Launches and sign-ups 10 September 2014
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (4 September to 10 September 2014)
Metro Play sold to 666Bet
DMG Media withdraws from gaming industry after selling gaming business to Isle of Man-based 666Bet
Casino operator Metro Play has been sold to Isle of Man-based operator 666Bet for an undisclosed fee.
The DMG Media-owned start-up, which was re-launched as Metro Play in May 2013, will be incorporated into 666Bet brand as the ambitious operator continues to pursue an aggressive growth strategy.
Following the deal 666Bet is set to transfer its sportsbook across from its current Novigroup white-labelled platform and on to EveryMatrix, which currently powers Metro Play’s casino offering.
It is not yet clear whether 666Bet will keep the Metro Play brand active, however, it understood 666Bet will receive a discounted advertising rate card for DMG newspapers, which include the Metro and the Daily Mail, as part of the deal.
Former Gala Coral owner eyes-up 888 buyout
888 Holdings’ share price rose sharply last week after reports suggested London-based private equity firm Permira had one eye on purchasing the gaming giant.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the investment vehicle views the Gibraltar-based operator as a potential acquisition target, although eGR sources suggested talks of a deal were wide of the mark.
The speculation saw 888’s share price rise from a low of 124.5p yesterday to a high of 139.75p, an increase of 12%, however, the share price had fallen back to 128p at the time of writing.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
Playtech to power La Gazzetta dello Sport betting site
Playtech has signed a five-year deal to launch an online sportsbook and casino for La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy’s largest daily newspaper.
An exclusive deal has been agreed between the software supplier and RCS Media, the international publishing group behind Gazzetta, which will see Playtech provide a sportsbook and casino platform for the Italy-facing website Gazzabet.it.
As well as a desktop offering, Playtech will develop mobile apps for the newspaper while marketing services are also included under the terms of the deal. The products are expected to be launched later this week ahead of the weekend’s football fixtures.
Titanbet launches UK site
Titanbet has migrated its UK-based customers onto a new Titanbet.co.uk site as part of the operator’s plan to secure a licence for the UK’s new regulatory regime.
In an email to UK customers, the operator said the new Antigua-licensed site would be operated by PT Entertainment Services, a subsidiary of Playtech, and it is believed the new site will be run separately from Titan’s main dot com site.
All UK customers’ open bets and account balances were transferred across to the new site by 8 September, one week ahead of the final deadline for transitional licence applications, which will enable operators to continue to trade unaffected throughout the licensing process.
32Red snaps-up rival UK business
32Red has finalised a deal to acquire the UK customer database of casino rival Go Wild for an undisclosed fee as the market continues to adjust ahead of the UK’s adoption of a Point of Consumption (PoC) regime.
Go Wild’s 60,000 UK customers will be migrated across to the 32Red platform no later than 15 September “ the same day the UK licence application window is set to close.
According to Malta-based Go Wild, the decision to sell its UK business was made following an internal review of its operations before the UK switches to a PoC regulatory framework on 1 October.
666Bet lines-up further acquisitions following Metro Play deal
666Bet chief executive Barry Martin has told eGR the operator expects to be involved in further M&A activity in the coming weeks as it looks to follow-up on its recent acquisition of online casino Metro Play.
Last week eGR revealed 666Bet had purchased the DMG Media-owned operator for an undisclosed fee and Martin is keen to develop the brand into a multi-vertical operator as soon as possible.
“Metro Play is a big brand that we’ll add into our portfolio and keep it running alongside 666Bet,” Martin said. “It’s a massive coup for us and we are very excited about being able to market to the Metro Play customer database and add in some additional products,” he added.
Eurobet launches major TV campaign following online overhaul
Italian operator Eurobet is to launch its biggest TV advertising campaign to-date this month after recently unveiling a major revamp of its website.
Eurobet’s director of sportsbook Carlo Di Maio told eGR the company was trying to appeal to a “new type of customer” and increase brand awareness across the whole country.
“In the past we have done a limited amount of TV and a few team sponsorship deals but now we are going to invest far more heavily on TV,” Di Maio said.
BetVictor launches revamped virtual betting product
BetVictor has unveiled a revamped version of its Inspired Gaming-powered virtual sports betting product with a dedicated tab on desktop and mobile web for the first time.
The product, which was launched by the Gibraltar-based operator last week, has been given a complete redesign, new navigation, an upgraded streaming player and a more prominent website positioning after only previously being available within the in-play section of the desktop site.
“The improvements we have made will deliver a superior customer experience as it is now far clearer for customers to see the range of virtual sports we offer and in terms of the event schedules within each sport,” Eoin Ryan, head of sportsbook product at BetVictor, told eGR.
Betsson revamps Italy-facing casino
Betsson’s sole Italy-facing site Star Casino has been given a complete redesign as the operator looks to gain market share in Italy’s tough online casino market.
The new starcasino.it desktop site, which was launched earlier this week, has been given a complete visual overhaul while its casino and lobby have also been improved.
The new site has been developed entirely in-house using Betsson’s proprietary software and is now hosted on its common technology platform, while updates to its mobile products are expected in the coming months.
Poker770 latest product to come under NetBet brand
Online poker room Poker770 has joined the NetBet Group and rebranded its offering as NetBet Poker after 12 years as a standalone brand.
NetBet Poker will trade under the NetBet Group’s Malta licence rather than Poker770’s Curacao licence and has joined iPoker’s top tier of operators alongside the likes of Ladbrokes, Titan Poker and bet365.
“We are aware that players want the choice and security a united platform offers them and so are delighted to be able to make this announcement,” a NetBet spokesperson said.