Launches and sign-ups 27 November 2013
Launches and sign-ups from the egaming industry in the last seven days (21 November to 27 November 2013)
Ladbrokes signs app partnership to “accelerate” mobile
Deal with UK-based app developer will see Ladbrokes mobile team co-located with Chesea Apps Factory
Ladbrokes has signed a deal to co-locate its mobile sportsbook team at UK-based apps developer Chelsea Apps Factory to speed up the development of its mobile offering.
The operator’s mobile sportsbook team will move to the London office of Chelsea Apps Factory in December to build on the Mobenga mobile platform the firm is due to launch “imminently”.
“With our move to the Mobenga platform on track and imminent, we need to ensure our mobile offer stays relevant for the customer in a rapidly evolving market,” Jim Mullen, Ladbrokes Digital MD, said.
He added the partnership with Chelsea Apps Factory, who has previously worked with Ladbrokes rival William Hill, had a remit to “constantly innovate, measure and improve” the Ladbrokes product.
BetVictor signs up Timeform in data deal
BetVictor has signed a two-year deal with Betfair-owned horse racing information provider Timeform as part of a wider revamp of the operator’s horse racing product.
As part of the deal, Timeform has become BetVictor’s sole source of racing form and will provide data on all UK, Ireland and Dubai races ending BetVictor’s previous arrangement with Racing Post.
The service went live on desktop last week and the operator expects to extend the Timeform data to its mobile website in the coming weeks.
The deal forms part of a number of changes to BetVictor’s horse racing product with improvements made to its racecard view, more prominently displayed alternative betting types and a soon-to-be upgraded streaming service.
Seven days in launches and sign-ups:
William Hill opens mobile “centre of excellence”
William Hill has opened a new technological “centre of excellence” in Shoreditch as it looks to ramp up the development of new mobile products.
The move will make Hills the first FTSE 100 company to open offices in the area, known as Silicon Roundabout, with around 40 staff will be positioned there initially.
Hills has paired the launch with a recruitment drive, and Andrew Lee, managing director at William Hill Online, said the move to Shoreditch’s “Silicon Roundabout” will help attract innovative mobile technology developers.
Sportradar signs Football Conference deal
Sportradar has entered into a three-year partnership with the Football Conference to become the official sports data partner of the three Skrill-sponsored divisions.
The deal, which will see the sports data company supply data relating to the Skrill Premier, North and South Conference divisions, will look to increase the integrity of the leagues and increase the information exchange with the gambling industry.
The deal comes after a series of match-fixing allegations and suspicious betting activity affecting clubs in the Conference leagues were brought to light last season.
Matchbook launches new iPhone app
Exchange operator Matchbook has continued its recent reinvention with the launch of an iPhone app to capitalise on the industry-wide growth in the mobile channel.
Coming on the back of the launch of its new desktop site earlier this month, the app will offer customers the same functionality as the full site, including the ability to sync markets across devices using Matchbook’s Shortlist feature.
The operator is currently focused on improving liquidity in its in-running football markets and sees its new mobile app, which was developed in a matter of weeks, as playing an important role in achieving that goal.
Realistic Games has agreed a deal to sponsor the yard of British horseracing trainer Ruth Carr. The deal will see Realistic’s logo displayed on the silks of each jockey who rides a horse from the stables, beginning in January 2014.
The slots supplier’s name will also feature on each race card and on the clothing of horse grooms, and Realistic Games commercial director Andy Harris labelled the deal as a great opportunity to be televised.
Tombola Store has teamed up with payment processing firm SecureTrading to launch its first transparent online raffle. A specific number of tickets will be made available for each raffle on the Tombola Store, with the draw being made as soon as all the tickets are sold.
“Other companies have tried online raffles in the past, but we’re filling a niche by majoring on transparent user experience,” Paul McCourt, director at Tombola Store, said.
Scientific Games subsidiary Williams Interactive has launched its mobile games platform, using HTML5 in order to optimise games for both tablet and smartphone devices, adapting them for different operating systems, screen sizes and resolutions.
Unibet was the first egaming operator to go live with the platform and Daniel Eskola, head of gaming at Unibet, said the new multi-channel game launch strategy would boost efficiency in marketing efforts.
Mobile gaming developer Probability has partnered with UK lifestyle brand Sugar Hut to launch a gaming offering themed around the nightclub chain. Sugar Hut Mobile Casino will offer real-money mobile slot, bingo and casino games and will have access to Probability’s full games catalogue.
“The partnership enables Sugar Hut to deepen brand engagement and drive loyalty by delivering fun, entertaining mobile games that give their customers the opportunity to win real money,” Michael Byrne, CCO at Probability, said.
B2B supplier iSoftBet has partnered with film studio MGM Interactive to launch a new slot game themed around the Academy Award winning war film Platoon. The title will be available to iSoftBet’s customers through its gaming portfolio.
Offside Gaming has announced an agreement with Parlay Games to provide a new bingo network for the Latin American market as part of the technology provider’s wider localisation strategy in the region.
The deal will see a dedicated team built around the product, while Spanish and Portuguese speaking chat moderators and customer services staff will also be included.