Launches and sign-ups 11 September 2013
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (5 September " 11 September 2013)
Ladbrokes acquires Aus sports betting company for £13m
UK bookmaker takes first steps into Australian market with purchase of Gaming Investments, owner of Bookmaker.com.au
Ladbrokes has announced the acquisition of Australian sports betting operator Gaming Investments (GIPL) for AUS$22.5m (£13m), marking the UK operator’s first steps into the Australian market.
The acquisition, which will see the formation of Ladbrokes Australia, is expected to complete by the end of the week and will extend the sportsbook’s global reach.
Ladbrokes will acquire GIPL for the initial consideration, with an additional earn out payable in cash based upon Ladbrokes Australia’s EBITDA for the period 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. As a result, the company is expected to incur a small exceptional charge this financial year.
“The acquisition of this fast growing business represents an excellent opportunity for Ladbrokes to establish a strong presence in Australia, in line with our strategy to extend geographic reach to key regulated markets,” Ladbrokes’ CEO Richard Glynn said.
Bwin.party’s revamped PartyPoker goes live
Bwin.party’s revamped PartyPoker product is now live, as the operator looks to turn around its fortunes following disappointing financial results.
The new poker offering has been in the making for over a year since bwin.party announced its intentions merge bwin and PartyPoker in an attempt to reverse its poker offering’s declining performance.
Bwin.party has added a redesigned landing page, new logo and a 1-Click lobby which it claims is “unique to PartyPoker.com”. The offering also includes a range of social features, such as missions and achievements, which the company said marked “a significant first step in the integration of social features into the real money gaming environment”.
The new version of PartyPoker, which originally launched in August 2001, is currently available on Mac and PC, and also as a mobile app on Android and iOS devices, with the launch of tournaments planned for the near future.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Exclusive: Betfred.com spins off mobile development arm
British operator Betfred.com has spun off its mobile business in a move which will see the newly-formed agency act as a third party mobile app developer to both gambling and non-gambling clients.
Degree 53 will be headed up by Betfred.com’s ex-head of mobile Andy Daniels (pictured) and has already won several clients including a large sportsbook affiliate for which it has developed a horseracing results app for iOS and Android devices.
Daniels confirmed the company is in talks with a non-UK sportsbook operator to produce a mobile site but would not work with sports betting firms in markets where Betfred.com was a competitor.
Koolbit launches real-money sports betting site
Mobile casino operator Koolbit is set to launch its first real-money sports betting site this week, eGaming Review has exclusively learned.
BetBaron.com allows a bettor to win up to £10m from a £2 bet, with a unique “deal or no deal” cash-in model. In addition, all bets enter a “consolation pool” in which players’ failed bets may have a second life.
Koolbit has previously focused on its Casino Ino branded family of mobile, social, freemium casino apps with a slots/female demographic. However, speaking with eGR, Koolbit CEO Gerard Cunningham confirmed this week’s UK launch and said the firm wanted to attract more male customers through its Bet Baron offering.
Ladbrokes renews UK sportsbook contract with OpenBet
Ladbrokes has renewed its UK sportsbook contract with software provider OpenBet for a further three years.
The operator’s partnership with OpenBet already spans 15 years, having originally contracted London-based OpenBet in 1998.
Under the new agreement, OpenBet will continue to supports Ladbrokes’ online sportsbook and games products, complimenting what the operator continues to receive as part of its deal with Playtech.
Bwin.party seals player verification deal with CAMS
London-listed operator bwin.party has signed a deal with customer verification services firm CAMS to receive player age verification and identification services in the US.
Bwin.party will receive CAMS’ suite of Know Your Customer verification services, including age verification and identification technology, complimenting the operator’s existing deal with geolocation technology provider GeoComply.
The operator is looking to commence operations in New Jersey before the end of this year, having entered into agreements with Boyd Gaming and MGM in October 2011.
France Pari B2B division signs Genybet deal
B2B supplier Sportnco has sealed a three-year deal to provide its fixed-odds betting platform to French horse racing bookmaker Genybet.
Sportnco, a division of French operator France Pari, will supply Genybet with its odds and risk-management tools and mobile offer.
The deal will allow Genybet, the online subsidiary of French horse racing giant PMU, to widen its range of sports betting to include products such as football pools.
Williams Interactive to provide Affinity Gaming with Play4Fun Network
WMS Industries subsidiary Williams Interactive has signed an agreement with Affinity Gaming to supply its white-label social gaming platform Play4Fun Network.
Affinity Gaming will use the free-play online gaming platform to build an online community to provide customers at its 12 casinos and resorts with the ability to play casino games on their computers, tablets and mobile devices.
The Play4Fun Network will come branded to Affinity Gaming’s A-Play customer loyalty club, allowing the company to connect with players through fully customisable, multi-channel social gaming titles.
Colossus Bets signs up former England striker Michael Owen
Colossus Bets has signed up former England striker Michael Owen as a brand ambassador for the operator’s range of sports pool bets.
The UK-based sports betting company launched its sports pool concept – dubbed the ‘world’s biggest sports bet’ – in July this year, prior to the start of the 2013/14 football season.
Colossus Bets CEO Bernard Marantelli championed the ex-England striker’s appointment. “Michael Owen was a star for England, and he will be a star for Colossus Bets as our ambassador,” he added.