Poll results: OpenBet to bloom under NYX leadership

OpenBet’s ?270m sale to NYX Gaming will provide the platform for the firm to strengthen its position as the world’s leading sportsbook supplier, the majority of respondents to this week’s eGaming Review poll have said.

The transaction, which is expected to be completed with the next month, will herald a new era in the B2B industry with NYX in the position to challenge Playtech as a full service provider.

Speaking to EGR, NYX CEO Matt Davey said his firm planned to take OpenBet into new markets and ramp-up the supplier’s previous target of acquiring one major customer per year.

NYX will also attempt to upsell its gaming-only customers to the OpenBet sportsbook product, while the likes of PokerStars, which recently launched its own sportsbook, could also be a potential target.

And when asked whether OpenBet would flourish under NYX, almost two-third of respondents (63%) said they expected the supplier to grow within its new ownership structure, one which also includes William Hill and Sky Betting & Gaming (SB&G).

But despite assurances from Davey to the contrary, some industry observers have cited concerns over the continued independence of OpenBet, with Hills and SB&G taking a 19% and 5% stake in NYX respectively.

And although OpenBet customer Paddy Power Betfair said it was happy with the arrangement, there are fears other customers of the supplier could look elsewhere for their platform needs.

This doubt appeared to linger in the minds of 22% of respondents which said its relationship with investor licensees would likely cause problems further down the line.

And with Davey stating that the day-to-day running of OpenBet would remain the same for the time being, the remaining 15% of respondents said the deal would have no impact on OpenBet’s performance.