled esports betting hub designed to cater to the “very specific demands” of esports gamblers.
The new hub features betting markets on the 12 most popular esports, and has a different layout compared to the core Pinnacle product.
“We’ve spent the best part of the last year planning and building the new hub,” Pinnacle said in a statement.
“UX, UI, design, team intel, event schedules and educational content are all customised to position Pinnacle at the heart of the esports world and maintain our leading position in esports betting.”
Mr Green to sponsor major darts tournament
Mr Green has signed on as the title sponsor of the Professional Dart Corporation’s Players Championship Finals to be held in Somerset later this month.
Targeted advertising around the event will boost the Swedish operator’s exposure in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
The deal includes an additional prize offering of £100,000, and sportsbook users will be offered a series of price boosts and promotions on social media and Mr Green’s website.
Mr Green CEO Jesper Kärrbrink commented: “Darts is a very popular sport for several of our key markets and we look forward to introducing Mr Green to this passionate fan base.”
Betsson Group integrates Perform’s 3D football product
Betsson Group has become the first sportsbook operator to integrate Perform Group’s new Opta 3D football visualisation product.
All Betsson sportsbooks, including Betsafe in the UK, will run to Opta’s live visualisations for the Premier League, as well as 60 other top European and global competitions to enhance the live betting experience.
The data is tracked by Opta’s analytics team and has been made available to Betsson punters, as well as broadcasters, media outlets and clubs to help evaluate and understand player performance.
“Integrating this innovative new product into our sportsbook offering means we can not only continue to improve on customer betting experience, but it also means we can lead the field with pioneering new technology,” said Nick Maurice, head of trading at Betsson Group.
Pinnacle inks Le Mans sponsorship
Pinnacle has announced a deal to sponsor the Algarve Pro Racing Team in the 2018 European Le Mans Endurance Series.
The deal will see the Pinnacle logo displayed on the sides of the team’s cars.
Pinnace CEO Paris Smith said: “My intent is for Pinnacle to represent high performance in everything we do – from our people to the odds we deliver, so the synergy with Algarve Pro Racing Team is ideal. We are very happy to support them and wish the team every success on the track.”
The 2018 European Le Mans Endurance Series starts next April in France, before stops in Italy, Austria, Belgium, Portugal and the UK.
Oulala partners with Safaribet for Africa-facing DFS product
DFS firm Oulala has announced its latest partnership after agreeing a deal to provide its football DFS product to Safaribet Kenya.
The agreement will see Safaribet integrate Oulala’s Iframe and then API, joining the provider’s DFS liquidity pool.
The product is expected to go live early next year on Safaribet.co.ke.
Valery Bollier, Oulala’s CEO, said: ”While most iGaming operators have begun to acknowledge the growing need to offer new types of products in order to attract younger generations, Safaribet’s team made a crucial step forward as they truly understand the benefits of offering our DFS product.”