Rank targets slots and mobile apps in Spain
Renewed deal with GameAccount also sets sights on land-based convergence in regulated Spanish market
Rank Group said it expected to launch online slots in Spain by 2014 as it renewed its deal with GameAccount for its Spanish online gaming site.
GameAccount has been working with Rank Espana since 2010 and the new multi-year deal includes iOS and Android apps as well as preparatory work for an anticipated launch of slots in Q4 2013.
“By 2014 we expect Spain to be among Europe’s fastest-growing regulated Internet gaming markets with the now-expected regulation of casino slots,” Dermot Smurfit, GameAccount Network CEO, said.
The Spanish gaming market grew by 41% in Q4 2012 with casino games responsible for 12.4% of gross gaming revenues and bingo games just 3.6%.
Jorge Ibáñez, director general Rank España, said the two firms would also work on integrating its land-based loyalty scheme with the online site as it looks to build its brand in the regulated Spanish market.
“Converging our online brand enRacha.es with our land-based bingo halls will unlock significant value,” Ibáñez said.
Rank Espana owns 11 bingo halls in Spain with around 2 million visits annually and operates the enraca.es online gambling site.
“Our on-going investment in upgrading and re-branding our Spanish bingo halls will organically raise awareness of enRacha.es and drive customer acquisition in a way unavailable to competing Internet-only operators,” he added.
Smurfit added GameAccount would be looking to increase the “offline-to-online convergence” by integrating Rank Espana’s loyalty scheme with its back-end management system.
Spain’s regulator the General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling is expected to announce a new chief in the next few weeks following the resignation of outgoing head Enrique Alejo.