Bwin enters branding deal with Italian retail outlets
Operator signs agreement which could see around 700 independent high-street shops and betting cafes rebrand to bwin
Bwin has struck an innovative nine-year licensing agreement in Italy which could see as many as 700 of the country’s independent retail betting establishments rebrand under the bwin banner.
Bwin.party’s sportsbook brand yesterday announced it had teamed up with Obiettivo 2016, a major supplier to Italy’s regulated retail industry, to offer shops and cafes the opportunity to form a network of bwin-branded retail stores.
According to the operator, the move will significantly increase its exposure to Italian bettors with bwin branding expected to appear across as much as 15% of Italy’s retail market – approximately 400 shops and 300 cafes.
Obiettivo, which has played a major role in leading the fight against the country’s unregulated CTDs, will continue to provide independent regulated land-based concessionaries with its full turnkey solution.
However bwin expects to benefit from the cross-sell opportunity, with outlets acting as affiliates to drive customers to bwin’s digital offering.
“The experience of Obiettivo 2016 managers, combined with the brand recognition bwin has established in Italy in part through our premium sponsorship activities, will provide independent concessionaires with the ideal package to be successful in the Italian market,” Sam Sadi, director of bwin labels, said.
The Italian state will kick-off a tender process with a number of concessionaries expected to be up-and-running before the end of the year.