US business driving Sportech growth
Business development director for North America steps down " migration of egaming products to Playtech platform continues.
Sportech group chairman Roger Withers (pictured) announced that the operator was performing in line with the board’s expectations, with significant growth in Sportech Racing, in an interim management statement at the company’s AGM.
The US subsidiary saw betting turnover rise 4.5% year-on-year, with record takings of $4m for the Kentucky Derby, up 11% on 2011.
Withers also revealed that gross win revenues from the operator’s egaming operations had risen 30% year-on-year following the migration of the Littlewoods brand to Playtech’s gaming platform and the launch of casino and poker under the Vernons brand. The company’s remaining non-sportsbook products will also be migrated onto the Playtech platform over the course of 2012, with bingo next in line.
The chairman concluded by hinting at Sportech’s intention to take advantage of changes to regulation in the operator’s core markets, namely the United Kingdom and United States: “The Group continues to prepare for the forthcoming anticipated regulatory change in the key international jurisdictions in which the Group trades and accordingly, we believe Sportech will be ideally positioned to benefit from the opportunities that these changes will deliver. We look forward to the future with confidence,” he said.
The AGM also saw the resignation of business development director Brooks Pierce, who has stepped down with immediate effect to pursue other business interests.
Pierce was appointed to Sportech’s board in 2010 following the acquisition of US-facing horse racing operator Scientific Games Racing “ since renamed Sportech Racing “ in 2010, for which he has served as president since 1997. Before being appointed president he served as vice president of sales, responsible for Sportech Racing’s core US market.
He has been replaced by Andrew Gaughan, who has taken on Pierce’s responsibilities as business development director for North America in addition to his current role of managing director of Sportech Interactive Products and Services.