Ladbrokes makes move on German market

Ladbrokes has set its sights on the potentially lucrative German sports betting market after tying up a sponsorship deal with Bundesliga football club Werder Bremen.

The deal sees Ladbrokes replace German operator Tipico as the club’s official betting partner in a move a spokesperson for the firm described as a “first small step” into the market.

The agreement, which will see Ladbrokes branding appear throughout the Werder Bremen stadium, will run until the end of the current season but could be terminated should there be any significant regulatory developments in the country.

Last year Ladbrokes was one of 20 operators to receive a sports betting permit, however, many unsuccessful firms filed lawsuits against a licensing process deemed to lack transparency and led to calls for the whole process to be reset.

“Customers are responding well to our German language mobile product which is on our Mobenga platform,” David Williams, Ladbrokes director of media, told eGaming Review.

“Our deal with Werder Bremen is relatively small in real terms and takes us only to the end of the season for the time being as we await clarity on the regulatory situation in Germany,” the spokesperson added.

Ladbrokes’ rival William Hill recently made its Germany intentions clear after it joined the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) to ensure it has its say in the debate surrounding the country’s much maligned licensing process.

A spokesperson for William Hill said it was hopeful the regulatory situation would become clearer in the coming months and that if it did the country would become “a market of interest”.