Media manipulation
Competition in the surging bingo arena intensified last month with operators making a string of moves to entrench their positions via media tie-ups. Our handy chart lays out the egaming-media deals from last year to this...
COMPETITION in the surging bingo sphere intensified last month with a string of operators making moves to entrench their positions via media tie-ups.
JackpotJoy-owners Gamesys, which already runs bingo sites for UK tabloid newspapers The Sun and News of the World, signed a deal to launch a bingo product for Heart FM, a network of radio stations covering central & southern England and north Wales owned by Global Radio.
Gamesys will also run UK online bingo for the Caesars brand owned by Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment (HIE), the online arm of US casino giant Harrah’s.
Mecca, meanwhile signed a deal with Fremantle Media Enterprises (FME) to be the official online gaming partner of Britain’s Got Talent, the UK’s highest rated TV series in 2009.
Media and PR consultant Andrew DrinkwaÂter said: “The challenge is to create distinctive and engaging brands through marketing, and a strong personality through PR.
“Mecca is clearly hanging its hat on one of the biggest TV brands of the moment and in terms of demographic it’s probably spot on. The challenge is how they leverage the tie-up to maximise their return on an investment that won’t have been cheap.
“Gamesys’ approach is simply to use large, estabÂlished media and gaming brands.”
The two companies are by no means the first to launch media tie-ups, however – see below for the deals signed in the last year and a quarter.
eGaming-media deals, 2009 to 1 April 2010
Amuso
· B2B partnerships with MySpace, MTV and Associated Newspaper titles including The Daily Mail
Betsson
· Betsson Business Solutions runs bingo for newspaper Expressen
Blue Square/Mkodo
· Blue Square and mobile specialist Mkodo launched a mobile betting product for UK free newspaper Metro
Bwin
· Deal to launch suite of gaming products for Amaury Group titles in France including Le Parisien, L’Equipe and France Football, once regulation allows.
Chili Gaming
· France’s ChiliGaming will launch an online gambling arm for Setanta Sports, which operates channels in Australia, Canada and Ireland.
· Deal with French group Iliad, which operates internet service provider Free
Fluteroo
· Launched auction games the websites of Northern & Shell newspapers the Daily Star and Daily Express
Fremantle Media Gaming
· Signed a deal with MGM to develop online casino games based on movies titles including Fame, Robocop and A Fistful of Dollars
Gamesys
· Will launch a bingo product for UK radio network Heart FM
GTech G2
· Deal to supply internet search giant Yahoo! with bingo, poker and soft games
Mecca
· Deal with Fremantle Media Enterprises to be the official online gaming partner of TV show Britain’s Got Talent
Mfuse
· Launched mobile betting for IPC Ignite-published ‘lads’ magazine Nuts
· Launched mobile betting for Dennis published online lads magazine Monkey
NeoGames
· Launched scratch card website for Northern & Shell’s OK! magazine
NetPlay TV
· TV broadcast deal with STV Group, Scotland’s biggest commercial broadcaster
Sportech
· Signed New Football Pools brand ties with UK newspapers including The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, Metro and Daily Mirror
Victor Chandler
· Poker and casino white labels for UK tabloid newspaper Daily Star
William Hill
· Runs promotional website ITV.com/WilliamHill with UK broadcaster ITV