Launches and sign-ups 11 February 2015
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (6 February to 11 February 2015)
William Hill in 888 takeover bid
888 confirms it has received an approach from William Hill after reports of £750m takeover
888 Holdings has confirmed it’s received a takeover approach from William Hill following speculation the UK bookmaker had tabled a £750m bid for the Gibraltar-licensed firm.
The Times yesterday reported William Hill had tabled a 210p per share bid for 888 with the respective boards having reached a “preliminary agreement” over the deal.
888 has since released a statement confirming the approach but said no firm offer had yet been made.
“The Board of the Company notes the recent press speculation concerning the possibility of an offer being made for the Company,” 888 said in a statement to the market this afternoon.
Intertain strikes £425m deal with Gamesys
Intertain has struck a deal with Gamesys worth £425m which will see the Canadian firm take control of the Jackpotjoy, Starspins and Botemania real-money and social casino brands and player data.
The agreement, announced last week, will also see Gamesys supply its platform services and gaming content to allow Intertain to run the Jackpotjoy business for a period of 10 years and 20 years respectively.
Jackpotjoy is the key asset in the deal and Intertain said it recorded an EBITDA of £67m in the 12 months ended September 2014 from revenues of £130.9m.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Betway strikes £15m West Ham sponsorship deal
Betway has signed a multi-million pound sponsorship agreement with English Premier League football club West Ham United.
eGaming Review understands the operator has paid £15m to become West Ham’s principal sponsor for the next three-and-a-half years, taking the sponsorship to the end of the 2017/2018 domestic football season.
Betway has become shirt sponsors of the club while the operator has also gained naming rights to the West Stand of West Ham’s stadium, the Boleyn Ground.
Intralot acquires minority stake in Bit8
Intralot has announced it will acquire a minority stake in platform provider Bit8 as part of a strategic alliance that will see the lottery giant integrate the supplier’s solutions across its international portfolio.
The deal, which was announced at ICE Totally Gaming in London last week, will see Intralot take a minority stake of more than 25% in the Malta-based Bit8 with a conditional option for this to be increased in at a later stage.
As part of a strategic alliance, Intralot will integrate Bit8’s multi-vertical platform which includes e-wallet, player account management, real-time analytical tools and a range of CRM functions, into its portfolio of sites.
Sky signs “industry first” anti-fraud monitoring deal
Sky Betting and Gaming has bolstered its anti-fraud and player protection capabilities after finalising an agreement with identity intelligence solution firm GBGroup.
The Leeds-based operator is the first online gambling company to utilise the firm’s transaction monitoring technology which will enable it to boost fraud protection and promote responsible gambling.
The software is similar to that used in the banking sector to detect credit card fraud and will also allow Sky to monitor player behaviour more effectively as it extends its eight-year relationship with GBGroup.
PokerStars relaunches casino in Spain with live dealer games
PokerStars has relaunched its online casino client in Spain with the addition of live dealer games after addressing a technical glitch which forced the operator to withdraw the platform last month.
Speaking to eGaming Review, a PokerStars spokesperson said the casino was back up and running while also announcing the addition of a live roulette room.
“Players are going to be able to enjoy the authentic, honest and trusted experience of PokerStars in a live casino experience,” Sam Hobcraft, director of casino the Rational Group, said.
Coral to ramp up affiliate efforts with new agency deal
Coral Interactive revealed plans to ramp up its affiliate programme today through the appointment of performance marketing agency R.O.Eye.
The agency will oversee Coral Interactive’s affiliate arm, which was launched as Coral Affiliates in July 2014, and will work across the operator’s sports betting, casino and poker brands.
R.O.Eye will establish various generic and exclusive special offers to be distributed through publishing partners on a weekly basis, timed to coincide with weekend sporting fixtures.
Betway continues UK push with talkSPORT sponsorship
Betway continues to splash the cash in its quest to gain UK market share with the announcement of a “six-figure” sponsorship deal with sports radio station talkSPORT.
The agreement will see the Malta-licensed operator partner with the station’s Weekend Sports Breakfast Show on Saturday and Sunday mornings and will provide its latest betting odds to talkSPORT listeners.
“For a huge number of football supporters across the UK, talkSPORT is the first place they tune into every day for all the latest football news,” Alan Alger, Betway’s media relations manager, said.
WhichBingo unveils debut TV ad campaign
Online bingo comparison brand site WhichBingo launched its debut TV advertising campaign with a “large media budget” on a number of Sky channels this week to promote the launch of a new website.
The bingo affiliate has partnered with Leeds-based media agency HOME to develop the 30-second TV ad which will run for an eight-week period.
WhichBingo also recently unveiled a new mobile and tablet-optimised website featuring a redesigned homepage and improved navigation with new features set to be added in the coming weeks.